The Stats Behind The Game: Canucks 1, Sabres 0
A look at some of the analytics from the Canucks 1-0 victory over the Buffalo Sabres.
Photo by Timothy T. Ludwig-USA TODAY Sports - The Stats Behind The Game: Canucks 1, Sabres 0Welcome to this edition of "The Stats Behind The Game." This recurring deep dive breaks down the analytics behind each Vancouver Canucks game as recorded by Natural Stat Trick. In this article, we look back on the Canucks most recent 1-0 shutout win over the Buffalo Sabres.
Vancouver and Buffalo played a low-event, tight-checking game from start to finish. At even strength, each team finished with seven high-danger chances, while the Canucks skated away with the slight edge in scoring chances by a final count of 20-14. If not for a Sam Lafferty goal in the second period, it is possible these two teams would have produced the rare double shutout, as the game would have most likely headed for a shootout.
One trend that stood out was that neither team could generate high-danger chances from right outside the crease. Each team's average shot distance at even strength was over 50 feet, with many of the shots coming from the point or beyond the faceoff dot. These statistics and heatmap emphasize the importance of getting to the net, as the only goal scored was from a distance of nine feet. While both the Sabres and Canucks were able to generate some offence from high-danger areas, they each were only able to produce five high-danger shots at all strengths, which played a role in the low scoreline.
As for Vancouver's best line from an analytical perspective, that would be the fourth line of Nils Höglander, Nils Åman and Lafferty. The trio played 6:18 together and finished with an xGF% of 94.54. While on the ice, the Canucks also held a 4-1 shot advantage while the line produced the only goal of the game. Ultimately, they stepped up for Vancouver and helped extend the win streak to five games.
Lastly, let's take a look at Carson Soucy's game. The Canucks defenceman played 16:04 at even strength and finished the game with two blocks and one hit. While on the ice, Vancouver also outshot Buffalo 4-1 while not giving up a high-danger scoring chance against. He has been strong for the Canucks since returning from injury and once again played an important role en route to a victory.
Ensure to check back after the game against the Columbus Blue Jackets for another edition of "The Stats Behind The Game."
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