Trevor Beegs just pointed out that the Canucks are 3-16-1, tied for the worst 20-game start in 20 years, and Rick Tocchet is part of the story.
Vancouver lost 3-1 to Tocchet's Flyers on Monday night. The Canucks were 3-15-1 before the game, so the loss is what sends them to 3-16-1 through 20 games.
Beegs noted that only the 2017-18 Arizona Coyotes (2-15-3) had a worse 20-game start in that stretch.
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Beegs added the twist: those Coyotes were coached by Tocchet, who just returned to Vancouver with the "Fire Tocchet" campaign following him around. He walked out with the win and the awkward footnote.
Philadelphia took control early. Michael Bunting scored at 2:04, and the Flyers led 2-0 after two periods. Jonathan Lekkerimaki cut it to 2-1 on the power play with 7:16 left, but the Flyers held on. Joseph Woll stopped 15 of 16 shots, and we looked at Tocchet's lineup changes for Vancouver earlier.
Lekkerimaki is the one bright spot. The 22-year-old, drafted 15th overall by Vancouver in 2022, has 14 points in 19 games this season.
The special teams are part of the problem. Adam Kblat pointed out that the Canucks have now allowed a power-play goal in 16 of their first 20 games.
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| GP | W | L | OL | PTS | |
| Season | 19 | 3 | 15 | 1 | 7 |
| Home | 8 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 2 |
| Road | 11 | 2 | 8 | 1 | 5 |
| Last 10 | 10 | 1 | 9 | 0 | 2 |
How deep the Canucks' hole already is
The numbers going into Monday were already ugly. Vancouver was 1-9-0 over its last 10 games, with 89 goals against and a goal differential of -34.
| GP | W | L | OL | PTS | DIFF | |
| 1. Edmonton Oilers | 19 | 13 | 3 | 3 | 29 | +22 |
| 2. Vegas Golden Knights | 19 | 12 | 5 | 2 | 26 | +13 |
| 3. Anaheim Ducks | 18 | 10 | 7 | 1 | 21 | +3 |
| 4. Seattle Kraken | 16 | 9 | 6 | 1 | 19 | 0 |
| 5. Calgary Flames | 18 | 8 | 9 | 1 | 17 | -17 |
| 6. San Jose Sharks | 19 | 7 | 11 | 1 | 15 | -22 |
| 7. Los Angeles Kings | 15 | 5 | 8 | 2 | 12 | -7 |
| 8. Vancouver Canucks | 19 | 3 | 15 | 1 | 7 | -34 |
Beegs asked it bluntly afterward, wondering if this is the most embarrassing team in Canucks history.
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Fans were already asking that, and the record gives them a reason. A team that cannot kill penalties and cannot protect a home crowd (1-7-0 at home before Monday) has no obvious way out of this.
Philadelphia needed the win more than the headline suggests. JHallNBCS wrote that the Flyers are 5-10-5 and 1-1-1 on this five-game road trip.
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That is a lot of pressure on a coach whose fans raised money for a plane and billboard demanding Tocchet's firing. A win in the building where his old team is collapsing does not quiet that crowd.
The Flyers visit Edmonton on Wednesday. The Canucks host the Rangers on Friday, still looking for a way to leave this record behind.
Quick hits
STREAK WATCH: Connor McDavid's 18-game assist streak may be over after the Oilers' 3-1 win over the Rangers, according to BR_OpenIce. It hangs on a scoring call, which is a strange way for a streak this good to end.
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NEW YORK ISLANDERS: Victor Eklund drew a five-minute major in San Jose for running Sharks forward Kiefer Sherwood into the boards. The play is under review, so a call from the league could follow.
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SAN JOSE SHARKS: Mason Marchment went after Eklund in the third period tonight after the hit on Sherwood. That is the Sharks answering the hit in real time.
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COLORADO AVALANCHE: Hockey Mountain High reports that the Avalanche have placed Josh Manson on long-term injured reserve. The roster move affects his timeline.
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Also read on Markerzone.com:
Lineup Change: Tocchet shakes up Flyers in Vancouver
