When we think of dominant, playoff performers, one name has emerged given his undeniable effectiveness and absurd stats, Brock Boeser of the Vancouver Canucks. As the Canucks second round 2024 NHL Stanley Cup playoffs series versus the Edmonton Oilers hit the pivotal game three, tied at 1-1, one usual suspect came alive, Boeser. In game three, Boeser had two goals and an assist before the first period intermission horn sounded. The Canucks squad a held 3-1 advantage at the time. Let’s take a look at Brock Boeser’s playoffs stats and see why he’s such a dynamic force. This fact is especially so when the post-season begins.
Brock Boeser Is So Much More Than His Stats
Forget Brock Boeser’s stats for a second, and just consider his attributes. He’s physically strong, always sound positionally, and has a hard, accurate shot. Yes, sounds like a playoff warrior. One that the Edmonton Oilers will need to find an answer for as the series heads to game four. Vancouver did a great job of stealing back the home field advantage in the series.
The Lotto Line
It shouldn’t be a huge surprise given Brock Boeser makes up a part of the infamous Lotto line. The line moniker is a play on the numbers of the players on it. Boeser (6), Elias Pettersson (40), and J.T. Miller (9), don’t always play together, but as you can imagine, given their reputation as top-flight NHLers, the line can dominate when it does at times. However, in 2023-24 they never built much momentum as a unit at even strength. According to moneypuck, in 123.9 minutes on ice together, they managed a poor standing of 37.5 xGoals%. Despite this stat, they do hook up on the power play quite often.
Brock Boeser’s Stats from the Regular Season
Looking back at Brock Boeser’s stats from the regular season, he did quite well. In 81 games played, he had 40 goals and 33 assists, supported by an elite 19.6 shooting percentage. A guy you might have heard of only had 18.7 S% on the year (Auston Matthews). Furthermore, for Boeser, his 40 goals eclipsed his previous career best. In 2017-18 he had 29 goals in 62 games played. In contrast, the major noteworthy stats, come from Brock Boeser’s playoff performances.
A Repeated History of Playoff Prowess for Boeser
Even back in 2019-20, he had some clutch goals for the Vancouver Canucks improbable playoff run that year. As a 22-year-old, Boeser had four goals and seven assists through 17 playoff games. That year the playoff statistics included the extra, qualification round. Now, fast-forward to this year’s playoffs, Boeser has established himself as a big time playoff performer. He has matched those playoff points totals already. Through nine games, he has seven goals and 11 points. That includes a hat trick in game four of the round one series against the Nashville Predators. This is all the while playing big minutes at 20:30 a night. He’s definitely someone Head Coach Rick Tocchet can rely on to contain the Oilers explosive offensive attack.
What Does this Mean for the Series vs the Oilers
If the Canucks are going to stay ahead and ultimately win this and future series, Boeser will be a huge factor. His consistency, and abilities make him a hugely valuable playoff asset.
Some additional lineup news and notes for the Canucks popped up in game three. Linus Karlsson made his NHL playoff debut in game three. Coming in, he only had four regular games of NHL experience prior to tonight’s contest. He didn’t seem overwhelmed by the pressure and you could see it in his play. He did have a couple shot attempts. Also, Nils Aman stayed in the lineup last night. So, who’s injured? It seems a case of Tocchet pressing the right buttons, but Nils Hoglander drew out of game three’s lineup. Also, Phillip Di Giuseppe was out, but his status is a bit more unknown going forward.
Main photo credit: Perry Nelson – USA Today Sports
