You want to see these players at least exert themselves. There wasn’t much of that on Saturday.<\/p>\n
Get the latest from Patrick Johnston straight to your inbox Sign Up <\/p>\n
Published Mar 21, 2026 \u00a0\u2022\u00a0 Last updated 10\u00a0hours ago \u00a0\u2022\u00a0 5 minute read<\/p>\n
<\/a><\/p>\n You can save this article by registering for free here<\/a>. Or sign-in<\/a> if you have an account.<\/p>\n When you have just 10 shots through two periods, and you\u2019re at risk of putting up one of the worst offensive games across the entire NHL this season, you\u2019d hope your team would have some vigour in the final period.<\/p>\n Advertisement 2<\/p>\n This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY<\/p>\n Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.<\/p>\n Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events.Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account.The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword.Support local journalism.<\/p>\n SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES<\/p>\n Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.<\/p>\n Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events.Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account.The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword.Support local journalism.<\/p>\n REGISTER \/ SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES<\/p>\n Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.<\/p>\n Access articles from across Canada with one account.Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments.Enjoy additional articles per month.Get email updates from your favourite authors.<\/p>\n THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK.<\/p>\n Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.<\/p>\n Access articles from across Canada with one accountShare your thoughts and join the conversation in the commentsEnjoy additional articles per monthGet email updates from your favourite authorsSign In or Create an Account<\/p>\n or<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n Pride demands it.<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n And to a degree, the Vancouver Canucks<\/a> did manage to show some heart and desire in the final frame on Saturday afternoon at Rogers Arena<\/a>. But they still only managed five more shots on goal in the period, including just two at five-on-five, adding up to a 3-1 loss to the St. Louis Blues.<\/p>\n This team is all about the future<\/a>, so results don\u2019t matter in the usual sense. (That is, losses are good.)<\/p>\n But you do want to see the effort, and right now, there\u2019s\u00a0not enough of that. There are real struggles to get the engine going for some of these players, let alone keeping it running.<\/p>\n Mistakes happen. Bad reads happen too.<\/p>\n Heart, though, that\u2019s what you\u2019re looking for: And when players are struggling in that regard, it\u2019s time to move on.<\/p>\n Post-game, Drew O\u2019Connor. was evidently frustrated with his team\u2019s overall performance. He brought his best, as he does most nights, but he lamented his team\u2019s start. They were too flat, he said. Too disconnected. The forwards and defence weren\u2019t on the same page. And they only got worse in the second.<\/p>\n Canucks Report<\/p>\n Thanks for signing up!<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n Advertisement 3<\/p>\n This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n It wasn\u2019t till the third period they found any jump, really. And even then, they only managed a handful of shots on goal.<\/p>\n St. Louis wasn\u2019t doing anything special to keep them from finding scoring chances, they just didn\u2019t fire as a group.<\/p>\n That clearly disappointed him. He was working hard, getting to the net, trying to make something happen.<\/p>\n \u201cWe should probably (be) playing 100 per cent effort every night,\u201d he said, when asked about his own efforts. \u201cSo sure, like, you don\u2019t know, but it can be like, you see different guys, and you see, you know, someone throw a big hit, someone skating hard on the backcheck it can inspire the team. So when guys do that, it\u2019s good for the group.\u201d<\/p>\n The implication was there wasn\u2019t enough of that.<\/p>\n And the fans, he admitted, deserve better.<\/p>\n \u201cWe owe a lot to the fans. I mean, you want to do well on home ice. It\u2019s important for us,\u201d he said of letting down the crowd, as they have too many times this year. (They\u2019ve set a new team record<\/a> for most home losses in a season.) \u201cIt doesn\u2019t feel good for us when we go out there and don\u2019t play well and disappoint the fans.It\u2019s not a good feeling for us. It\u2019s definitely not something we\u2019re trying to do. So, yeah, I mean, we definitely owe it to them to bring 100 per cent effort every night. And if that\u2019s not the case, then it needs to be.There\u2019s really no excuse.\u201d<\/p>\n Advertisement 4<\/p>\n This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n Lack of maturity<\/p>\n Teddy Blueger<\/a> was unsparing in his review.<\/p>\n \u201cWe didn\u2019t have it,\u201d he said flatly. \u201cWeren\u2019t making plays. Weren\u2019t executing, didn\u2019t have any legs, maybe. But we\u2019re just losing too many battles.