Demko not far from Vezina form already for Vancouver Canucks

Posted on

The Vancouver Canucks just lost their first-ever NHL game in Utah, but does it really matter?

There were concerning aspects of their effort on Wednesday night, including a slow first period and a blown two-goal lead in the third period.

But, this is also a team with just nine regulation losses in 31 games. And most importantly, Thatcher Demko is absolutely looking like his old self.

The Vezina Trophy runner-up from last season is performing at an elite level after making his long-awaited return to the Canucks lineup. It’s early, but through four starts this season, Demko is rocking a .940 save percentage at even strength, good enough for fifth overall in the NHL.

demko even strength save percentage

NaturalStatTrick.com

Canucks fans who have watched all four of his starts aren’t fooled by his 1-1-2 record, nor the fact that he allowed nine goals in his first two starts.

In all four of his starts the Canucks have been outshot. He’s had to make a number of highlight-reel saves, and the game in Utah was no different.

The fact that the Canucks now have Demko paired up with one of the NHL’s best bargains in Kevin Lankinen gives them one of the most dangerous goaltending duos in the NHL.

Lankinen is tied for fifth overall in the NHL with 14 wins. He’s also tied for the NHL lead with three shutouts. At even strength, his save percentage of .920 ranks 17th overall.

This season, the Canucks still rank 19th league-wide with a .910 even-strength save percentage. However, if you exclude the Silovs starts and include just games played by Lankinen and Demko, their even-strength save percentage shoots all the way up to eighth-best (.923).

Of the teams ahead of them, the only squad that boasts two top-20 goaltenders in terms of even-strength save percentage is the Toronto Maple Leafs with Anthony Stolarz and Joseph Woll. Stolarz is now out with injury, meaning there’s a strong argument that the Canucks might have the league’s best goaltending tandem moving forward.

Regardless, this flawed Canucks team does have a pretty high floor, and that floor has been given another boost thanks to Demko’s return to the lineup.

Canucks have Joshua returning to form

This calendar year has been a roller coaster for Dakota Joshua.

There were the highs of scoring some of the biggest goals of his life for the Canucks in last year’s playoffs. Then, he was diagnosed with testicular cancer, missed training camp and the first month of the season.

No one could fault him for taking some time to round back into form, but he’s getting there.

During Joshua’s first eight games of the season, he was on the ice for nine goals against. He’s only been on the ice for one goal against in his last nine games, which unfortunately came tonight when Clayton Keller scored.

However, the speed, tenacity and strong defensive awareness that Joshua brings are becoming more apparent. Oh, and the offence is coming too.

Joshua now has two goals in his last six games after going scoreless in his first 11 after returning. He scored his prettiest goal of the season in Salt Lake City.

“It was nice to see that one go in,” Joshua told Sportsnet’s Dan Murphy post-game. “I gotta do more of that.”

That goal gave the Canucks a 2-0 lead early in the third period. For last year’s Canucks, that lead might have been insurmountable. However, they coughed up the lead in this one before losing 3-2 during a thrilling overtime.

“It’s tough to let that one slip away,” Joshua said. “They were on us early but we started to get it going in the second. But, we started to fall apart in the third.”

“We gotta lock these games down,” Canucks head coach Rick Tocchet told reporters. “It’s 2-0. You gotta stay with it. Every game is a learning lesson.”

Source

Related Posts