鈥淚t鈥檚 going to get tougher.鈥�
It鈥檚 something that Vancouver Canucks head coach Rick Tocchet has stated in almost every media session he鈥檚 had this year.
Thursday night at Rogers Arena, Tocchet鈥檚 words were prophetic as the Philadelphia Flyers beat the Canucks by a 4-1 margin.
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The Flyers erupted for three goals from Egor Zamula, Sean Walker and Joel Farabee in a span of two minutes and six seconds late in the second period to break a scoreless tie and secure the win. Vancouver鈥檚 Teddy Blueger scored 25 seconds into the third period but a shorthanded goal by Garnet Hathaway at 5:01 ended any comeback hopes from the Canucks.
Samuel Ersson made 18 saves on 19 shots for the Flyers before leaving due to dehydration early in the third period. Carter Hart made eight saves finishing up for the Flyers. Casey DeSmith got the start for the Canucks and wound up with 21 saves.
It was a classic road performance by the Flyers, whose stifling style negated any offense the Canucks could muster.
It was also an indicator of what鈥檚 to come as the season moves along.
The Canucks 鈥� given where they are in the standings 鈥� won鈥檛 be sneaking up on people as they鈥檝e gone from being the hunters to the hunted.
And it鈥檚 also the type of game the Canucks can see more and more of as the season winds down. Teams fighting for playoff spots will crank up the intensity which will result in time and space on the ice becoming a premium commodity. Teams with playoff spots secured will be focusing on playing air-tight defensively.
鈥淚t鈥檚 time and space but it鈥檚 about owning that space. It鈥檚 winning the battle. It鈥檚 boxing out. It鈥檚 making a smart play. It鈥檚 getting the puck in deep and getting on the forecheck. That鈥檚 the hardness of the game. The game is not played with one or two steamboats 鈥� take your time 鈥� it doesn鈥檛 work that way,鈥� Tocchet said afterwards.
His counterpart on the Flyers side saw the game the same way.
鈥淚t鈥檚 that time of year. You get into after Christmas and you go through January and February with all of these games that still have to be played鈥he grind and the checking part of the game has to come to the forefront. I thought we were patient. I thought we checked well and you just wait for a team to open up,鈥� John Tortorella explained during his post-game session.
While Tortorella was quick to praise his team鈥檚 patience, Tocchet was quick to criticize his team鈥檚 lack of it.
鈥淲e鈥檝e got to be comfortable playing a 0-0 game. Who cares? Just take what鈥檚 given. You can鈥檛 get frustrated just because people are in your way or people are hitting you. You cannot get frustrated because it鈥檚 going to get ramped up even more than this game. That鈥檚 the learning lesson we are talking about,鈥� said Tocchet.
In games such as this one, it鈥檚 about making the simple play instead of trying to do too much.
A prime example that was defenseman Nikita Zadorov鈥檚 second period miscue which resulted in the Farabee goal. Zadorov tried to stickhandle through Farabee and Bobby Brink at center ice instead of just making a pass or an easy dump in. Brink stripped Zadorov of the puck and Farabee would score on the subsequent breakaway.
Tocchet believes in his team but also realizes by no means is it an end product with plenty of work left to do.
鈥淵ou got to have that mentality that if things are at a stall that you are okay. I think that鈥檚 the next level for this team,鈥� he said.
It was only one game yet questions will arise as the season progresses on whether or not the Canucks鈥� game is suited for what鈥檚 coming.
鈥淚 do,鈥� responded Zadorov when asked the aforementioned question. 鈥淚 think we鈥檙e learning. I鈥檝e only been here for 12 games but I think we are taking steps forward all the time. We鈥檝e got five days off now, so we can get a few hard practices in and get it back. There鈥檚 a lot of time to fix those mistakes and be ready on the 2nd (for the Ottawa game).鈥�
OVERTIME: The quote of the night came from Tortorella. When asked about the 5鈥� 9鈥� Brink鈥檚 play on the 6鈥� 6鈥� Zadorov, Tortorella came up with an epic response. 鈥淵eah, yeah but Brink has got to learn how to check. He鈥檚 driving me crazy. I love the kid but he doesn鈥檛 know how to check his *!@. I don鈥檛鈥� care who he stood up to, he鈥檚 got to learn that part of the game.鈥� Canuck legend Markus Naslund was in attendance at Rogers Arena. He was recognized on the jumbotron midway through the first period and received a standing ovation. Naslund, now into real estate back home in Sweden, is in Vancouver helping one of his kids move here. One of my favorite Naslund stories was one night the Canucks got drilled at home and the captain was the only player in the dressing room as all his teammates had vacated the premises. Naslund turned to then-media relations director T.C. Carling and told him to get some more players in the room. It wasn鈥檛 Naslund trying to dodge the media scrutiny but rather holding his teammates accountable. The win was the 723rd in Tortorella鈥檚 career putting him in tenth place all-time. He passed another former Canuck coach in Alain Vigneault, who has 722. Tortorella should reel in Darryl Sutter, who has 737 wins, by season鈥檚 end for ninth place. Speaking of milestones, Zadorov was appearing in his 600th NHL game. The Canucks are the fifth NHL team for the 28-year-old Russian, who has suited up for Buffalo, Colorado, Chicago and Calgary. Next up for Vancouver is a home date with the Ottawa Senators on January 2nd. The Sens have rebounded from an eight-game losing streak with wins over Pittsburgh and Toronto in their last two games. They will face New Jersey and Buffalo at home this weekend before starting a six-game road trip against the Canucks.
