A look at some of the analytics from the Canucks 4-0 victory over the Panthers.
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 4-0 victory over the Florida Panthers.
When diving into the analytics, it is clear that Thatcher Demko won this game for Vancouver. The Canucks goaltender stopped all 12 high-danger chances he faced and was able to control his crease, only having to make seven rebound saves. As detailed in the heatmap below, the Panthers drove the net hard all night, finishing with an average shot distance of 33.31 feet. This means most of the shots came from the faceoff dots and below, and Florida did everything they could to try and solve Vancouver's netminder.
Heatmap by Natural Stat Trick, VAN vs FLA, Dec 14, 2023The analytics also show that the Canucks played very poorly in the third period. At even strength, the Panthers had a 12-2 advantage in scoring chances and an 8-0 lead in high-danger scoring chances. Even though Vancouver was up 4-0, this type of play is concerning and can't become a trend they rely on, even if Demko is in the net. This was a dangerous way to play, and the Canucks were lucky they kept Florida off the board the entire net.
Moving on to which line stood out, that would be the trio of Dakota Joshua, Teddy Blueger and Conor Garland. In 9:51 of ice time, Vancouver's third line scored twice, held a 4-1 advantage in high-danger chances and finished the night with an xGF% of 77.81. They once again stepped up and were a massive factor in the victory.
Lastly, let's look at Ilya Mikheyev's night at even strength. The Cancuks winger played 13:04 and ended the game with an xGF% of 79.66. He was also the only player on the team who was not on the ice for a high-danger scoring chance. While his three giveaways were not ideal, overall, he had a good game from a defensive standpoint.
Make sure to check back Sunday after the game against the Minnesota Wild for another edition of "The Stats Behind The Game."