After the Vancouver Canucks suffered a particularly gut-wrenching Game 4 loss, head coach Rick Tocchet didn't mince words when calling out his roster — including centre Elias Pettersson.
Speaking to reporters after losing the game on a final-minute snipe from Oilers defenceman Evan Bouchard, Tocchet was frank when asked about Pettersson's struggles this post-season.
"He needs to get going. I don't know what else to say."
Unlike some of the top-end of the Canucks roster, Pettersson has struggled to make an impact through the first round-and-a-half this post-season, with just one goal and four points in 10 games — tied for sixth on the team.
In Game 4, Pettersson registered no points and just two shots on net.
However, the 25-year-old Swede wasn't the only subject of the coach's ire.
"We need five or six guys to get going here. I mean, it's the Stanley Cup Playoffs — with some guys, I don't know if they thought it wasn't the playoffs. We can't play with 12 guys.
"It's a will to get the puck. It's not x's and o's — it's a will. There's times there, we have some guys ... you know the puck, where it's going to go, you just gotta get there before the other guy. I think we're pausing. Some guys are playing pause hockey and you can't win if you have five or six passengers."
Just over a minute after the Canucks improbably tied the game 2-2, Bouchard sniped home the game-winning goal following a few miscues by Vancouver.
With the Round 2 series now tied 2-2, things now shift to Game 5 in Vancouver.
COMMENTS
When submitting content, please abide by our submission guidelines, and avoid posting profanity, personal attacks or harassment. Should you violate our submissions guidelines, we reserve the right to remove your comments and block your account. Sportsnet reserves the right to close a story’s comment section at any time.