3 reasons Canucks' defensive play is way better than last season
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The Vancouver Canucks have flipped the script when it comes to their defensive performance.
Last season, the Canucks finished 24th in the NHL with 298 goals allowed. So far this year, they rank fifth with 81 goals against, putting them on pace for just 201 goals allowed. That huge year-over-year improvement has caught the attention of coach Rick Tocchet, among others around the hockey world.
“Sometimes we get out of position but not very often… I like the way they play defence. They’re protecting the middle, if we’ve got to give a shot, they give an outside shot,” said the head coach about his team’s defence after a recent 5-2 win over the Nashville Predators. “I think that’s what I really like about this team, whether they enjoy it or buy into it, [I] just love the way we defend the puck.”
These are three major factors that have led to this rapid defensive progression for the Canucks.
1. New coaching staff
Tocchet has the team playing a much more structured style of hockey. He also has a staff with plenty of professional playing experience, including longtime standout NHL defencemen Adam Foote and Sergei Gonchar.
“The knowledge from all our coaching staff has been amazing,” said defenceman Noah Juulsen to Daily Hive a week ago. “They’re always showing little pointers here and there, what we can do, how we can adjust, make a little play here and there.”
2. New personnel
The second factor is the new personnel on the Canucks roster. The team completely overhauled its defence corps over the past 12 months, bringing in Carson Soucy, Ian Cole, Filip Hronek, and now Nikita Zadorov.
In addition, defensively responsible forwards like Teddy Blueger and Pius Suter have been added. All in all, the Canucks have brought in players with strong defensive pedigrees and it has paid off.
3. Better goaltending
Finally, the Canucks goaltending has been exceptionally strong and helped to hide any defensive mistakes that do happen. Thatcher Demko is an early Vezina Trophy candidate and Casey DeSmith has been excellent in relief.
Last season, the Canucks finished 31st in the NHL with a team save percentage of 88.29%. So far this year, they’re second at 91.91%. Demko is healthy and is playing some of his best hockey. DeSmith is playing well enough that the Canucks don’t need to overplay their starter, resulting in impressive goalie play that appears to be sustainable.