Canucks’ DeBrusk understands Tocchet’s critique

On Monday, the morning after, Rick Tocchet was angry but Jake DeBrusk was not.

In this season of upheaval and unforeseeable change for the Vancouver Canucks, DeBrusk has been among the few individual good-news stories for the National Hockey League team.

After starting his seven-year, $38.5-million-US, free-agent contract by going goalless in his first nine games for the Canucks, the former Boston Bruin winger leads his new team with 22 goals. That puts DeBrusk among the league’s top-30 goal scorers since Nov. 1.

The 28-year-old from Edmonton — the only Canadian-born player currently in Vancouver’s lineup — went through an 11-game slump in January and on some nights when he hasn’t scored, DeBrusk has failed to make enough of an impact in other ways.

But through 63 games, DeBrusk’s first season in Vancouver has been a solid one. If every Canuck met that standard, the team would probably be at least a few points above the wild-card mosh pit from which it is scrambling to try to make the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

And then on Sunday, during the Canucks’ 4-1 loss at home against the Dallas Stars, DeBrusk’s ice time plunged below 13 minutes for just the second time this season and Tocchet lumped him in with struggling scorers Elias Pettersson and Brock Boeser as players who needed to earn their ice time.

“You’ve got to earn your ice time around here,” Tocchet told reporters after the game. “That’s how you win. So you guys can stir it up all you want (but) you have to earn your ice time. That’s the way it works. That’s how you win Stanley Cups.”

Talk about a tough crowd.

As is his habit, Tocchet was just being honest. He sounded more disappointed than angry, which is how DeBrusk sounded Monday morning when we asked him about his coach’s comments.

“I hate to say that I agree with him because you don’t want to admit that,” DeBrusk said. “But at the same point, he’s just calling a spade a spade. You know, I was pretty pissed off, to be honest with you. Pretty embarrassed. But at the same time, I mean, I wasn’t doing enough to help the team win. And Toc’s an honest guy, an honest coach. He’s one of the reasons why I signed here.”

Tocchet’s honesty continued Monday. 

But anger was only detectable when the coach began his off-day press conference by addressing an issue regarding Boeser that was driven on social media by a few people on Sunday night. The premise was that the Canucks — or their coach — had disrespected Boeser by putting an ‘A,’ which has rotated among several veterans since alternate captain J.T. Miller was traded Jan. 31, on newcomer Marcus Pettersson instead of Boeser.

“No, we didn’t disrespect Brock because he didn’t have an ‘A,’” Tocchet began without waiting for questions. “We’ve rotated the ‘A’s. (Conor) Garland’s worn it, (Tyler) Myers has worn it, Boes has worn it a lot. (Derek) Forbort could wear it. So we didn’t disrespect an eight-year, nine-year guy here. And you can ask Brock Boeser if he feels like Rick Tocchet disrespects him.

“It’s just the narrative that some guys try to cause crap all the time. We played a half-decent game last night. You know, a couple of moments. . . that we need some guys (to have). You guys all know that. And the first thing is, ‘Oh, (they are) disrespecting Brock Boeser.’ About a stupid ‘A.’ That’s what you’ve got to deal with sometimes. It makes it tough to talk to, not a lot of you guys, but some guys. I’ve got to get it off my chest.”

He did.

And so did DeBrusk, admitting that he needed to play better.

Signed to play alongside Pettersson, DeBrusk has skated the last four games with Boeser and centre Pius Suter.

“Playing with Brock and Sutes, you know, we’ve all scored,” DeBrusk said. “Sutes has a career high (with 16 goals). Brock’s not necessarily where he wants to be in terms of totals (18 goals, 38 points). But I’ve got to do a better job of getting those guys some looks, too. We’ve got to just generate more chaos.”

With the Montreal Canadiens visiting the Canucks on Tuesday, part of a critical week in Vancouver’s playoff chase, Tocchet said he needs more “desperation” from some players.

“Like, we’re in a dog fight,” he said. “It’s a 1-1 game (against Dallas), and we’re in a dog fight. And there’s situations where you need people that have a little desperation in their game. You’re looking for desperation, and I didn’t see it (from DeBrusk, Pettersson and Boeser), so you have to go with guys that you thought you saw it.”

Compared to the huge waves and swells that DeBrusk has ridden during his first season with the Canucks, Sunday’s rollback in ice time and Tocchet’s criticism were mere ripples.

“You know what?” DeBrusk said. “I don’t regret anything about the decision (to sign here). I love being a Canuck. Obviously, at this current moment and juncture, it’s not necessarily the best time to be me. But things happen throughout the season and, you know, I haven’t dealt with a lot of things before. Personally, I just haven’t. I think this year has been the most (I’ve experienced) in terms of change. We’ve had a lot of change with the team. That’s OK; that’s our business. When we don’t perform, that’s what we get.

“I think there has been a lot of adversity. I think if you told anybody (before the season) what was going to happen. . . I’d probably tell you that there was no chance. It is definitely different than I expected when I signed. But at the same time, I know what happens in this league and when things aren’t up to par, especially in a place like Vancouver, things happen. I feel like I’ve been here for five years. Like you said, in Boston, it was kind of pretty much smooth sailing. But I don’t think it really matters how you get to the post-season. It matters just getting there. You know, get in the dance.”

The Canucks are the lowest-scoring team in the NHL over the last two months, but DeBrusk now sees hitting 30 goals as a necessity. His career-high is 27.

“Obviously, there were a lot of expectations coming in,” he said. “Hitting the 20-goal mark again. . . I know that that’s kind of what I do every year, at least. Going into the last stretch here with everything tight (in the standings), I kind of need to get to 30, just for the team.

“But like I said in the beginning of the season: I don’t care if I get one all year as long as we win. And that’s kind of where I still think we are. I always find it hard to say it’s playoff hockey when it’s not. I kind of take it personally, almost weirdly. But in saying that, for us, every point right now means more. And I can’t have performances like I had last night.”

Clearly, accountability is not DeBrusk’s problem.

• Since Tocchet maintains he wants to see Quinn Hughes fully practise before he plays, the injured defenceman is unlikely to play in critical back-to-back games against Montreal and Calgary. But Friday is a scheduled practice day for the Canucks, so Saturday’s home game against Chicago looks like a plausible target for Hughes, who has missed nine of the last 12 games.