A wander by way of the stats, 1 / 4 of the way in which into the season.
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After their red-hot begin, the Vancouver Canucks have began to fall again to Earth.
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The excellent news is there’s nonetheless cause to assume they may stage out properly above crash peak.
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The Canucks have a Norris Trophy candidate in Quinn Hughes, an MVP candidate in Elias Pettersson, a Vezina candidate in Thatcher Demko, and two Rocket Richard candidates in J.T. Miller and Brock Boeser.
Heck, in the event that they do what’s now anticipated and enter the post-season in a stable playoff spot, head coach Rick Tocchet goes to garner loads of buzz for the Jack Adams Award as coach of the 12 months.
Sure, the Canucks stay in champagne issues territory: they sit second within the Pacific Division. Their path to the playoffs is fairly simple. They’ve loads of video games but to be performed over the following month, however within the large image 39 wins over their remaining 62 video games will nearly actually put them in a stable playoff place.
Canucks Report
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And they’re now a workforce wanting so as to add to their roster to make it higher, not repair issues.
Let’s check out the place this workforce stands 20 video games into the season.
49.6
On the 20-game mark, the numbers which were collected thus far are fairly stable at predicting the longer term.
And the Canucks’ even-steven 49.6-per-cent shot makes an attempt price is completely effective. They’re fifteenth within the league, common by way of photographs taken versus photographs allowed.
The higher information is they’re controlling play at a much better price now than early within the season, with the general development extremely constructive.
At worst, it seems the Canucks are a 50/50 shot-attempts workforce, at finest they’re barely increased than 50 per cent.
And with top-end shooters like Miller, Boeser, Pettersson and Hughes, they’re in a great spot to proceed thriving.
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10.75
The Canucks’ workforce taking pictures share at five-on-five was as soon as sky excessive, upwards of 15 per cent. One of the best groups in current seasons have settled within the 10-per-cent vary.
The Canucks are actually right down to 10.75 per cent, good for fourth general within the league.
Conversely, the Canucks’ goalies are not any lengthy main the league in five-on-five save share, across the 95-per-cent vary — they’re merely fifth-best for the time being (93.3 per cent).
They’re nonetheless using the odds to a level, however the numbers they’re posting are merely simply glorious, versus extraordinary.
And given the expertise they’ve, particularly in objective, there’s little cause to assume a lot additional regression is to come back.
Their taking pictures share will nonetheless probably slide just a little extra — the best-shooting workforce final season was Seattle at 10.3 per cent, with the remainder of the perfect round 9.5 per cent — and nonetheless stay among the many league leaders.
This, greater than something, is to what to grasp concerning the Canucks’ probably prospects over the rest of the season. The Canucks are more likely to proceed to regulate a very good share of possession and take the same amount of photographs.
And on the different finish of the ice, they may proceed to get high quality performances from Demko and his backup Casey DeSmith, a stable basis to construct success on.
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However for the second, there are additionally worrying indicators. The Canucks have misplaced three of their final 4. A few of that’s due to fatigue — since embarking on an japanese Canadian street journey simply over two weeks in the past, they’ve performed video games roughly each different day, together with two units of back-to-backs.
That’s loads of hockey in a short while.
There’s additionally the truth that Pettersson is in a hunch.
In his final seven video games, he has only one objective and three assists.
His general sport isn’t popping, both. It’s suspected he’s coping with a groin downside. Perhaps a wrist difficulty too.
Groin points take away your skating energy and simply from watching Pettersson, you may see he’s not shifting as freely or as powerfully as you’re used to.
On Friday and Saturday, the Canucks have one other again to again, earlier than getting two extra days off. However there’s simply no relaxation on the horizon — between this weekend and Christmas, the Canucks will play 15 extra video games.
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Will Pettersson want a break in there someplace?
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Associated to Pettersson’s hunch is the play of Andrei Kuzmenko, who was referred to as out by his head coach final weekend.
Kuzmenko, who’s within the first 12 months of a two-year deal that pays him $5.5 million US per season, has simply three objectives on the season.
He final scored within the 10-1 shellacking of the San Jose Sharks on Nov. 2.
You possibly can see why Tocchet obtained on him final weekend about having to play more durable. If he’s not scoring, what’s he doing?
30
However let’s finish on a excessive word.
Hughes hit 30 factors on Tuesday evening. By taking simply 19 video games to succeed in this level whole, Hughes is the primary defenceman since Bobby Orr in 1974-75 to gather that many factors in such a short while span.
In case you hadn’t heard, Hughes is placing collectively a season for the ages.
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