Foote believes there's a tonic for the Vancouver Canucks' goal-scoring woes
The Vancouver Canucks probably deserved better on Friday night.
At least, that’s what head coach Adam Foote believes.
“Fans might call me crazy, or you guys might call me crazy, but we should have had that game four or 5-1,” he said.
Instead, the Canucks lost 4-1 to the Utah Mammoth.
Foote isn’t wrong in the sense that the Canucks controlled possession for most of the night.
This was only the 10th time in 28 games that the Canucks had more shot attempts at even-strength than their opposition. They controlled 62.5 per cent of five-on-five shot attempts against Utah, their differential against any opponent this season.
That right there sounds like a moral victory.
Even though Vancouver outchanced Utah, it was another game where they struggled to find the back of the net.
The Canucks have scored more than two goals just once in their last seven games, and that was in their 5-4 win over the Anaheim Ducks. Unsurprisingly, that’s been the only victory for the Canucks over their last seven games.
So, how can the Canucks convert their puck possession into more goals? Is it a matter of just getting the bounces?
“We need to dig deeper and get a dirty goal,” Foote said. “If we can get [a goal] from a shot, we have to go back and whack and put the goalie in the net.”
“That’s more of a dirty, aggressive mindset around the net. If we win some battles and start a war there, that’s probably what’s going to change the tide.”
Foote reiterated the ‘dirty goal’ strategy more than once during his postgame presser.
The Canucks had chances around the net tonight, but it’s an area that’s been lacking this season.
According to NHL Edge Data, the Canucks rank 20th in terms of shots from high danger areas on the ice. They’re actually pretty good at converting those chances, as their high danger shooting percentage of 22.5 per cent ranks sixth overall in the league.
The fact that the Canucks are below average both offensively and defensively is a brutal mix. (NHL Edge)
Some of that does come from tips, which was evident by Arshdeep Bains’ first goal of the season tonight.
Bainsy with the hand-eye. š pic.twitter.com/oVZm3K0ute
— Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks) December 6, 2025
Of course, you usually need to score more than once or twice to win.
The fact that they don’t have a proper second-line centre is a crux. David KƤmpf is pointless in his first eight games with the Canucks, even though he’s largely played with Brock Boeser and Conor Garland.
“KƤmpf’s getting better and better,” Foote said. “He’s a third or fourth line centre. Everybody is playing up the lineup, that’s no secret.”
Even though the Canucks are filled with flaws, Foote is still trying to stay positive.
“You guys are gonna be upset with me, but I take it day by day,” Foote said when asked about what his biggest challenge has been this season.
“It’s a process. You know what we’re going through. I’m not going to say it up here. You know what’s going on.”
“For me, I want to stay positive. As we get guys back, it will be more in our favor.”
Elias Pettersson is also keeping the faith.
“We believe we can win every game,” he said postgame. “Obviously, it hasn’t been looking good with our record. But, I mean, we’re giving the effort every game, and it’s not bouncing our way.”