does not want a lot of wandering minds around the locker room. He would rather his players focus simply on the next game.
B次元官网网址淲e canB次元官网网址檛 think of the big picture,B次元官网网址 Tocchet said. B次元官网网址淭he only thing you can tell your players is short-term goals. You canB次元官网网址檛 think long term.B次元官网网址
The Canucks are so in sync with their coach that after Sunday, Conor Garland noted it was still a good effort he and his teammates would have been proud of even had they lost.
There hasnB次元官网网址檛 been a lot of losing at all for Vancouver since the puck dropped in October. The Canucks are atop the NHL standings this late in a season for the first time since 2012 B次元官网网址 five coaches and countless players removed from the franchiseB次元官网网址檚 last era of winning.
B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檝e obviously had a lot more success this year than we have in the past,B次元官网网址 said Thatcher Demko, whose play in net is one of the big reasons for that. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 obviously something that weB次元官网网址檝e wanted to do, and we just havenB次元官网网址檛 been able to up to this point. And we know thereB次元官网网址檚 a lot of hockey left, so weB次元官网网址檙e staying focused on the task at hand. Obviously, weB次元官网网址檝e got to make sure that weB次元官网网址檙e winning when it counts.B次元官网网址
Demko and the Canucks know they havenB次元官网网址檛 accomplished anything yet, with the playoffs still two months away. Still, with leading the way and Elias Pettersson and J.T. Miller producing at career-year levels, theyB次元官网网址檝e positioned themselves as one of the leading contenders for the Stanley Cup.
They also just added the best center available in the trade market, from Calgary .
B次元官网网址淲ith that trade, theyB次元官网网址檙e telling us and everyone that we may have a chance,B次元官网网址 said Hughes, whose 65 points through 53 games are the most by a defenseman this season. B次元官网网址淚 think that we have a really good team. ItB次元官网网址檚 been a great 50 games or whatever that weB次元官网网址檝e played. Now we just need to put our foot on the gas and try to dial in our game.B次元官网网址
The CanucksB次元官网网址 game is a little bit of everything, starting with controlling the puck. They lead the league with 3.68 goals per game and are tied for third in goals allowed at 2.58. Vancouver has not lost more than two games in a row all season.
B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檙e pretty aware of when we play well and when we donB次元官网网址檛,B次元官网网址 Garland said. B次元官网网址淭hatB次元官网网址檚 the best thing about us: When we have a bad effort, weB次元官网网址檒l follow it up with a good one.B次元官网网址
Beating the Capitals on Sunday on MillerB次元官网网址檚 goal with 4.8 seconds left in 3-on-3 OT was the perfect example of that. Playing on back-to-back afternoons, Tocchet noticed some fatigue in a B次元官网网址渕uckyB次元官网网址 game and was glad to see his team adjust to that and limit mistakes when it mattered.
B次元官网网址淭hat means you have to play smart,B次元官网网址 Tocchet said. B次元官网网址淪ome games youB次元官网网址檝e got to play when you donB次元官网网址檛 have your legs, and youB次元官网网址檝e got to play smart.B次元官网网址
Midway through his first full season coaching the Canucks after in January 2023, Tocchet consistently talks about being process-oriented more than worrying about the results. The message has certainly resonated with players.
B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檝e got to make sure that weB次元官网网址檙e focused and ready to go,B次元官网网址 Miller said. B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檝e got to continue to kind of play to our standard that weB次元官网网址檙e trying to create and maintain that standard.B次元官网网址
In all, 31 of their league-best 35 wins have come in regulation against just 12 regulation losses. Even some sloppy play coming out of the All-Star break hasnB次元官网网址檛 scuttled the Canucks, who look to have the depth for a long postseason run.
B次元官网网址淲e just have to keep pushing forward,B次元官网网址 veteran defenseman Tyler Myers said. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 not looking too far ahead or what happened the game before, win or lose. We just got to keep pushing and keep working on things to get better each and every day.B次元官网网址
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