Canucks' hard work pays off in home-and-home sweep of Oilers

EDMONTON -- Rick Tocchet set out to instill a culture rooted in work ethic when he became coach of the Vancouver Canucks in January, and through the first two games this season seems to be succeeding.

The Canucks won each game of a home-and-home series against the Edmonton Oilers to start the season, grinding out a 4-3 win at Rogers Place here Saturday after an 8-1 victory Wednesday in Vancouver.

In each victory, the Canucks won the majority of one-on-one puck battles and were stronger in front of the net at each end of the ice. They limited the Oilers to one even-strength goal in two games and dug in when things were toughest Saturday, killing four consecutive penalties, and a two-man disadvantage for 52 seconds in the third period.

"I think any team that has success over time wins puck battles," Canucks defenseman Ian Cole said. "I think it needs to happen, it's a non-negotiable aspect of being a good hockey team. There are some things that ‘Tocch' and the coaching staff said are non-negotiable items and we have to do these things if we want to do anything this year, and that was one of them. So far through two games, we've done well."

Tocchet replaced Bruce Boudreau as coach Jan. 22 and set out to establish a new identity for the team. He called out his players after his second game, a 6-1 loss to the Seattle Kraken, referring to them as ‘soft.'

"You hate to call your team soft, but it was soft tonight," Tocchet said after the loss Jan. 26. "We didn't participate on the wall battles, didn't get a rim out. We knew this is a good team, we played predictable and old habits came. I was telling the coaching staff I wish I had about 10 practices, because it shows tonight, we have a lot of work to do."

Vancouver has put in the work and having Tocchet at the helm through all of training camp has already made a difference.

"It's been good," forward Elias Pettersson said prior to the game. "Ever since he's come in, he's been demanding hard work and he's very good with the details and all the assistant coaches as well. It's been very good."

Edmonton is considered to be a Stanley Cup contender and Vancouver made it look extremely ordinary, frustrating star forwards Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl through six periods.

"I think we're more in position," Pettersson said after the game. "We defend ourselves better and the goalies are making a lot of saves, so we need to help out and box out, because we know what those players can do."

Though Vancouver does have its share of skilled players, it was their will that was key to defeating the Oilers.

"That's something that we talked about this summer, we had to be a harder team to play against," Tocchet said. "We have to come up with loose pucks, we have to hold pucks, we're not there, but this is obviously a good start.

"Game management, that's something that we're going to continue to build around here, knowing what the situation is. I think there were times where we had pucks, and we didn't get them in deep. But we're getting better and that's the positive. I don't even have to make them accountable sometimes, even before I go in there [dressing room] I hear guys making themselves accountable and that's what I like, it's not always the coach's voice, it's the players' voice."

Vancouver was better in every aspect in the season-opening win against the Oilers, and attention to details got them through the rematch Saturday. Casey DeSmith was outstanding in his first start for Vancouver, the former Pittsburgh Penguins goalie coming over in a trade from the Montreal Canadiens on Sept. 20 for forward Tanner Pearson. DeSmith made 37 saves, all 14 shots he faced in the third period.

"I think it's the way the whole team wants to play," DeSmith said. "Obviously we have a ton of skill, the power play is really dangerous, which helps too. We're definitely no slouches offensively, but I like the grit that the team is showing so far."

Vancouver will have to keep displaying that grit, beginning a four-game road trip at the Philadelphia Flyers on Tuesday, which also takes them to the Tampa Bay Lightning, Florida Panthers and Nashville Predators.

"You win the first two games and that's great, but in theory, it's possible you could lose the next 80 and it would be a whole different story," Cole said. "Let's stay focused, let's keep working and hopefully, we'll win more games than we lose here."