Elias Pettersson vocal after returning from injury after defeat at Hurricanes

Vancouver Canucks Star Elias Pettersson is back from injured reserve on Friday. His return meant Friday night’s game against the Carolina Hurricanes was his first since Dec. 23. The Canucks star is embroiled in trade rumors ahead of the March 7 NHL trade deadline. For now, however, he must focus on what is immediately in front of him.

Unfortunately, Vancouver could now get a win in Pettersson’s return. He and the Canucks fell 2-0 to the Hurricanes on Friday night. Furthermore, Vancouver managed just 14 shots on veteran goaltender Dustin Tokarski, all of which were stopped. Vancouver fell to 18-13-10 on the season and has lost nine of its last 11 games.

Pettersson spoke to reporters after losing to talk about how he felt after returning from injury. “I felt good. I worked hard to come back and it was fun to come back. He felt pretty good. “Maybe some of the puck battles I want back, but overall I feel good,” the Canucks star said in a video shared by the team on social media.

The Canucks’ Elias Peterson reacts to the Hurricanes’ brutal loss

Elias Pettersson didn’t record a point in Friday’s loss to the Hurricanes. However, he had an interesting appearance. In the end, he was unable to capitalize on them and finished the game with zero shots.

The Canucks’ loss to Carolina is brutal in itself. Taking less than 15 shots a game is a recipe for a loss regardless of the opponent. But losing like this to a team playing in the second half is tough. Pettersson admitted as much when talking about the loss.

“I think we had a lot of chances that we didn’t hit the net.” Brock (Boeser) made a great pass to me on the power play. I tried to pick the corner instead of making sure I hit the net. I might not score, but I might make a rebound. The little details,” the Canucks star said.

Vancouver looked like a playoff contender earlier in the season. They are now clinging to the last Wild Card spot in the Western Conference. Their 46 points put them just one point behind the Calgary Flames. Furthermore, the St. Louis Blues and Utah Hockey Club are each within three points of Vancouver.

Pettersson and the Canucks hope to right the ship soon. Performances like Friday night must become a thing of the past if they want to. The Canucks take the ice again on Saturday night when they travel to take on the Toronto Maple Leafs.