Canucks Routed by Oilers in 6-0 Loss, but a Glimmer of Hope From the Youth Line
The Vancouver Canucks’ night against the Edmonton Oilers was, in a word, rough. A 6-0 final score tells part of the story, but the numbers behind the loss paint an even clearer picture of how thoroughly Edmonton controlled the game - and where, if anywhere, Vancouver found a silver lining.
Let’s start with the obvious: Edmonton dominated. The Oilers came out flying, and by the time the first two periods were in the books, the Canucks were buried. It wasn’t until the third period that Vancouver started to show any signs of life, and even then, it was far too little, far too late.
In the final frame, the Canucks actually out-chanced the Oilers 13-12 and outshot them 15-9. That’s something, but when you factor in the first and second periods - which were lopsided in Edmonton’s favor - the full-game scoring chances landed at 43-29 for the Oilers. That’s a wide margin, and it reflects just how much of the game was played on Edmonton’s terms.
The heatmap from Natural Stat Trick tells a similar story. Edmonton generated a high concentration of dangerous chances right in front of the net - the kind of prime scoring areas that make goaltenders sweat.
Vancouver, meanwhile, had some moderate pressure near the crease, but not much else. The Oilers were breaking into the offensive zone with speed and finishing off the rush.
Vancouver struggled to contain it.
But even in a blowout, there are always a few performances worth spotlighting - and for the Canucks, that came from a line that’s quickly becoming one to watch.
The trio of Linus Karlsson, Arshdeep Bains, and Max Sasson - dubbed the “Calder Cup line” after their time together in the AHL - gave the Canucks a rare bright spot. In just 6:40 of ice time together, they posted a team-high Corsi For percentage (CF%) of 83.3% and generated seven scoring chances while allowing just one. That’s impressive, especially considering the context of the game.
Individually, they were just as solid. Karlsson led the team with a CF% of 78.95%, followed closely by Bains at 76.47% and Sasson at 75%.
When it came to expected goals-for percentage (xGF%), Bains again led the way at 89.04%, with Karlsson at 88.28% and Sasson at 78.76%. Those numbers don’t just stand out in a bad game - they’d stand out in a good one, too.
The Canucks’ next game carries some historical weight. With this loss, they’ve now matched the longest losing streak in franchise history at 10 games.
One more defeat - against the New York Islanders on Monday night - would set a new, unwanted record for the most consecutive losses in club history. Puck drops at 7:00 p.m.
PT.
So while the scoreboard was ugly, and the team as a whole is clearly in a deep rut, the emergence of a young, hungry line offers at least a hint of optimism. If Karlsson, Bains, and Sasson can continue to build on this chemistry, they might give Vancouver something to build around as they look to climb out of this spiral.