The Vancouver Canucks Have A Second-Period Problem

The Vancouver Canucks have a second-period problem. Through their first 21 games, the Canucks have allowed 35 goals in the second period, including four in the middle frame on Friday against the New York Rangers. For comparison, the next highest team in the league is the Toronto Maple Leafs, who have allowed 26 in 21 games. 

It would be one thing if Vancouver were also scoring goals in the second period, but that has also been a struggle. The Canucks have only found the back of the net 14 times in the middle frame through 21 games, which ranks tied for 29th in the league. This means that Vancouver is allowing approximately 1.6 goals against while scoring approximately 0.6 goals per game in the second period. 

"I think that the story of the second was just our unwillingness or inability to stick to the script," said Head Coach Manny Malhotra after Friday's loss. "But our first period was probably the best we've looked in a long time, just in terms of everything structurally. Created a lot of chances. Scored a great ozone sequence goal. Didn't spend a ton of time in the D zone, so again, coming back to that mindset of simple and direct works for us. And in the second period, it was just a string of turnover after turnover after turnover that feeds transition and doesn't allow us to do the things that make us competitive.

As for Brock Boeser, he spoke about the mistake-filled second period against the Rangers by saying, "It's frustrating. Obviously, I feel like we just haven't played a full game together, and we talk about it, and we talk about it, and it's the same stuff. So we're gonna have to learn eventually."

One reason the Canucks have struggled in the second period is a lack of shots on net. Vancouver has been outshot 225-138, with their -87 shot differential the highest by any team in a single period so far this season. As for the rest of the game, the Canucks' shot differential by period reads as -70 in the first, -24 in the third and +4 in overtime. 

At this stage, it is hard to understand why Vancouver continues to struggle in the second period. The problem is even perplexing to the players and Malhotra, who don't seem to have an answer as to why this issue persists. Ultimately, the Canucks' second-period play is costing the team almost nightly and is a prime example of Vancouver playing "losing hockey". 

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