‘We’re sick of it’: Vancouver Canucks searching for answers amid slump

The problems Vancouver is going through proper now are fixable, he added

“I imply, I’m an optimistic man, and I consider in our group,” Hughes stated. “In saying that, it’s recreation 44 tonight and we have to be figuring our stuff out, shortly.”

Alex Turcotte scored for the Kings simply 51 seconds in and 9:42 into the primary interval, L.A. jumped out to a 3-0 lead.

Falling behind early has develop into a pattern for Vancouver this season with the group conceding the primary aim in 26 of 44 video games.

“It’s powerful, but it surely occurs within the recreation generally,” stated winger Phillip Di Giuseppe. “And I feel we’re on the level the place we’re sick of it. We’ve acquired to determine it out.”

The Kings had 4 pictures once they scored their third aim of the evening.

All three tallies got here “due to blunders,” stated Canucks head coach Rick Tocchet.

“We’ve acquired to appropriate it. I’ve acquired to appropriate it,” he stated. “I can’t let it go. I can’t play two strains. So I would like a few of these guys to step it up, even when they simply play impartial, simply so long as they don’t make some egregious errors.”

Permitting odd-man rushes had been amongst these errors.

L.A. broke out of Vancouver territory on an influence play halfway by means of the interval the place Kevin Fiala and Trevor Moore charged up the ice with defenceman Carson Soucy seeking to impede their progress.

Driving in, Fiala unleashed a blast from low hash marks that sailed in previous Thatcher Demko and put the Kings up 4-1.

Requested the place his group goes from right here, Tocchet stated he wants gamers to step up, focus and stick collectively.

“You get punched within the mouth and also you get again up. Can’t stop on your self or your teammates,” he stated.

“Should you’re on this enterprise lengthy sufficient, you’re going to get these conditions. And character guys, management, all that stuff normally comes out of it. So we’re on the lookout for these forms of individuals proper now.”

MILLER TIME

Canucks centre J.T. Miller logged 14:34 in ice time Thursday, properly down from the 19:29 he averaged final season when he put up 103 factors for Vancouver.

Tocchet stated the 31-year-old American is struggling.

“It looks like each time he’s on the ice, one thing unhealthy occurs,” the coach stated. “I feel he’s acquired some unhealthy luck, however he’s additionally acquired some reads that he’s acquired to take a look at himself proper now, give attention to a few of these reads. … I feel he’s attempting, generally. I feel the main focus degree has to get just a little increased.”

TURCOTTE TERRIFIC

Turcotte registered two objectives and an help for the Kings, marking his first multi-goal NHL recreation.

The 23-year-old winger stated it was an necessary milestone in a profession speckled with prolonged accidents.

“It’s been nice this 12 months,” Turcotte stated. “It’s been the whole lot I’ve dreamed of and to undergo the adversity earlier in my profession, this positively feels good. However I need to hold pushing. I’m not happy. I need to hold going and see the place I can go from right here.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first printed Jan. 16, 2025.

Gemma Karstens-Smith, The Canadian Press