The Canucks got themselves back in the win column after some much needed rest, grinding out a 2-1 victory in Anaheim Sunday night. The Canucks bumped their 1-5-1 slump to improve to 17-6-1 after a loss, but most importantly they’re now 1-0 in the newly minted Pettersson era. Here are your highlights:
It wasn’t a pretty game, but maybe it was the type of game the Canucks needed. A nice reset, back to their system, effort over style kind of win. No team in the NHL has played more than the Canucks, and they went through a 13 in 24 stretch before this elongated three day break. The play recently slipped, and that had a hand to play.
“I think we... almost like a reset,” newly signed Petey said of the stretch of games and little break. “We know what we do when we play well, so we've just got back to doing all the small things all the time. Today was a tough; Anaheim played a good game. But it was a step in the right direction today.”
Let’s hope this is something to build off for the boys. Overall, Tocchet was happy with how the game shook down:
“For the most part, it was a grind game and you have to win those 2-1 games, and we didn’t give them a lot,” he said. “But we got a little loose in the second period with some turnovers and we’ve just got to learn from those when there are no plays.
“I just like the team effort. It wasn’t like we had a lot of outstanding guys, we just grinded it out. It was a stressful game in the third with a lot of bounces and anything could have happened. Casey needed that. For a guy who hasn’t played much, he needed a 2-1 game.”
Tocchet name-checked nearly 20-goal-scorer Hoglander for being for “maybe our best forward”, and gave approval to Podkolzin in his first game action this year, saying he was “pretty good”, before adding: “With a couple of systems stuff he’ll be fine.” So, maybe he’ll get more than a cup of coffee under Tocc.
The Canucks outshot the Ducks 31-19, but that didn’t mean DeSmith didn’t have to be sharp. After a fortuitous first goal, DeSmith shut the door the rest of the way to get his first victory since January 9th.
“I don’t know if I’ve ever been so happy to win a game,” DeSmith said after the game. “Personally, it feels good to get off the (losing) skid and it’s huge to start this trip off on the right foot after a couple of tough losses.”
After that season-low point for the team in Minnesota, where DeSmith was shellacked in net, he’s been battling through it. His mindset must have been shaken – like the rest of the team – so it was great to hear how he talked himself through the game.
“I mean, when the first shot went, I was like, ‘please, not again,’” he explained. “But thankfully, I get to never think about that Minnesota game ever again.
“Everybody's different, everybody has ways to kind of move past goals or put it out of their mind or whatever. I was just like: 'OK, I'm not getting a shutout tonight. But let's see if we can turn this into a win anyways.’ That's just kind of the mentality I think you have to have. It's not going to be perfect every night. You're not going to get the bounces every night. But it's like, control what you can control. That was my mindset tonight: just make the saves that I could.”
As good as it feels to get a victory and put one foot back on solid ground, the Canucks have to keep their head down and work. With games against the Kings and Knights upcoming, it’s not going to be easy – both those teams are hungry and chasing the Canucks. The well-spoken Ian Cole talked about that:
“The past couple of weeks have been the first stretch for us where we didn't play well. And then when we did play well, it didn't work out in our favour often enough. We've all been in these stretches, and the only way out is to work your way out. And even then, there's usually a lag effect where you're working and playing well and you're still not getting wins.
“Is today that first step out of that lull? I don't know. Maybe. There's only one way to ensure that's the case and that's to continue to work hard. Going on our own page and trying to skill our way through and playing loose defensively, that's not how we get out of this.”
It’ll be a tough test Tuesday against the Kings, hopefully the boys remember the recent beating and come out hot.
Vancouver Canucks Blogger • 
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