Why Manny Malhotra's Comments After The Canucks' Loss To The Jets Are Concerning

On Thursday, the Vancouver Canucks saw their losing streak extend to four games after a 6-2 loss to the Jets. The biggest takeaway from the loss was Vancouver's lack of effort, as the team was constantly out of position in the defensive zone and failed to match the Jets' physicality. With the loss, Vancouver dropped to 3-14-1 and has now picked up just one win over their last  15 games. 

In speaking with the media post-game, Head Coach Manny Malhotra called out his team for their performance in Winnipeg. Thursday was a clear example of playing "losing hockey," which is a term the Canucks' Head Coach has mentioned multiple times since being hired this past summer. When asked about what went wrong against the Jets, Malhotra pinpointed what he thinks was the issue on Thursday night. 

"Again, it came down to a lack of execution in certain areas," said Manny Malhotra post-game. "Ultimately though, it was a lack of effort and compete in certain departments. We knew coming in that they play a simple and direct style, and it suits them well. We had to be prepared and ready to compete at that level, and we were on the short end of a lot of puck battles and races tonight."

This is not the first time Malhotra has called out his team's effort and compete level this season. Another example was during a 5-2 loss to the Detroit Red Wings in October, which featured a zero-shot second period. When asked post-game about the lack of effort from his team, Malhotra sounded frustrated as he tried to respond to the question. 

"No. I wish I had an answer for that. These are the types of games where you find out a lot about your group in terms of what they're capable of doing in terms of pushing back. They played a big, heavy game tonight, and we didn't have the pushback necessary to compete with that."

Looking ahead, Malhotra wants his group to learn from this game. Unlike the final result, effort and compete are two things within Vancouver's control. As Malhotra explained, the NHL is not an easy place to play, especially as teams are starting to find their groove. 

"That's a huge part of the lesson for us right now. There's not going to be any easy nights in this league. It's only getting tougher. The hockey's only getting better. Teams are getting better systematically, structurally. Guys are waking up now and finding their game. It's just going to get tougher as we move along here. It's a wake-up call for us that we have to get sharper.    

The Canucks have a big test ahead of them as they battle the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday night. With Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl playing the way they are, a similar effort to Thursday's could lead to another blowout loss. While wins and losses may not matter in a rebuild, Vancouver is still expected to play with effort and compete on a nightly basis. 

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