Pettersson aims to get on track for Canucks in Game 5 of West 2nd Round

VANCOUVER -- Rick Tocchet might try to get struggling Vancouver Canucks center Elias Pettersson more help by changing his wings for Game 5 of the Western Conference Second Round against the Edmonton Oilers.

But the coach and his player both conceded that Pettersson needs to be better.

Pettersson was among a handful of players Tocchet criticized after the Canucks were outshot 30-21 and gave up the deciding goal with 39 seconds remaining in the third period in Game 4 in Edmonton on Tuesday, losing 3-2 after battling back from a 2-0 deficit.

The best-of-7 series is tied 2-2 entering Game 5 on Thursday (10 p.m. ET; CBC, TVAS, SN, TNT, truTV, MAX).

“He sends a message to the group that we all need to be better, and obviously myself I know I can be better,” Pettersson said of the criticism. “I'm trying out there, maybe not going the best way right now, but I'm trying. I want to win.”

Pettersson had 89 points (34 goals, 55 assists) in 82 games in the regular season after finishing with an NHL career-high 102 points (39 goals, 63 assists) in 80 games last season. But Pettersson has four points (one goal, three assists) in 10 games during these Stanley Cup Playoffs, including two assists at even strength. He has one point in this series, a power-play goal in Game 2.

“It's challenged me, but I always said I like challenges and I always like to think I've answered them,” Pettersson said. “I like the challenge, but yeah, it's been a tough one.”

Pettersson has seven shots in this series after having eight shots in a six-game series win against the Nashville Predators in the first round. He did win the offensive-zone face-off that led to Dakota Joshua’s tying goal with 1:41 left in the third in Game 4, but his on-ice goals-for percentage at 5-on-5 in the playoffs is 28.5 percent, less than half of his percentage during the regular season (58.7).

“With ‘Petey,’ all fairness to him, I'm not sure he's getting sometimes the help he needs,” Tocchet said. “But saying that, I think he still can drive play a little bit better. I think he can still, when the puck comes to him, move his feet and be more dynamic. He's got the skill set, so I think that's a two-part question.”

Tocchet might change one part by giving him new linemates in Game 5.

Ilya Mikheyev does not have a point in 10 playoff games this season and has one goal his past 60 games dating to Dec. 19. Pettersson started the playoffs with Nils Hoglander, who scored 24 goals in the regular season, on his other wing, but he had one assist in eight games before being scratched the past two. Linus Karlsson made his playoff debut in that spot in Game 3, and Sam Lafferty, who has no points in 10 games this postseason, was there in Game 4.

Tocchet wouldn’t commit to specific changes but said Hoglander, Vasily Podkolzin, Arshdeep Bains and even Jonathan Lekkerimaki, a 19-year-old forward who was a first-round pick (No. 15) in the 2022 NHL Draft and has yet to play in the League, are all options.

Regardless of who plays with Pettersson or is otherwise inserted for Game 5, Tocchet is looking for an improved forecheck.

“The guy is going to be on the forecheck winning pucks, that's the guy you're looking for,” Tocchet said. “Sometimes it's a committee, sometimes it's switching guys in and out to help that line have some identity.”

Pettersson, who continues to play on the top power-play unit, said a change might help but stressed that it starts with him.

“Maybe it could help, but also at the end of the day I can only focus on what I can do and obviously I want to be better,” Pettersson said. “I want to be the difference-maker, and it hasn't gone obviously the way I want it to be, but at the end of the day, I can't dwell on it too much. We have a game tomorrow. I'm going to try to do my best and that's where my head is at.”