'Just work harder': Canucks look to reset after ugly loss to Devils

The puck bounces over the head of Vancouver Canucks goalie Arturs Silovs (31) and stays out of the net as Quinn Hughes (43) watches during the second period of an NHL hockey game against the New Jersey Devils, in Vancouver, on Wednesday, October 30, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

Tyler Myers felt a loss like this could be brewing.

The Vancouver Canucks had points in five straight games but the big defenceman knew his team wasn't playing the way it should.

Then came Wednesday's matchup with the Devils. New Jersey scored 53 seconds in and never relented, handing the Canucks a 6-0 drubbing in the process.

“It was embarrassing. We should be embarrassed," Myers said. "Even through some wins the last couple weeks, there's some things within our game right now that we’ve got to clean up and we’ve got to find our identity. Right now, we're just, we're not there yet. And we know it.”

Wednesday marked just the second regulation loss Vancouver (4-2-3) has suffered this season, but the performance was one head coach Rick Tocchet wants to move past quickly.

“Everything went wrong, right from the beginning," he said. "And then, obviously, some guys were struggling, and it just rolls like that. And you're going to have games like this in an 82-game schedule. We’ve just got to flush it down the toilet right now.”

Vancouver struggled to defend off the rush Wednesday, allowing four goals in transition.

The team's power play has also sputtered in recent weeks, with the Canucks going 3-for-25 with a man advantage over their last eight games.

A lack of urgency has plagued the group, said centre J.T. Miller.

“We make it way too easy on the other team, I think. Not enough FU in our game," he said.

“We’re trying to make a standard. So next time we come in, look ourselves in the eye. It's to a man. Just work harder in practice, be more prepared, pay attention to video, all these things. Be a pro.”

Now the Canucks are looking to reset before they embark on a three-game road swing through California, starting with a visit to the San Jose Sharks on Saturday.

Fixing their play will start well before the puck drops in that game, said winger Conor Garland.

“We have to have a good practice. We’ve gotta get back to practising hard and playing our style," he said. "We’ve got a long, long ways to go. Hopefully, we just start Friday at practice and start playing the way we have to play.”

"Resetting will require each player in the Canucks' locker room focusing on his own game," Tocchet said.

"You can’t worry about anything else," he said. "I think some of the guys need to do that. Just worry about your game. Get (Thursday) off, don't think about hockey, and then Friday come in and have a really good practice. That's the only way you get out of these things."

HISCHIER THE HERO

Devils captain Nico Hischier scored and contributed a pair of assists in Wednesday's win. The Swiss centre now leads the NHL with 10 goals on the season.

“Riding a wave right now a bit. It's going in and in my career, I have had some places where they weren't going in, so I'll just keep riding the wave," he said.

"But working on your shot, that's something you do every summer, I feel like that's an easy thing to work on, and even in practice, you can work on your shot. So, obviously, now I got confidence in my shot and try to use it a little bit more.”

MARKSTROM'S MILESTONE

Jacob Markstrom stopped all 20 shots he faced to collect his first shutout in a Devils jersey. It was the 21st shutout of his NHL career.

New Jersey acquired the Swedish goalie from the Calgary Flames in June in exchange for defenceman Kevin Bahl and a first-round draft pick.

Markstrom said Wednesday that his comfort level with the Devils is growing every game.

"I feel like it's still work to do and but obviously they're getting to know me and I'm getting to know them and the system and all that stuff," he said. "So it's a lot of new stuff, but I feel like when we are all on the same page with everyone, we're a good team. And it showed today.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 31, 2024.