Pettersson is "thinking too much" right now, says Canucks coach
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The playoffs have been a struggle for Elias Pettersson so far. Despite the Vancouver Canucks being up 3-1 in their first-round series against the Nashville Predators, the Swedish star has been relatively ineffective.
He has two points in four games, but unfortunately his empty-net miss in Game 2 still stands as his most memorable moment in the series.
The net was wide open pic.twitter.com/kLz1gQB2VR
— Rob Williams (@RobTheHockeyGuy) April 24, 2024
It has led some to wonder if Pettersson, who scored 89 points in 82 games during the regular season, is injured. Or is this merely an issue of confidence?
Pettersson has been reluctant to shoot the puck, even on the power play, and has generated just four shots on goal in the series.
So what’s the solution? Rick Tocchet believes he needs to think less and move his feet more.
“We all want the shot,” the Canucks coach said about his struggling star centre. “He’s thinking too much about all these different things. Just think about moving your feet. If he moves his feet, everything organically [will] come.”
“Watch MacKinnon… watch McDavid. They move their feet constantly. They’re threats everywhere… It’s just a mindset. It’s one thing, I don’t think he should be thinking of 10 things tomorrow.”
The Canucks have generated just 71 shots on goal in four games against the Predators, which is a new all-time low mark for a team after the first four games of a playoff series. Roberto Luongo once faced more shots on goal in a single game.
#Canucks 71 shots on goal vs the Predators are the fewest in NHL history through the first 4 games of an opening-round playoff series
— Sportsnet Stats (@SNstats) April 29, 2024
Tocchet didn’t sound interested in making major changes to his lines when asked by Daily Hive. The Canucks coach seemed happy with the play of three of his four lines, with the line of Pettersson, Nils Höglander, and Ilya Mikheyev being the exception.
“I thought J.T.’s line, for the most part this series, they’ve done a nice job. Lindholm’s line has done well. I thought Teddy’s line, I think it’s been pretty good the series. And I think Petey’s line, I think they’re gonna come. So I’m not sure shuffling the chairs on the deck is the right thing to do right now.”
While his squad has held up defensively, at some point they’re going to need more offence.
“I think offensively, it’s in our head right now. Because they are pressuring us. For whatever reason, it’s freezing guys,” Tocchet explained, speaking about his team as a whole.
“There’s a storm there, go after the storm. Don’t run away from it. They’re bringing three in the pile. They’re bringing three everywhere. You have to think quicker. You gotta move your feet quicker, and you gotta be more decisive with the puck. I think if we do that, you’re gonna get your chances.”
“It only takes three or four players playing a little slow with their feet to kind of make the five-man unit do the same. We gotta get guys to think a little quicker and move their feet.”
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