A look at some of the analytics from the Vancouver Canucks 5-4, Game 1 victory over the Edmonton Oilers.
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 5-4, Game 1 win over the Edmonton Oilers.
While the score was close, Vancouver dominated the analytics at even strength. The Canucks held a 21-14 scoring chances advantage while also winning the high-danger scoring chances battle 10-5. Even though Vancouver allowed four goals, it was an impressive performance at both ends of the ice and a game the Canucks clearly deserved to win.
Arguably, the most impressive part of the analytics is the heatmap. The Oilers were able to generate virtually nothing in front of the net, with the majority of their chances coming from the point or along the boards. If Vancouver can repeat this type of defensive performance, it should frustrate Edmonton and could create more Canucks chances on the counterattack.
Heatmap by Natural Stat Trick, VAN vs EDM, May 8, 2024When looking at the forward lines, the top trio from an analytics perspective was Nils Höglander, Elias Pettersson and Ilya Mikheyev. While they didn't score, the line was able to keep the puck out of their own zone for the majority of the game while holding the Oilers to zero high-danger chances while on the ice. After a tough series against the Nashville Predators, it is a massive positive to see this trio, especially Pettersson, step up at both ends of the ice.
Lastly, one player who was fantastic all night was Brock Boeser. Finishing the night with an assist, it was his defensive play that really stood out. Boeser finished the game with two takeaways while blocking two shots in the dying seconds of the game. As for his even strength analytics, he finished Game 1 with an xGF% of 63.24, with Vancouver holding a 3-1 high-danger scoring chances advantage while he was on the ice. In the end, Boeser stepped up once again and played a crucial role in the Canucks win.
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