The Vancouver Canucks continued one of their worst seasons in a long time on Saturday, falling 6-0 to the Edmonton Oilers and stretching their losing streak to 10 games. They are now tied with the 1997-98 Canucks, who lost 10 in a row from Oct. 23 to Nov. 11. If they lose to the New York Islanders on Monday, they will set a new franchise record at 11 games.
Related: Canucks News & Rumours: Boeser, Lankinen & Road Woes Continue
It hasn’t been pretty since their last win on Dec. 29, so let’s make it worse by diving into the numbers from this nearly historic losing streak.
Only 2 Points Earned on 6-Game Road Trip
Before their latest trip through the Eastern Conference, the Canucks had their road record to hang their hat on. Twelve of their 16 wins came away from Rogers Arena, and they held a decent 12-8-2 record. Now that has fallen below .500 at 12-14-2 after six straight losses. They are now in Vancouver for an eight-game homestand, during which they have only achieved four victories in 20 games.
Outscored 45-17, 6 Times Allowing 5 or More
Not only have the Canucks lost 10 games in a row, but they have also bled goals and struggled to score. Overall, they have been outscored 45-17 and allowed five or more in six games. In terms of offence, they have also been held to two or fewer in five games, along with being shut out on consecutive national broadcasts on Hockey Night in Canada against the Oilers and Toronto Maple Leafs.
Penalty Kill Running at 56.5 Percent
The Canucks’ penalty killing has been an issue all season, not just during this losing streak. As of this writing, they are 30th at 72.1 percent, behind only the Ottawa Senators and Seattle Kraken. However, this last 10-game stretch has been particularly bad, as they are only killing penalties at a 56.5 percent clip. They have faced 23 power plays and only killed 13 of them, allowing two or more goals in three games, and have shut out the opposition only three times.
161 High-Danger Chances, But Only 9 Goals
If the Canucks had more finish in their game, they probably wouldn’t be mired in this losing streak. Since their last win on Dec. 29, they have generated 161 high-danger chances – the most in the league during that stretch – but only have a measly nine goals to show for it. Scoring chances in general have been plentiful as well, with 326, but only 17 goals.
Whether it’s a lack of talent, facing hot goaltenders, or simply not having luck on their side (or a combination of all three), it’s pretty crazy that they haven’t scored more with the number of chances they’ve had.
45.7 Percent on Faceoffs
There was a time when the Canucks were one of the best faceoff teams in the league. But that was when they could deploy either Bo Horvat, JT Miller or Elias Lindholm, who won faceoffs at a 60 percent or better clip. During this losing streak, Aatu Raty is a decent 56.1 percent, but he’s the only one above 50 percent. Faceoff losses have also led directly to goals against, specifically against the Senators, where Artem Zub and Jordan Spence scored after David Kampf and Max Sasson lost draws in their own zone.
Pettersson & DeBrusk Combine for 7 Goals; Boeser & Kane Only 2
The Canucks’ offence has sputtered for most of this losing streak, but there was at least one positive: Elias Pettersson and Jake DeBrusk have been scoring. Pettersson leads the team in goals with four and points with six, and DeBrusk is not far behind him with three goals and five points.
At the other end of the spectrum, however, are Brock Boeser and Evander Kane. They have only two goals between them, and Boeser just busted a 22-game slump when he scored against the Senators in a 2-1 loss. For players making $7.25 and $5.125 million, respectively, that’s just not good enough, and one of the many reasons why the Canucks are on a 10-game slide.
Myers, Boeser & Kane: Combined Minus-37
Plus/minus is an imperfect stat, but being among the league leaders in the minus category is still a bad look. That’s where Boeser, Kane, and Tyler Myers find themselves, with Boeser leading the way at minus-29. Looking specifically at this losing streak, they are a combined minus-37, the three worst players in the league since Dec. 30.
These aren’t rookies still learning how to play in the NHL; these are veterans with a combined 2,691 games of experience. They should not be leading in this stat, no matter how imperfect it may be. It still means they were on the ice when 37 pucks were being put behind their goaltender.
Losing Streak Could Hit Historic Levels During Homestand
The Canucks began their longest homestand of the season on Saturday with an embarrassing 6-0 loss. The last time fans left Rogers Arena happy was on Dec. 6 against the Minnesota Wild, when Quinn Hughes was still wearing the Orca. Since then, they have lost seven in a row and are still stuck on four wins on the season. It’s likely to get worse, too, as all seven remaining opponents are either in a playoff spot or within striking distance of one. I hate to say it, but we might be looking at a 17-game losing streak by the time Feb. 1 comes around.
