The Vancouver Canucks are off to a hot start this season, but fans at home games haven’t had much to cheer for.
The team has one of the best road records in the NHL at 5-1-0, but they haven’t been able to replicate that same success at Rogers Arena. The club is just 1-1-3 in front of their home crowd, a pitiful record that is among the league’s worst.
The Canucks blew a three-goal lead late in their home opener to the Calgary Flames, setting the stage for what’s been a run of disappointing performances at Rogers Arena.
Some other lowlights from home games this year include the worst shutout loss on home ice since 2006, blowing another third-period lead to the Philadelphia Flyers, and being thoroughly outclassed by the Carolina Hurricanes.
If it weren’t for the loser point gifted to teams who make it to overtime, the Canucks performance on home ice would be downright disastrous.
While the Canucks have not given fans at home games much to cheer about, the team has actually started quite strongly.
Their home struggles are in stark contrast to their road performances, which include an overtime win over the defending Stanley Cup champions, a buzzer-beater with 20 seconds left to win over the San Jose Sharks, and a six-goal effort in Chicago.
They rank fourth in the Western Conference and eighth in the NHL by points percentage. The organization’s success has been buoyed by its near-perfect road play.
Western Conference standings/NHL.com
The struggles on home ice are a new issue for the Canucks, as they went 27-9-5 at Rogers Arena last season. While it’s still early in the season, it’s something to clean up as they get deeper into their schedule.
The team’s next homestand features games against tough teams like the Edmonton Oilers and New York Rangers. Those opponents will mark a big test as the Canucks attempt to figure things out at Rogers Arena.