In an NHL game where desperation met determination, the Seattle Kraken handed a resounding 5-0 defeat to the Vancouver Canucks. Canucks coach Rick Tocchet made an admission, acknowledging his team’s struggles. Joey Daccord made 24 crucial saves, securing the shutout for the Kraken, while Andre Burakovsky contributed a goal and an assist.
The Kraken, although already eliminated from playoff contention, showed remarkable intensity against their Pacific Division rivals, who are struggling to keep their postseason hopes alive.
On the other hand, the Canucks, with their third straight loss and fifth in the last seven games, are now eight points behind the St. Louis Blues for the second wild card in the Western Conference, with a game in hand.
“I saw a lot of nervousness,” Canukcs coach Tocchet said, according to NHL.com. “You need some poise. I didn’t think we had poise. Then they got a couple of quick goals on us, so you could see guys were getting nervous, chasing the game.”
Canucks’ struggles against Kraken
Canucks defender Marcus Pettersson lamented the number of fast-break opportunities they conceded. “Really frustrating,” Pettersson said. “The looks they get, we kind of give them. We know they’re good off the rush, and they got a lot of chances off the rush. It’s deflating. We’ve got to pick ourselves back up and get back into the fight.”
What’s next for the Canucks?
The loss to the Kraken represents a major blow to the Canucks‘ playoff aspirations. The team’s lack of poise and nervousness, according to Tocchet, were key factors in the defeat. Daccord‘s outstanding performance and the Kraken‘s ability to capitalize on the Canucks‘ mistakes were decisive. Concerns about Tyler Myers‘ injury add an element of uncertainty to the team’s upcoming NHL games.