A look at some of the analytics from the Canucks 3-1 loss to the Dallas Stars.
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 3-1 loss to the Dallas Stars.
The best way to analyze this game is to separate it into two parts. Starting with even strength, Vancouver lost the scoring chances battle 32-26, while the Stars also had the advantage in high-danger chances by a 16-12 count. Despite a good effort, they could not generate enough, leading to only one goal scored.
Special teams also deserve their own analysis as over 13 minutes of the game was played on the man advantage. In six minutes of power play time, the Canucks were only able to generate two scoring chances and were credited with 0 high-danger chances. As for Dallas, who had 7:47 of power play time, they finished with two goals, eight scoring chances and five high-danger chances. Vancouver's inability to create and defend during special teams play cost them against the Stars, which is concerning considering they may have to play Dallas at some point during the playoffs this year.
As for the heatmap, Rick Tocchet was right when he said the team isn't getting to the middle of the ice consistently. While Vancouver did generate eight high-danger shots, they could not beat Jake Oettinger, who stopped every high-danger shot he faced. As the Canucks, in the defensive zone, did not do a good job clogging up the middle, with all three goals, including the empty netter coming from right in front of the net. Ultimately, the heat map illustrates why Vancouver fell to the Stars and shows that they need to do a better job protecting the middle of the ice while shorthanded.
Heatmap by Natural Stat Trick, VAN vs DAL, Mar. 28, 2024Lastly, one player whose analytics stood out was Nils Höglander. The Canucks winger played 11:48 at even-strength and finished with one individual high-danger chance created. While on the ice, Vancouver had a 13-12 scoring chances advantage and were tied 6-6 in high-danger chances. Once again, Höglander made an impact despite low ice time, showing just how valuable he is to the Canucks lineup.
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