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cEven when we did get some offensive zone shifts, we had five guys on the outside, no one from the net, so it made it too easy for them.\u201d<\/p>\n The slog of where they\u2019re at is still dragging them down.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s not all maturity and experience, but I think that\u2019s part of it,\u201d he said of his team\u2019s struggles. \u201cI think our details aren\u2019t good enough, probably on a consistent basis. That\u2019s why it\u2019s like, good game, bad game, good, bad game, like that kind of yo-yo effect. So it\u2019s like, when we do play well, we\u2019re not handling it well enough to carry it over into this game, and then when it\u2019s not going our way, we\u2019re having a hard time snapping out of it.\u201d<\/p>\n Here\u2019s what we saw.<\/p>\n Forwards<\/p>\n Elias Pettersson<\/a> C. Nice pass on the Hronek goal but just passes up so many opportunities to drive the lane.<\/p>\n Advertisement 5<\/p>\n This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n Drew O\u2019Connor C+. There\u2019s never any doubt of his effort and desire. Led the team in shots and that\u2019s because he was actually fighting to get to the crease.<\/p>\n Linus Karlsson C. He\u2019s been so much better. Normally a force on the boards, wasn\u2019t in this one.<\/p>\n Marco Rossi C+. Some nice early puck decisions. He\u2019s playing well. Passing the puck well too.<\/p>\n Liam Ohgren C-. One of several invisible guys much of the night.<\/p>\n Brock Boeser<\/a> C-. Brutal night. Struggled in defensive zone puck battles and took a foolish penalty to close second. Couldn\u2019t find the handle on a couple glorious chances late in the third.<\/p>\n Teddy Blueger<\/a> C-. Awful night trapped in his own end.<\/p>\n Nils Hoglander<\/a> C. Skated hard, which he always does, but some poor reads and puck management decisions overrode all that.<\/p>\n Jake DeBrusk C-.He was so good<\/a> for Boston vs. the Blues in the 2019 Stanley Cup playoffs. Invisible in this mean-nothing game.<\/p>\n Aatu Raty C. A really nice pass cross-ice to Boeser in the third stands out. Not much else.<\/p>\n Advertisement 6<\/p>\n This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n Curtis Douglas C-. Made a nice backchecking play in the first but you want more physicality. This is a game to get the blood flowing.<\/p>\n Evander Kane C. Stuck in mud. He\u2019ll slither to 1,000 games from here.<\/p>\n Defence<\/p>\n Elias Pettersson<\/a> C. Buried in his own end, like his team, all night.<\/p>\n Filip Hronek<\/a> C+. He was feisty. He actually got the puck out of the Canucks\u2019 end with control. And scored the only goal. Then took a ludicrously dumb cross-checking penalty to put St. Louis on the power play to close the game.<\/p>\n He was very frustrated by the penalty, offering only \u201cno comment\u201d and a long face when asked about it. Obviously he wasn\u2019t a fan. \u201cI\u2019m not sure what I\u2019m allowed to say.\u201d<\/p>\n Marcus Pettersson C+. Was buried in his end but honestly none of it was his fault.<\/p>\n Tom Willander C-. Lost at sea a few times in the first. Lucky not to be whistled for a couple early penalties. Night never got better.<\/p>\n Zeev Buium C+. Some very good shifts with the puck on his stick. One of the best Canucks on the night<\/a>, not that there was much competition.<\/p>\n Victor Mancini C. Nice new contract but his game was too much like it\u2019s been lately: bad reads and poor passes.<\/p>\n Goalie<\/p>\n Kevin Lankinen C+ Not much help, but not tested much.<\/p>\n Read More<\/p>\n Canucks Live: Elias Pettersson regresses to mean in March as false hope evaporates<\/p>\n![\"Vancouver](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/cp176018461_302208510.jpg\")
Vancouver Canucks’ Tom Willander stumbles as St. Louis Blues’ Robert Thomas skates past him with the puck on Saturday, March 21, 2026. Photo by DARRYL DYCK THE CANADIAN PRESS \/THE CANADIAN PRESSArticle content<\/p>\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/dcs-static.gprod.postmedia.digital\/20.8.1\/websites\/images\/identity\/logo-identity-vp.svg\"){kind=logo}
<\/p>\n![\"St.](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/cp176018731_302208630.jpg\")
St. Louis Blues\u2019 Dylan Holloway puts the puck into the net behind Vancouver Canucks goalie Kevin Lankinen before the goal was called back upon review for being played with a high stick. Photo by DARRYL DYCK THE CANADIAN PRESS \/THE CANADIAN PRESS<\/p>\n![\"Canucks](\"https:\/\/dcs-static.gprod.postmedia.digital\/20.8.1\/websites\/images\/newsletters\/icon-vs-canucksReport.svg\"\/){kind=icon}
<\/p>\n![\"St.](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/cp176018709_302209288.jpg\")
St. Louis Blues\u2019 Pavel Buchnevich celebrates his goal as Vancouver Canucks\u2019 Brock Boeser looks on during the game on March 21, 2026. Photo by DARRYL DYCK THE CANADIAN PRESS \/THE CANADIAN PRESS<\/p>\n![\"Tampa](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/1774185736_416_cp176007962_302170030.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
![\"Marcus](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/1774185736_152_cp175968055_302019621.jpg\")
<\/p>\n