Anders Nilsson says there isn鈥檛 a quick fix for the Vancouver Canucks and their leaky defence.

After an unexpectedly bright 14-10-4 start to the season, the Canucks have surrendered an NHL-high 36 goals while suffering regulation losses in six of their last seven games.

鈥淓veryone, including me and the whole team, hasn鈥檛 played at their best level these last few weeks,鈥� said Nilsson, who allowed six goals in Tuesday鈥檚 7-5 home loss to the Montreal Canadiens. 鈥滶veryone needs to step up. Me personally, I know I can play better. I know I need to play better.

鈥淭here鈥檚 no shortcuts.鈥�

It鈥檚 been ugly at times, with defeats of 7-1, 6-1, 5-1 and that 7-5 setback 鈥� games where Vancouver鈥檚 goalies have often been scrambling in the crease or stretching in futile attempts to stop a wide-open opponent as the club鈥檚 defensive structure that鈥檚 been hampered by a number of key injuries collapses around them.

鈥淲e haven鈥檛 managed the puck as well 鈥� given up some odd-man rushes, some backdoor plays,鈥� said Canucks first-year head coach Travis Green. 鈥滻t鈥檚 hard for goalies when you鈥檙e giving up east-west, grade 鈥楢鈥� chances. Those are tough saves to make.

鈥淔or the most part when our goalies have good sight lines and see the puck, they鈥檝e done a good job saving it.鈥�

The netminders are far from innocent victims, with both Nilsson and Jacob Markstrom guilty of soft goals at key times, but Green has been loath to point a finger in their direction.

鈥淚f you鈥檙e trying to get me to pin this on goaltending, I鈥檓 not going to do that,鈥� Green said Wednesday. 鈥漁ur goalies are not going to sit there and say they鈥檝e been standing on their head.

鈥淭hey鈥檙e going to sit there and say, 鈥榃e need to play a little better.鈥欌��

Heading into Wednesday鈥檚 action, Vancouver had surrendered at least eight more goals than any other team since Dec. 7, with the Canucks鈥� 5-on-5 save percentage sitting at a league-worst .876 over that span.

Since the Canucks beat the Carolina Hurricanes on Dec. 5, Nilsson鈥檚 5-on-5 save percentage stands at .891 in his four appearances, including three starts, while Markstrom鈥檚 sits at .848 in his four starts.

Among goalies across the league with at least 13 appearances, Markstrom ranks 27th with an overall save percentage of .907, while Nilsson is 30th at .905.

Nilsson said it鈥檚 not a coincidence the Canucks, who visit the San Jose Sharks on Thursday, and their goalies both find themselves in a funk at the same time.

鈥淓verything is connected,鈥� said the Swede. 鈥滱t the beginning of the year we played really good as a team structurally, and both me an Marky were playing really good. The team has been struggling a little bit, and both me and Markstrom have been struggling a little bit, too.

鈥淚f the team plays good, usually the goalie plays good. If the goalie has a shutout, it鈥檚 not just because of the goalie 鈥� it鈥檚 because the whole team has been playing good in front of us.鈥�

There鈥檚 no doubt injuries have played a factor in the deluge of goals the Canucks have surrendered.

No. 1 centre Bo Horvat鈥檚 broken foot has coincided with the slide, while checking centre Brandon Sutter (upper body) and top-pair defenceman Christopher Tanev (groin) are also on the sidelines.

Asked if there needs to be tweaks or changes to the Canucks鈥� structure with so many key pieces out 鈥� perhaps pulling back on Green鈥檚 aggressive system that encourages defenceman to jump up in the play 鈥� captain Henrik Sedin instead doubled down on what made the club successful early on this season.

鈥淲e鈥檙e not being as aggressive as we need to be,鈥� he said. 鈥漌hen we play at our best, we鈥檙e on our toes, our forecheck is really good. When we have that in our game it鈥檚 like everything falls into place. Right now we鈥檙e in between a lot of times, and we鈥檙e not skating hard enough to get in on the forecheck.

鈥淚t鈥檚 easy sometimes to look at what happens in our end, but it starts in their end with a good forecheck. That needs to be our focus.鈥�

Notes: Vancouver re-assigned forward Michael Chaput to the AHL鈥檚 Utica Comets on Wednesday. 鈥� Green wouldn鈥檛 say whether or not defenceman Ben Hutton, who was a healthy scratch against Montreal, would draw back into the lineup in San Jose. Vancouver鈥檚 only victory in last seven games was Friday鈥檚 4-3 overtime win against the Sharks.

Joshua Clipperton, The Canadian Press

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