Thursday was disappointing. Without better effort and execution from the Canucks, this trip could quickly become a sobering illustration of how much work ahead is required for the rebuild.
The Vancouver Canucks suffered a 7-2 defeat against the Carolina Hurricanes on Thursday, displaying poor execution and a lack of effort according to head coach Manny Malhotra. Vancouver fell behind 3-0 early and managed only one shot in the first 17 and a half minutes. Carolina dominated special teams by finishing 3-for-3 on the power play, 4-for-4 on the penalty kill, and adding a shorthanded goal during a three-goal performance by Logan Stankoven.
Iain MacIntyre highlights that defensive awareness collapsed repeatedly, notably on goals surrendered by Filip Hronek and Victor Mancini. Despite the loss, Elias Pettersson and rookie Jonathan Lekkerimaki showed positive signs on the top line, setting up both of Jake DeBrusk's five-on-five goals. Starting goaltender Kevin Lankinen was pulled after allowing six goals on 18 shots before Leevi Merilainen took over for the third period.
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