By Andrew Phillip Chernoff | CanucksBanter

October 13, 2024

The Vancouver Canucks’ back-to-back losses in overtime and shootout against the Calgary Flames and Philadelphia Flyers on October 9th and 11th respectively, have exposed some concerning trends early in the season:

• Inability to Close Out Games:
  • This is probably the most worrisome. In both games, the Canucks held leads going into the third period but couldn’t put the games away.
  • Against Calgary, they surrendered a three-goal lead; against Philadelphia, they let a 2-1 advantage evaporate.
  • This points to a lack of killer instinct and potentially some mental lapses when playing with a lead.
• Inconsistent Offensive Production:
  • While the Canucks have shown flashes of offensive skill, their scoring has been sporadic and finish lacking.
  • They struggle to generate consistent pressure and high-danger chances, especially as games progress.
  • Over-reliance on individual play rather than a cohesive offensive system seems to be a contributing factor.
• Inconsistent Goaltending:
  • The goaltending against Calgary was inconsistent and had starter Arturs Silovs, allowing goals from a distance that deflated the Canucks and worked to complicate the Canucks momentum and ability to put themselves in a position to snuff out the Flames comeback attempt.
  • Against Philadelphia, Kevin Lankinen provided consistent, reliable, team supporting and timely saves to help put his teammates in a position to win.
• Defensive Lapses:
  • Despite demonstrating improved defensive structure at times, the Canucks are still susceptible to critical breakdowns.
  • Against Philadelphia, coach Tocchet highlighted Pettersson’s positioning error on Foerster’s goal. These lapses, even if infrequent, proved costly in this case.
• Special Teams Inefficiency:
  • The power play has been a particular concern.
  • Against Philadelphia, they failed to capitalize on two early opportunities.
  • Inability to take advantage of these opportunities can be deflating and shift momentum away from the team.
• Lack of Discipline:
  • While not an issue against Philadelphia, the Canucks need to maintain their composure and avoid taking unnecessary penalties. This was evident in the Calgary game, where penalties contributed to the Flames’ comeback.
• Underlying Factors:
  • Over-reliance on Quinn Hughes:
    • Hughes continues to log heavy minutes and shoulder a significant burden. The Canucks need others to step up and contribute consistently, even in critcal times.
  • Depth Scoring:
    • The bottom six forwards need to provide more offensive support sooner than later. Relying heavily on the top line for scoring is not a sustainable strategy, especially with Miller and Pettersson not at a 100%.
  • Mental Toughness:
    • The Canucks need to develop a stronger mental game, lessen mental lapses when facing adversity or playing with a lead.
    • It’s still early in the season, and these issues are correctable. However, the Canucks need to address them quickly to avoid falling behind in the competitive Pacific Division.

To wrap up:

The Canucks need to:

• find more consistency in their overall game
• meet pressure with pressure
• embrace the hard
• capitalize on scoring opportunities
• and tighten up defensively to translate their strong efforts into wins.

It’s important to note that the season has just begun. the Canucks have plenty of time to address these issues and improve their performance.

But if the inefficiencies are left to linger and go unchecked and are not sufficiently corrected, Vancouver could find their schedule working against them rather than for them.

Until next week. Take care.