Canucks rue slow start as team remains winless
Published
The Vancouver Canucks remained winless on the early season Tuesday with a 4-1 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning.
The Canucks fell behind 1-0 less than four minutes in and never recovered as Brayden Point secured the game-winning goal in the second period. While the early damage was limited, Vancouver was left a rue a slow start that saw Tampa Bay outshoot them 13-7 in the opening frame.
“We weren’t ready to play the first period,” Canucks head coach Rick Tocchet said. “I know it was only 1-0, but I don’t think we won a battle. We had some chances in the second and third, but you can’t give a team like that a two-goal lead. We have to start winning some battles. There are pockets of our game I like, but we need guys to dig in a bit.
“We’re in the corners with the ends of our sticks and it’s been happening for a couple of games now. We have to make sure we get grittier. Sometimes, there’s a rebound and we’re on the wrong side. We’re losing our focus.”
"Our start ... we just didn't come out on time. It's unacceptable on the first game in the road trip," said forward Connor Garland, who scored the team's lone goal in the third period. "We put ourselves behind the eight ball. We should have had one late in the second and it's a different game. ... 2-1 is a big difference from 2-0
“We just have to get better, tighten some things up as a group and we’ll be fine.”
Sitting at 0-1-2, the Canucks have struggled to repeat the success the team found early last season when they charged out to a 10-2-1 start. Vancouver blew a 4-1 first period lead in their season-opening loss to the Calgary Flames and lost 3-2 in a shootout to the Philadelphia Flyers in Game 2.
Tocchet call Silovs performance 'fine'
With Thatcher Demko still sidelined by a knee injury that has lingered since the playoffs, Arturs Silovs and Kevin Lankinen have split starts to open the year. Silovs bounced back from the ugly opener with 24 saves on 27 shots Tuesday after Lankinen had a strong 29-save performance against the Flyers.
“He was fine,” Tocchet said of Silovs in his second start of the season. “I don’t know if I like the second goal and I’m going to have to take a look at that one.”
The Canucks will face the Florida Panthers on Thursday in the second of four games on their current road trip, with stops in Philadelphia and Chicago to come.