Canucks: 3 takeaways from the disastrous 7-3 loss to the Maple Leafs

The Vancouver Canucks are in trouble.

Perhaps I was just viewing this season through rose-tinted glasses, but I definitely wasn’t as worried as I should’ve been following their two previous losses against the Canadiens. There was a voice in my head that told me that Montreal simply had their number, and that the team would be fine against other clubs.

Boy was I wrong.

Vancouver’s defence was once again non-existent last night, allowing the Leafs to score seven goals while generating dangerous chances at will. More worrying is the fact that the Canucks didn’t seem to have any fight left when the game started getting away from them, and I honestly don’t know how they’ll be able to fix their issues.

Here are three takeaways from last night’s disastrous 7-3 loss to Toronto.

The power play struggled defensively

Yes, you read that right. The Canucks’ power play struggled defensively, meaning that they gave up scoring chances against even while on the man advantage.

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It might be easy to simply assume that the team was fine since they went one for two and scored their second road power play goal of the season, but stats are only one half of the equation. We need to rely on the eye test as well.

And when we do, it was obvious that Vancouver struggled mightily to gain zone time and get set up on the man advantage. There were long stretches of play when the Leafs were able to pin the puck in the neutral zone, but that wasn’t even the biggest issue.

Like their first few games against Montreal, the Canucks seemed to give up just as many scoring chances against as they managed to generate. Toronto had numerous odd-man rushes and Vancouver was lucky not to give up a short-handed goal, and the team already leads the league in that category with three.

Obviously, power play percentage is the simplest way to see how efficient a team is in those situations, but the most important thing to do while on the man advantage is to consistently spend time in the offensive zone. The Canucks failed to do that last night, which is why fans shouldn’t think that the special teams unit is fine just because they scored on one of their chances.

Hughes needs to be better

Like power play percentage, individual stats don’t tell the whole story. Quinn Hughes is currently leading all defencemen in points with 15, but that has masked just how much he’s struggled with making simple passes and breakouts, which is the bread and butter of his game.

There were multiple times in the game when he threw nonchalant passes that were off the mark, even when there weren’t any opposing player closing in on either him or his intended target. This was also one of the reasons why the power play struggled to enter the offensive zone so much, and Hughes knows he’s much better than this.

Moreover, he needs to be more disciplined as well, since the Leafs’ opening power play goal was a result of Hughes taking a penalty. Now, I do need to mention that undisciplined play is definitely a team issue rather than an individual one, but I also think it’s fair to hold the best players to a higher standard when comparing them with the rest of the roster.

The good news is that many of these issues are easily fixable, and I have no doubt Hughes will revert back to his usual dominant ones. It just needs to happen sooner rather than later.

Spezza turns back the clock

I wish it happened against some other team, but it was still a bit heartwarming to see Jason Spezza turn back the clock and notch his eighth career hat trick last night. Coming into the season, there were questions about whether or not the veteran is still capable of contributing, and he sure answered that last night even though it happened against the worst defensive team in the league.

With that said, there are still plenty of things to learn from each of his three goals.

His first was a simple slap shot that beat Thatcher Demko on the power play, but the second really shows some of Vancouver’s current defensive struggles.

The Canucks’ forecheckers were too aggressive and got in too deep, which led to a three on two chance for the Leafs. Adam Gaudette was too light in getting back into position, leaving a wide open Spezza to pot his second of the game. It’ll be unfair to pin that all on Gaudette, but it does show why the team still doesn’t trust him in his own zone.

Spezza’s hat trick goal was an absolute beauty, but it also put Alex Edler’s mobility issues on display since the veteran Leaf blew by him with ease. Perhaps that goal could’ve been prevented had it been a different Canucks defender, but at this point, nothing’s a guarantee.

Turns out Tyler Toffoli isn’t the only player capable of scoring hat tricks against Vancouver.

Other notes

• Elias Pettersson started the game between Nils Hoglander and Tanner Pearson while Bo Horvat lined up beside Brock Boeser and J.T. Miller. Pettersson’s trio managed to score an early goal and the Lotto Line didn’t generate much when they were reunited, so perhaps the team will roll with the same lines in tomorrow’s game.
• Demko had his first sub-par game in weeks, but there’s no doubt that the team’s main issue lies in its overall defence rather than the goaltending. The last time Demko gave up seven goals was to the Canadiens, and he bounced back by dominating Ottawa and earning the first star of the week. Let’s hope he replicates those performances the next time he’s in net.

The two teams are right back at it tomorrow night in Toronto, and puck drops at 4 PM Pacific Time. I hope the Canucks can bounceback, but at this point, I have no idea what to expect. Give us your predictions in the comments below!