Kiefer Sherwood calls out teammates after loss in blunt post-game interview
Photo credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images
Canucks' Kiefer Sherwood did not mince words following his team's blowout loss to the Leafs by a score of 5-0, saying the team needs to do a lot more.
The Vancouver Canucks' already dire season went further off the rails on Saturday night as they were thoroughly outplayed in a 5-0 blanking handed down by the Toronto Maple Leafs.
The game soon got away from the Canucks as Thatcher Demko surrendered three goals on six shots before leaving in the first period with an injury, per head coach Adam Foote.
The Canucks could not score on six power play opportunities, while Toronto would score twice on the man advantage.
The Canucks were outshot 15-6 and had four power play chances, but they found themselves losing 3-0 after the first period.
What Elias Pettersson did to try and spark his team
Veteran Elias Pettersson tried to stir up the team by responding to a fight from Max Domi, but it made little difference. He managed one shot on the power play and struggled on faceoffs.
Five games into the 2026 season, Vancouver has yet to be in a lead situation. The Canucks have now lost six consecutive contests and eight of their past nine.
With their longest road trip of the year going on, Vancouver has lost their first three road games and has been outscored 15-4 prior to their next meetings with the Montreal Canadiens and Ottawa Senators.
Kevin Lankinen came in for Demko and had Vancouver's best game, making 16 of 18 saves. Toronto's second-period power play goals from John Tavares and Nick Robertson came after rookie blunders in Toronto's own end.
Why Kiefer Sherwood did not hold back in his post-game comments
Following the loss, it was clear from the comments made by forward Kiefer Sherwood that the bar is nowhere near being met, with a lot of work needing to be done by the Canucks.
"It's unacceptable," winger Kiefer Sherwood confirmed. "It's frustrating and, yeah, just unacceptable. We need to scrap and claw for every game right now, and we've got to take more pride in the little things: winning our battles, defending our net-front. The stuff in front (of our goalies) is unacceptable. They're the backbone of our team and we're just giving up way too many Grade-As (scoring chances). We've got to be desperate from the get-go. We can't just keep getting behind in these games and trying to come back."
- Kiefer Sherwood
- Kiefer Sherwood
There are 38 games remaining in the season, and the Canucks' window of opportunity continues to dwindle.
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| POLL | ||
JANVIER 11 | 268 ANSWERS Kiefer Sherwood calls out teammates after loss in blunt post-game interview Do you agree with Kiefer Sherwood? | ||
| Yes | 248 | 92.5 % |
| No | 20 | 7.5 % |
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