Canucks Talk What Is Adam Foote Hockey? We Don’t Know Yet
Nov 18, 2025
Kevin Woodley, a renowned hockey writer and analyst from NHL.com, joins the conversation to dissect Jiri Patera’s performance and the Canucks' struggling defense. They explore how goaltending masked serious issues during a tough road trip and question the team's identity under Adam Foote. Woodley highlights Vancouver's alarming rate of east-west chances given up, while discussing the shift in offensive strategy since Foote took over. The episode raises critical questions about coaching philosophies and the team's future in the league.
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Patera's Talent Masks Technical Habits
- Jiri Patera shows clear physical tools and highlight-reel saves but still struggles with lateral overflow and post play.
- Kevin Woodley notes those habits were expected to be coached out but remained evident in Patera's NHL return.
Underlying Chances Reveal Defensive Crisis
- The Canucks conceded 38 high-danger chances vs 12 created on a recent three-game road trip, showing a severe imbalance.
- Woodley warns the underlying chance metrics suggest the team should have been outscored heavily despite getting results from goaltending variance.
East‑West Passes Are Vancouver's Weakness
- Vancouver gives up more east-west lateral chances below the hash marks than any NHL team, which are highly dangerous plays.
- Those laterals lead to backdoor and high-probability chances that analytics teams consider more dangerous than breakaways.