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Penalty Shots,
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Standout:
The first Canuck to score on a penalty shot was Andre Boudrias.

Penalty Shots

It's often called "the most exciting play in hockey". One shooter taking the puck from centre ice, moving in on the goalie and taking one shot. A goal can lift a team and start a rally. A save can deflate a team that needs a goal. Either way, it is a momentum swing.

There are a number of infractions that call for a penalty shot. The most common is when a player is checked from behind on a breakaway and denied a quality scoring chance. Other rules are explained briefly in the notes.

Historical notes: Twice in their history, the Canucks have been awarded two penalty shots in a single game. On February 11, 1982 they scored on both attempts in a 4-4 tie in Detroit. On January 5, 2006, the Canucks scored on one of their two shots in a 3-2 win in Chicago. Twice in their history, the Canucks have faced two penalty shots in a single game. On February 6, 2014 Max Pacioretty of the Montreal Canadiens was stopped on both penalty shots (he still recorded a hat trick that game). On December 30, 2014 San Jose scored on one of their two shots, but it was their lone goal of the game. Pavel Bure set an NHL record by scoring three penalty shot goals in a single season (1997-98).

Notes:
The Reason column is determined by the type of infraction that resulted in the penalty shot. Breakaway means a player is fouled (hooked, tripped, etc.) from behind on a breakaway. Puck in Crease means a non-goaltender covered the puck in the crease. Thrown Stick means a player throws or slides his own stick at the puck carrier. Thrown Object is similar, but means a player was called for shooting or throwing something (for example, a piece of someone else's broken stick) at the puck carrier. Delay of Game means a player took a certain type of delay of game penalty in the final two minutes of the third period or in overtime. Consult an official rule book for complete details on these infractions.

The Scores column has three scores. Each score has the Canuck goals, a dash, and the opponent goals. The first set of numbers is the score before the penalty shot is taken. The second set of numbers is the score immediately after the penalty shot. For example a listing of 2-1 / 3-1 means the Canucks were ahead 2-1 when the shot was taken and scored on the shot to make the score 3-1. The final set of numbers is the final score in the game.

Several penalty shots will have a (?) notation. This shows where I am missing information about the specific penalty shot. In some cases, information is provided but there is a (?) afterwards. This shows that information is provided, but may be an estimate. For example, a time of (?) means I don't know when the shot was taken. A time of 16:00(?) 1st means the shot was taken in the first period, but the exact time is unknown. Penalty shots that do not result in goals do not appear on many official game summaries, so information is taken from accounts from the game.

In recent years, penalty shots have become far more common. There were eight penalty shots in Canuck games during the 1970s. Compare that to the eight penalty shots during 2013-14 alone. And here I thought this would be an easy page to keep up-to-date.

Results are listed as "Goal" or "Save". When the player "misses" on his shot (shooting the puck wide, for example), this is still recorded as a "Save". Goals and saves are capitalized when the result is good for the Canucks.

Records up to the end of the 2015-16 season.