HC Rick Tocchet makes his feelings known after Vancouver Canucks goalie concedes four 1st period goals in loss to Penguins

After a tough 5-4 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins, Vancouver Canucks coach Rick Tocchet discussed his team’s lapses. He pointed out goaltender Arturs Silovs’ struggles, particularly in the first period, where he allowed four goals.

Tocchet said Silovs was “struggling” and needed to “battle” more in net. He also mentioned that Silovs needed to improve his positioning.

“He's struggling, he's gotta battle," Tocchet said. "He's got to get bigger in the net and battle, that's the NHL. It is what it is. He’s got to work tomorrow and get his game.”

Tocchet also noted that Silovs' body language showed a lack of confidence, which was affecting his performance. He explained that the goals allowed reflected a deeper issue.

“It’s the goal melt stuff that seems to be going in all year. And I think he's just got to get a little bit bigger.”

Tocchet added that Silovs' mental state was impacting his play, pointing out that a goalie’s lack of confidence affects their game. He emphasized that every player needs to fight through tough times.

"It just seems like, when you don't have constant confidence, he's thinking about that. So, you know, he's got a battle. It's like everybody you know, when you're struggling, you gotta battle through it," Tocchet said.

For the Canucks, goaltending has been a major weakness this season with Thatcher Demko still recovering.

Penguins coach talks about confidence after win over Vancouver Canucks

Bryan Rust scored two goals and had one assist as the first star to help the Penguins win against the Vancouver Canucks. Erik Karlsson contributed three assists, and Tristan Jarry made 25 saves for his first win since Oct. 14.

Coach Mike Sullivan praised the team’s determination, saying, per NHL.com:

“When you’re going through a skid like we’ve gone through, as you guys can imagine, it’s human nature. We’re scarred because they care. You’ve got to fight through that element of human nature, and you’ve got to manufacture confidence, you’ve got to play on your toes.”

Vancouver responded with goals from Pius Suter, Quinn Hughes and Elias Pettersson but could not complete the comeback.

The Vancouver Canucks will play Buffalo next on Friday.