Penalty Kill Continues To Be A Bright Spot For The Canucks During The 2024 Pre-Season

Despite the roster changing on a nightly basis, one thing that has stayed consistent through the first four games of the pre-season is the Vancouver Canucks penalty kill. Heading into Monday night's showdown with the Edmonton Oilers, the Canucks have gone 12 for 12 on the penalty kill and are one of four teams that have yet to give up a power play goal against. While pre-season success does not automatically translate to the regular season, the fact that Vancouver has been so successful on the penalty kill shows that everyone is buying into the system, regardless of their position in the organization.

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Before diving into the analytics, it is important to note that there is some missing data since it is the pre-season. A good example of this is that Natural Stat Trick does not have any data from the Canucks game in Abbotsford versus the Calgary Flames, as statistics, including time on ice, faceoffs and hits, were not being tracked by the NHL. Regardless, there is enough data from the other three games that can be used to show just how strong Vancouver has been through the pre-season up to this point.

According to Natural Stat Trick, in the three games where data is available, the Canucks have been shorthanded for 19:11. During that time, the team has allowed nine shots on goal, with only two high-danger chances against. Vancouver has also been able to generate some chances while shorthanded, recording five shots on goal, with one high-danger chance over those 19+ minutes. Ultimately, the Canucks have done a great job of getting bodies and sticks in shooting and passing lanes, which has led to easy saves for goaltenders or zone clears.

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When comparing Vancouver to the rest of the league, the Canucks rank first or second in most categories. They have the lowest expected goals against per 60 at 2.19, as well as shots against per 60 at 28.15. Vancouver also ranks second in scoring chances against per 60 at 15.64 and high-danger chances against per 60 at  6.26, with only the Carolina Hurricanes having better numbers.

As mentioned, it is only the pre-season, but these types of results are important heading into the regular season. The results also show that the Canucks have a variety of players that can play on the penalty kill, meaning they won't need to rely so heavily on their stars this year. Looking to build off a 79.1% efficiency rate from 2023-24, Vancouver has the pieces to become a top-ten penalty-killing team in the NHL.