Rick Tocchet made his much-publicized coaching debut for the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday, guiding his new team to a 5-2 win over the Chicago Blackhawks.
However, he didn’t get the warm welcome he was likely expecting, as some Canucks fans booed and even a jersey was thrown on the ice. Considering the events that transpired ahead of Tocchet's hire, it’s certainly fair, although it should probably be more directed at management than Tocchet.
Tyler Yaremchuk and Mike McKenna talked more about Tocchet’s Canucks’ debut on Daily Faceoff Live.
Mike McKenna: I think they’re just cleaning out the pipes. I hope this won’t always happen amongst the fanbase.
Here’s the deal: the Canucks clobbered the Hawks last night, and it wasn’t because of tactical reasons. It was purely the players, to me, showing your new coach “We’re going to play for you. At least tonight, we need to make this happen and send a message to our fanbase on home ice that we’re not throwing in the towel on the season or on the team in general.”
Vancouver drew three penalties in the first period, high danger chances were 22-6 in favor of Vancouver. I know it’s against the Hawks, I don’t care who it’s against. They came out, they made a point, guys like Luke Schenn and Sheldon Dries really brought physicality, Kuzmenko had two goals, and guess where they scored them all? Right at the net front.
Do you think Rick Tocchet was happy to see his team go to the front of the net and score some greasy ones?
Tyler Yaremchuk: Yeah, 100%. Bo Horvat got his 31st of the year, the Canucks trailed multiple times in that game, but they were clearly the better team putting up close to 50 shots in the hockey game.
They looked good, but my other thing is: if they were to string together a good run here under Rick Tocchet and miss the playoffs by six points, it would almost make this whole situation even more frustrating if I was a Canucks fan, because why couldn’t they just get an interim coach, suck for the rest of the year, and get a 10% better chance at the lottery? It seems almost counterproductive to what the Canucks are doing to go on a late season run like they did last season.
Mike McKenna: What is more apropos for the Canucks right now than mixed messaging. Get used to it, it’s all it’s been for a couple of years, I don’t see that changing in the future because you’re right. Wouldn’t you love to have the better crack at Bedard?
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