A look at some of the analytics from the Canucks 5-1 victory over the Kraken.
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 5-1 victory over the Seattle Kraken.
The Canucks played arguably their most complete game of the season against the Kraken on Friday. They limited Seattle's shots, controlled play, and received scoring from throughout their lineup. Overall, it was a performance that head coach Rick Tocchet would be proud of and proof that his system works when the entire team plays like a unit.
When diving into the numbers, the statistic that sticks out the most is high-danger chances at even strength. During 48 minutes of even-strength play, the Canucks posted nine high-danger chances compared to the Kraken's four. This separation is even more impressive when considering that Vancouver had six high-danger chances in the third alone, while Seattle had zero over the final 20 minutes of play. What this tells us is even though the Canucks had a lead heading into the third, they never took their foot off the gas and continued to pressure Seattle until the final whistle.
A line that stood out was the trio of Anthony Beauvillier, J.T. Miller, and Brock Boeser. In the 10:36, these three were on the ice together Vancouver outshot Seattle five to three while leading them in high-danger chances two to nothing. They were also the team line leaders with a 63.18 xGF%. While they did not score, the trio was dangerous all game, and most importantly, they could shut down Seattle's top line.
On the blue line, Ian Cole and Noah Juulsen once again looked good as a pair. With the duo on the ice, the Canucks outshot the Kraken ten to three, outscored them one to nothing and produced five high-danger chances compared to two against. While they aren't the most exciting pair, this duo is working for the moment, which is crucial as the injury bug starts to hit the Canucks back end.
To wrap things up, let's take a look at Nils Åman's strong game. Vancouver's fourth-line center played 14:28 in his season debut and recorded two assists. He was on the ice for two even-strength goals compared to zero against and had an xGF% of 67.22, which ranked second on the team. While it was only one game, he showed that he has what it takes to contribute to this team and deserves to be in the lineup for the remainder of the season.
Make sure to check back Sunday after the game against the San Jose Sharks for another edition of "The Stats Behind The Game."