New York. He may have been tighter than he should have been against Chicago, but in the end Vancouver could celebrate Rick Tocchet’s influence.
They won the first match with the new coach.
– I think the boys handled the emotional situation well, he says after the 5-2 win.
Just days after an emotional farewell to Bruce Boudreau, which then sparked a regular bout, it’s time for Vancouver to begin a new countdown with Rick Tochet in the booth – against the Chicago Blackhawks at home at Rogers Arena.
it went well.
in the last.
In fact, however, the Hawks – last in the Western standings – went 1-0 and were 2-2 two periods late.
In the final 20 minutes, however, things finally eased up and the home side managed to cruise away with a much-needed 5-2 win.
“A lot has happened here in the last few days and I think the guys have handled it pretty well,” says Touchett when he meets the media in Vancouver afterwards.
– We had a lot of our puck but got a little impatient and forgot to get into the box, but in the third period we started to do it and we were rewarded. The guys worked hard, I’m glad.
When introduced before the start, Tocchet—who previously coached Tampa and Arizona—was met with mostly polite applause, but some boos were also heard.
He didn’t seem to bother the new boss much.
– I think fans know my middle name is Lou. That’s what they were shouting about, joking.
– Seriously…we have such passionate, boisterous fans, I think it’s fun.
Elias Pettersson did not score in the first match of the new coach, but he was responsible for the outstanding preparatory work for two goals of Andriy Kuzmenko.
The next night, the Canucks and Rick Tocchet would have to show their colors again. Then they face even tougher opponent Seattle – away from home.
