Canucks offence ranks near bottom of the NHL since All-Star break

There are just 10 games left until the playoffs and the Vancouver Canucks are experiencing some ups-and-downs.

The team is 3-2-1 over its last six games. A big reason for their recent losses has been an inability to score or break tough defensive systems such as the one utilized by the Los Angeles Kings.

The Canucks are 25th in the NHL in goals scored since the All-Star Game, as well as 25th in goals-per-game. They’ve managed to stay afloat thanks to strong defensive play, but the lack of scoring should raise some eyebrows as the playoffs get closer.

“No, I think a little bit more for me is getting inside a little bit more,” responds Tocchet this morning when asked if the lack of offensive production worries him. “I felt this month we have not been inside enough like we did at the beginning of the year. Yeah, we got a lot of fortunate bounces at the beginning of the year, tip stuff, things off skates, but we’re not getting those right now and I think that’s because we’re not playing inside.”

The head coach is right in that the Canucks are getting fewer bounces to go their way. The team is 17th in the NHL with a 10.08% all-situations shooting percentage since the All-Star break. That’s a significant drop from the league-leading 13.44% they were at until the break.

Taking a further peek under the hood, the underlying numbers have dropped, but the change hasn’t been as significant as the drop in actual scoring suggests. The Canucks are getting fewer expected goals per 60 minutes but have replicated nearly the exact same number of scoring chances per NaturalStatTrick.

This does suggest the Canucks have both seen their good fortune start to run out and struggled to create as much offence. The double whammy has come at a less-than-ideal time, with the playoffs so close on the horizon.

“We need more guys to play inside; that’s really what it comes down to. You’ve got to beat your man and if you beat your man to the net, be ready, present your stick, get inside instead of just taking the long way around. And I think it’s a habit we have to stop because it’s getting crushed on,” continued Tocchet today.

The Canucks power play has also been a major issue. The unit ranks 29th since the All-Star break at 15.2%, far off the 25% they were clicking at earlier in the year until the break, good for eighth league-wide.

The team has experimented with a wide variety of configurations as they try to find a way to unlock the unit that has been so effective in the past. Fixing the poor results with the man-advantage would go a long way in helping the team rediscover its offensive mojo.

The Canucks have 10 games to get ready for the playoffs. While they haven’t been getting the same number of bounces as earlier in the year, they need to find a way to score. When the games get tight in the postseason, Tocchet’s advice only becomes more applicable, and the head coach should be hopeful that his words get through to his young team.

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