A look at some of the analytics from the Canucks 4-3 win over the Calgary Flames.
Welcome 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 4-3 victory over the Calgary Flames.
Overall, this was a very even game, with the main difference between the two sides being Vancouver's ability to score at even strength. Both teams recorded 21 shots on goal at even strength, while Calgary had the slight edge in high-danger chances at 10-9. Outside of goals scored, the biggest advantage the Canucks had was xGF which they led 2.58 to 1.73, showing just how important shot placement and distance is.
Vancouver's relentless effort to crash the net was not just evident watching the game but also showed up in the final analytics. At even strength, Thatcher Demko faced an average shot distance of 57.87, which is approximately from above the faceoff circle. As for Jacob Markström, his average shot distance faced was 30.89. That is closer to the net than the one even strength goal Calgary was able to score. In the end, getting bodies to the net and causing chaos in front of the goaltender was the right move, as it directly impacted the result of the game.
One very impressive line for Vancouver was the trio of Sam Lafferty, Elias Pettersson and Ilya Mikheyev. In 8:34 of ice time together, the Canucks outshot the Flames 9-1, had an xGF% of 76.05 and, most important, outscored Calgary 2-0. It looks like these three are starting to build some chemistry, and if they can keep the strong play, they could see plenty of ice time together over the next month.
Lastly, let's look at Nikita Zadorov's first game for Vancouver. The big defenceman played 13:37 at even strength and did not look out of place. While on the ice, the Canucks outshot the Flames 8-6 while he was able to limit his former team to just one high-danger chance generated. While it wasn't a perfect game, as he finished with zero hits, it was an encouraging start to his Vancouver Canuck career.
Make sure to check back Wednesday after the game against the New Jersey Devils for another edition of "The Stats Behind The Game."