Canucks HC Rick Tocchet doesn't mince words about J.T. Miller's extremely low TOI after disappointing 5-1 loss to Kings

Vancouver Canucks coach Rick Tocchet didn't hold back in his assessment of J.T. Miller's performance after the team's disappointing 5-1 loss to the LA Kings.

Miller had a tough outing, starting with a costly turnover to Filip Hronek that led to a 2-on-1 break for the Kings, resulting in an early goal by Alex Turcotte.

The struggles continued for Miller as he was beaten at the blue line, failing to recover in time to prevent another goal, with Turcotte scoring his second goal. J.T. Miller found himself with another misplay that contributed to the Kings' third goal.

Tocchet was visibly frustrated, staring down Miller as he returned to the bench after that. The Canucks coach acknowledged that Miller was caught struggling with making plays and defensive responsibilities and that he needs to improve his decision-making.

"He's struggling. He's caught in between. Seems like everytime he's on the ice, something bad happens. I think he's got some bad luck, but he's also got some reads that he's gotta look at himself and focus on some of these reads - you can't dive in on a 4-on-4, things like that. I think he's trying, sometimes, but I think his focus level has to get a little higher."

J.T. Miller finished the night with just 9:25 of ice time at even strength, marking the lowest total among all Canucks players. The 31-year-old has racked up 29 points through eight goals and 21 assists in 34 games this season.

The Vancouver Canucks host the Edmonton Oilers at Rogers Arena next on Saturday.

How LA Kings downed Vancouver Canucks

On Thursday, the Vancouver Canucks hosted the LA Kings at Rogers Arena. The Kings came out on top with a dominating 5-1 win.

The Kings started the first period strong, with goals from Turcotte (twice) and Adrian Kempe giving them a 3-0 lead. In the second period, Quinn Hughes scored the only goal for Vancouver, cutting the deficit to 3-1 at 14:52.

With less than five minutes remaining in the second period, Kevin Fiala extended the Kings' lead to 4-1. Warren Foegele then capped off the game with a goal at 11:36 of the third period, sealing a 5-1 victory for the Kings.

Turcotte accumulated three points while Kempe and Fiala picked up two points apiece for the Kings, 25-12-5 and 55 points in third position of the Pacific Division.