Getting Shots On Net Continues To Be An Issue For Canucks Defensemen

A concerning trend that has emerged this season for the Vancouver Canucks is defencemen not able to get pucks on the net. While missing the net is not uncommon, Canucks defensemen are having a large amount of their shots blocked, which often results in the puck bouncing out of the offensive zone. The inability to get pucks past opposing forwards has also led to odd-man rushes, as the opposition can catch Vancouver's blue-liners flat-footed and out of position.

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According to MoneyPuck, the Canucks defence has generated 341 shot attempts while at five-on-five. Of those 341 attempts, 126 or 36.9% have been blocked. Below is a look at Vancouver's eight defencemen and their shot attempts stats at five-on-five through 18 games.

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Head Coach Rick Tocchet has even noticed this trend. When asked about shots from the blue line being blocked, Tocchet said, "It's like chess. You got to know what you're gonna do two moves ahead. So when you know you're getting a puck, you got to see what the coverage is. I think sometimes, we catch it, and we're staring down our option instead of moving your feet. You got to change the lane. That's one thing we got to get better defensively, for our forwards going out to the defense. I think we got to block better shots, but it's all about moving your feet and changing angles."

The Canucks defence struggling to get pucks on the net can also be correlated with their lower-than-usual point production. Through 18 games, Vancouver's defence has a combined 40 points, which sits around the middle of the NHL. As for last season, Canucks defenders recorded 208 total points, which ranked third only behind the Colorado Avalanche and the Edmonton Oilers.

While other areas of concern will receive more attention, Vancouver's defence needs to find a way to get more of its shots through traffic and on the net. Right now, the Canucks blue liners are too predictable, which is making it easy for opposing forwards to charge them and block the shot. If this trend isn't sorted out soon, it could create some issues, especially during the playoffs when Vancouver will see the same opponent night after night.