Tom Willander may have been the Vancouver Canucks' standout skater on Tuesday night, but you wouldn’t know it from listening to him after the game.
Despite putting together a strong individual performance - including a goal and extending his career-best point streak to three games - the 20-year-old defenseman didn’t mince words when assessing the team’s effort in a 5-2 loss to the San Jose Sharks.
“I don’t think we played good anywhere today,” Willander said postgame. “I think pretty much every detail was bad. Can’t name anything good today.”
That stings, but he’s not wrong.
At five-on-five, the Sharks dictated the flow, controlling nearly two-thirds of the shot attempts - 56 to the Canucks’ 29. Vancouver fell behind early and never really looked like they were going to mount a serious push.
This wasn’t just a loss - it was a flat performance from a team that’s been in tight games lately. Not this time.
And yet, in the middle of it all, Willander stood out.
According to Hockey Stat Cards, he posted the best Game Score of any Canucks skater. In fact, he and goaltender Nikita Tolopilo were the only players on the roster who didn’t finish with negative ratings. That’s no small feat, especially for a rookie defenseman still finding his footing at the NHL level.
But Willander wasn’t about to pat himself on the back.
“I didn’t like much about my game,” he said. “I thought I had some poise at times, which is good, and maybe some flashy moves at times, but I think I’ve got to be a lot harder around the sheet. Better retrievals make better plays.”
That’s the kind of self-awareness and accountability you don’t always see from a 20-year-old. And it didn’t stop with his own game - Willander was equally blunt about the team’s lack of pushback.
“It’s annoying,” he said. “I think, you know, at least like the last few times we had results like this, I think we did a decent job in many parts of our game. But today, I thought, was awful.”
Context matters here. Vancouver’s last four games had all been one-goal contests.
This one was different. San Jose jumped out to a 3-1 lead less than six minutes in and never let the Canucks get within striking distance again.
It was the kind of night where even head coach Adam Foote - usually quick to highlight his team’s resilience - didn’t go there.
Still, Willander gave fans something to cheer about in the opening period. His goal - a perfectly placed wrist shot from the point - was a beauty. A little top-corner magic that briefly gave the Canucks life.
And he’s starting to earn more trust, too. Willander saw time on the power play, logging 1:07 with the man advantage. But even there, he wasn’t satisfied.
“I think it’s fun to be on the power play and get that opportunity and experience,” he said. “But, I mean, on power play, I thought I didn’t do a good job there.”
You get the sense the losing is wearing on this group. And while veterans may be more measured in their responses, Willander’s frustration was raw and real. He’s not just showing flashes of skill - he’s showing leadership traits that go beyond the stat sheet.
How many rookies stand at the mic after a tough loss, take ownership of their own play, and call out the team’s effort? Not many. Willander’s not just here to develop quietly in the background - he’s demanding more from himself and his teammates.
And that might be the most promising sign of all for Canucks fans. The kid hates to lose. And that’s exactly the kind of energy this team needs right now.