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What has and hasn't improved with Canucks penalty kill under Boudreau

Trevor Beggs
Trevor Beggs
|
Feb 8 2022, 7:10 pm
What has and hasn't improved with Canucks penalty kill under Boudreau
Bob Frid-USA TODAY Sports

Let’s start with some bad news.

On the season, the Vancouver Canucks penalty kill still ranks dead-last in the NHL at 69.9%.

The good news? Their penalty kill isn’t a complete embarrassment anymore.

Since Bruce Boudreau took over the Canucks, the PK sits at 78.4%, which is good for 17th in the NHL.

However, the unit as a whole has been inconsistent.

During the first 10 games of Boudreau’s tenure, the PK clocked in at 86.4%. Over the last 11 games however, the Canucks PK efficiency is back down to 72.4%.

We took a look earlier this season at why the Canucks PK was so horrendous. Let’s see how that unit has improved since Boudreau and assistant coach Scott Walker took over the team’s penalty kill.

Mild improvements from the Canucks as a whole

Based on the numbers, the Canucks were slightly unlucky to have the NHL’s worst PK under Travis Green.

However, those same numbers (on a per-60 basis) suggest that Vancouver is lucky to have the 17th best PK during Boudreau’s tenure.

Under Green

  • Corsi-against: 113.2 (30th)
  • Shots-against: 64.6 (27th)
  • Expected goals-against: 8.4 (30th)
  • Save percentage: .808 (32nd)

Under Boudreau

  • Corsi-against: 111.5 (29th)
  • Shots-against: 54.7 (18th)
  • Expected goals-against: 8 (27th)
  • Save percentage: .875 (15th)

Only two things have really changed under Boudreau. The Canucks are allowing fewer shots to get through to the net, signifying that they’re doing a better job of getting into shooting lanes.

The team’s shorthanded save percentage has also improved drastically. Before Green was fired, Demko’s .840 save percentage was one of the worst marks among starters. Jaroslav Halak’s .680 save percentage ranked dead last in the NHL.

In the Boudreau era, Demko’s save percentage has improved slightly to .852. Halak and Spencer Martin however, have a combined .960 shorthanded save percentage.

Most of that credit belongs to Martin. He stopped 20 of 21 shorthanded shots in three starts. Halak, on the other hand, has only faced four shorthanded shots (stopping them all) in three starts since December 5.

Canucks defence not well-equipped for PK

One of the problems for the Canucks is that both Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Tyler Myers are being relied upon as a top shutdown pair on the PK.

That didn’t work under Green, and it hasn’t really worked under Boudreau.

Both players are on the ice for nearly the same number of shot attempts-against under Boudreau. Myers has been on the ice for the most shot attempts-against-per-60.

However, both defenders are doing a marginally better job of limiting chances, which is reflected by a dip in their expected goals-against during PK duty.

  • Under Green: Ekman Larsson (8.4 xGA/60), Myers (9.24 xGA/60)
  • Under Boudreau: Ekman-Larsson (7.2 xGA/60), Myers (8.4 xGA/60)

Still, this comes back to roster construction. Neither player is an ace penalty killer, but they’re both being thrust into that role, no matter which coach is in charge.

Luke Schenn and Quinn Hughes have been the second duo trotted out for PK duty under Boudreau. Their actual goals-for totals mask the fact that they haven’t performed that well shorthanded.

Here are the totals under Boudreau:

  • Actual goals-against: Schenn (3.3), Hughes (4.1)
  • Expected goals-against: Schenn (10.4), Hughes (9)

One of the biggest initial surprises has been the turnaround of Tucker Poolman while shorthanded. He was arguably the most disappointing penalty killer under Green, but his metrics have improved drastically under the new regime.

However, the main reason for this is his diminished shorthanded role. He’s being used as a third pairing penalty killer, often playing with either Ekman-Larsson or Myers at the end of a two-minute penalty.

Better effort overall from Canucks forwards

One of the biggest differences under Boudreau, and this was evident from when he took over, was that he is keen on spreading out shorthanded ice time among his forwards.

Although the Canucks top forward penalty-killing unit of Tyler Motte and J.T. Miller hasn’t changed, they have had their average shorthanded ice time drop by more than 40 seconds each.

Bo Horvat has finally turned into a reliable penalty killer under Boudreau. His 51.5 scoring chances-against-per-60 shorthanded are best among Canucks forwards.

Horvat’s main partner, Jason Dickinson, has been much better than earlier in the season as well. Dickinson’s 55.5 scoring chances-against shorthanded are third among Canucks forwards, behind Horvat and Miller (55.2).

Another Canuck to drastically change his PK fortunes under Boudreau is Juho Lammikko. In 36:37 of shorthanded ice time under Green, Lammikko was on the ice for an unbelievable 13 goals-against. In 20:19 of PK ice time under Boudreau, he’s been on the ice for two goals-against.

Some of that is really just attributed to good luck, since his other metrics are similar under both coaches. Still, he’s been serviceable on a third forward unit with Matthew Highmore.

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