Blocking shots is like killing rats; it’s good but you’d rather not do it at all<\/p>\n
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Published Mar 31, 2026 \u00a0\u2022\u00a0 Last updated 3\u00a0minutes ago \u00a0\u2022\u00a0 3 minute read<\/p>\n
<\/a><\/p>\n You can save this article by registering for free here<\/a>. Or sign-in<\/a> if you have an account.<\/p>\n If you want to understand how badly this season has gone for the Vancouver Canucks<\/a>, look no further than the record Elias Pettersson<\/a> may set by the time his team has played out its remaining nine games.<\/p>\n Advertisement 2<\/p>\n This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY<\/p>\n Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.<\/p>\n Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. 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Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events.Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account.The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword.Support local journalism.<\/p>\n REGISTER \/ SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES<\/p>\n Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.<\/p>\n Access articles from across Canada with one account.Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments.Enjoy additional articles per month.Get email updates from your favourite authors.<\/p>\n THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK.<\/p>\n Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.<\/p>\n Access articles from across Canada with one accountShare your thoughts and join the conversation in the commentsEnjoy additional articles per monthGet email updates from your favourite authorsSign In or Create an Account<\/p>\n or<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n On Monday in Las Vegas, Pettersson, the Canucks\u2019 notional No. 1 centre, blocked his 100th shot of the season.<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n The NHL record for most blocks in a season by a forward is 113, set by Alex Tuch last season with Buffalo.<\/p>\n To re-count the old line from now-occasional hockey writer Kent Wilson: \u201cBlocking shots is like killing rats. Doing it is preferable to not, but if you\u2019re doing it all the time it suggests you have bigger problems.\u201d<\/p>\n That is, stopping the puck from getting to the net is good, but really you\u2019d rather just have the puck on your stick.<\/p>\n And in Pettersson\u2019s case, this is especially true. So much of why this season has gone badly for the Canucks is because Pettersson, and the team\u2019s other more talented puck movers and shooters, have not had the puck on their stick often enough.<\/p>\n This is both because of individual poor play, but also more broadly, because of how the team has been setup to fail.<\/p>\n For a start, what is plain as day is the way the team has been asked to play has not worked. Whereas former head coach Rick Tocchet<\/a> asked his team to sit in the middle and defend the guts of the ice, as he liked to call it, present coach Adam Foote has asked his defenders to get right at the opposition, to stop them in their tracks before they can try attacking the net.<\/p>\n Canucks Report<\/p>\n Thanks for signing up!<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n Advertisement 3<\/p>\n This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n Tocchet wanted a shell, but also the ability to shift quickly to a breakout. Foote simply wanted to bury the opposition away from the net, to take away opportunity before it even developed.<\/p>\n The Canucks under Tocchet were not world beaters \u2014 they were simply middle of the pack defensively. Under Foote, though, they are the league\u2019s worst defensive team. Anyone watching them can see this.<\/p>\n The numbers back this up. While their shot-attempts against has gone up compared to last year, the shot quality is the real story. According to Natural Stat Trick\u2019s expected-goals model, nearly every single Canucks regular last year would have a better expected-goals against rate than every Canucks player this season. (Expected-goals is the measure of how likely every shot taken in a game is to end up as a goal, based on the data of shots taken from that spot taken since 2007.)<\/p>\n That\u2019s a staggering collapse defensively.<\/p>\n But on top of this, there has been some very poor play from individuals. The Canucks have struggled to attack when they have had the puck.<\/p>\n Advertisement 4<\/p>\n This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n No one has been more disappointing in this regard than Pettersson. He has shown flashes of his old self, which almost makes this all worse. Before his stunning offensive collapse in the second half of the 2023-24 season, he was a player who pushed the tempo with his skating, even if it wasn\u2019t graceful. He was a player who consistently fired the puck from good shooting spots, keeping goalies and defenders honest.<\/p>\n He no longer plays like that. Too often, he is caught up in traffic with no plan. Rarely does he find ways to unleash his shot, and when he does, it struggles for power.<\/p>\n That he is still a hard-working, diligent defensive player is good, but that\u2019s not what the money is for. He is paid very well to post points.<\/p>\n And whether that\u2019s because he is broken as an individual player or whether he is stuck in a system that does him no favours, the fact that he\u2019s done so well blocking shots while struggling to lead offensively is, in the end, actually a generous descriptor of the season.<\/p>\n The Canucks haven\u2019t defended well, and they haven\u2019t scored well. That\u2019s why they are last in the league, looking down a path that screams rebuild.<\/p>\n Next year, let\u2019s just hope they have the puck on their stick more.<\/p>\n pjohnston@postmedia.com<\/a><\/p>\n Read More<\/p>\n Canucks Coffee: Why Evander Kane sees a future transition to NHL management<\/p>\n![\"Pettersson\"](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/0401-col-canucks-1.jpg\")
Elias Pettersson attempts to block a shot against the Leafs. Photo by Claus Andersen \/Getty ImagesArticle content<\/p>\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/dcs-static.gprod.postmedia.digital\/20.9.1\/websites\/images\/identity\/logo-identity-vp.svg\"){kind=logo}
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