‘Slap in the face’: Canucks outworked, overmatched in latest road-trip loss

NEW YORK — This is just seven games for the Vancouver Canucks.

The Anaheim Ducks’ rebuild took seven years.

Everyone knew it could look like this. But all the theoretical understanding about rebuilds, all those breezy, painless summer projections about how difficult the season might be, do not prepare professional athletes to lose like the Canucks are losing.

Three games into a daunting six-game road trip, the Canucks have been outscored 17-5 and looked massively overmatched.

The 7-2 loss Thursday against the Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes just seemed cruel. The Canucks’ pitiful penalty killing in Saturday’s 4-1 loss to the New Jersey Devils was unsurvivable. But on Sunday, after playing about as well as they could for much of the first 40 minutes, the Canucks were simply outworked, outskated and outscored in the third period in a 6-2 loss to the New York Rangers.

The Rangers, starting third-string goalie Dylan Garand of Victoria and expected by no one to challenge for anything this season, scored three third-period goals during a 15-minute span when the Canucks managed only two shots — both from distance.

“It’s hard, obviously,” veteran winger Jake DeBrusk said. “You know, we have a lot of pride and we do care, and it feels like a slap in the face every game on this road trip so far. So it’s hard to be (positive). But you have to pick your spots, especially with the young guys, letting them know about the good things they did. There’s still positives in every game. But you know, we’re a results-oriented business. We need to get in the winning column here.”

After surprising the Edmonton Oilers in their season-opener, the Canucks have lost five of their last six games, including four straight. Almost nothing is going right. Goalie Kevin Lankinen, given another chance to be an NHL starter with Thatcher Demko’s indefinite injury absence, simply isn’t making enough saves to rescue his mistake-prone team.

He was beaten six times on 25 shots by the Rangers, and allowed three goals in four shots during a 7 1/2-minute span that traversed the second intermission and essentially decided the outcome.

Defenceman Elias Pettersson’s shorthanded goal for Vancouver at 16:56 of the second period briefly tied the game 2-2. Nine minutes later, it was 5-2 for New York. Game over.

Lankinen’s save percentage of .786 through six appearances ranks 35^th among 36 NHL goalies who have appeared in at least three games so far.

“We’re still early, but I don’t really look at the numbers to judge my game because there’s so many variables,” Lankinen said. “Of course, we want to win more games. That’s what it’s about. I realize it’s a different kind of year where we’re rebuilding. But at the same time, we need to be better. We need to compete harder and be better — as a collective and as an individual. Take responsibility for the results and learn and move on.

“I compete every single time to get there and give it all I’ve got. That’s all I can do, and that’s all I’ve been doing so far.”

Asked to assess Lankinen, Canucks coach Manny Malhotra told reporters: “I think it’s kind of the underlying feeling of our group that everybody feels like they’re underperforming. We want to give more, we want to do more. He’s not getting the bounces (and), obviously, we have to do a much better job of defending in front of him and not giving up the quality of chances that we are. But I think, not just for him, that’s the feeling of our group right now: We all want to be able to contribute more.”

DeBrusk and Pettersson scored tying goals for the Canucks after Tye Kartye and then Will Cuylle put the Rangers ahead. Kartye opened the scoring just 27 seconds after the start on a two-on-one that featured a poor read by Vancouver defenceman Zeev Buium and a bad rebound from Lankinen.

Buium, a second-year player already re-signed to a $75-million contract extension, has noticeably struggled on this road trip, which resumes Tuesday against the New York Islanders before Vancouver finishes against another couple of Stanley Cup contenders in Florida.

“Not good,” the 20-year-old defenceman said of his game. “I feel like at moments I get into a rhythm and, you know, kind of try to find it. But I have to be a lot better. Some of the plays that I can make, and some of the hesitation that I have out there, you know, it leads to turnovers or (scoring) chances. I’ve just got to look myself in the mirror honestly; I’ve got to be a lot better for these guys. That’s it, really. I have a lot more to give. I’m just not giving enough.”

Kartye beat Lankinen cleanly on a short-side shot from left wing to make it 3-2 on a three-on-two rush at 18:25 of the second period.

A couple of failed chances to clear, an unlucky bounce off Vancouver defenceman Filip Hronek and Lankinen’s collision outside the crease with ex-Canuck J.T. Miller left an open net for Alexis Lafreniere to make it 4-2 on a power play 1:04 into the third period.

And Canuck rookie Jonathan Lekkerimaki, who regularly looks overmatched physically, was simply unable to keep Gabe Perreault from setting up beside Lankinen for an easy tip-in at 5:57.

Vancouver had only two shots on target, from 39 feet and 62 feet, in the first 15 minutes of the deciding period.

Malhotra and Canucks general manager Ryan Johnson have talked at length about not measuring the team by wins and losses at this stage of the rebuild, but focussing on establishing work standards and positive attitudes.

“It’s not a great feeling, obviously, when you can’t put some wins together and the losses start adding up,” Malhotra conceded Sunday evening. “So it’s not a great feeling. But that’s the test of our character at this point, to make sure we’re coming to the rink with the right attitude, ready to work. And ready to discuss and address the issues that are plaguing us right now.”

“It’s extremely hard,” Buium said. “I think we have a great group. Everyone’s, you know, got their head screwed on straight and wants to do this for each other. But, I mean, any athlete, any person in the world when you’re losing, it’s hard to find some sort of positivity in it. To lose by four (goals) or three or five three nights in a row, it’s hard. It’s hard to wake up and feel positive the next day. It’s just tough.”

ICE CHIPS — Veteran defenceman Jamie Oleksiak was healthy-scratched by Malhotra, giving Guillaume Brisbois his first NHL game in 21 months. “He did a great job of stepping in and making the most of this opportunity,” Malhotra said. “For Jamie, it was just an opportunity to reset and watch the game. The messaging for him is just getting back to what makes him an effective defenceman: simplifying his game, being physical and breaking us out.”