HC Rick Tocchet discloses Elias Pettersson's unrelenting message after showing glimpses of his old superstar form in win over Flames

Vancouver Canucks coach Rick Tocchet revealed Elias Pettersson's relentless mindset after the star forward showed glimpses of his old superstar form in a 4-3 shootout win over the Calgary Flames on Wednesday night.

Pettersson, who has struggled to rediscover his top form this season, had a goal and an assist in the comeback victory. When asked about Pettersson's renewed confidence and its impact on the team, Tocchet praised the 26-year-old's determination and focus.

"I think he’s stringing some good games together. We talked about not getting too high or too low. Sometimes the lows were really low, and it could affect him as a player," Tocchet said. (1:03 onwards)

"Same thing now — he’s getting his game together, but I could see him leaving after the game, shook his hand there (to say) 'Good game', but it was like, "Hey, I got more to go." So, I like that. He’s got that even keel. He's going to put the work in, and we’ll continue to grind."

Jake DeBrusk and Pius Suter also scored for Vancouver, while Conor Garland netted in the shootout to secure the comeback win. Goaltender Kevin Lankinen made 20 saves in the victory, snapping a two-game losing streak for Vancouver.

Pettersson emphasized the importance of the win for the team's confidence.

"It's huge, huge for our group. Just battled. Everybody did. And the effort. To be able to come back is good. Hopefully we can build on this," he said.

The Flames got two goals from Jonathan Huberdeau and another from Nazem Kadri, while goalie Joseph Wolf stopped 28 shots in a losing effort.

At 30-24-11 on the season, the Canucks sit just outside the Western Conference playoff picture.

---

Vancouver' captain Quinn Hughes’s take on Elias Pettersson's performance

Vancouver Canucks’ captain Quinn Hughes returned after missing four games. He had an assist and played 29:48 in the Canucks' 4-3 win.

Hughes praised his teammate Elias Pettersson's performance:

"He's an excellent player. You don't get to where he's at as a player and person without being competitive and having inner drive. It's been a tough go for him this year, but for him to show up the way he has the last couple games, that's big-time. We're going to continue to need him to do it."

The Canucks will look for Elias Pettersson to continue contributing on Saturday when they host the Chicago Blackhawks at Rogers Arena.