Vancouver Canucks goaltender Thatcher Demko has been ruled out for Game 2 and potentially the series. This is unrelated to his prior knee injury that sidelined him for five weeks from March 10th to April 15th. This report came earlier today when Canucks head coach Rick Tocchet addressed the media.
Tocchet on Demko:
https://gty.im/2149748288
According to NHL.com’s Kevin Woodley, Tocchet said, “We’re going to evaluate him today on something. It wasn’t the old injury and that’s all I really got for you guys. It’s a day-to-day thing.” This is a huge blow to the Canucks as Thatcher Demko is one of their greatest assets.
Demko’s 2024 Stats:
https://gty.im/1250844756
Demko has been great for Vancouver when it comes to the playoffs as he has a 3-1 record, a .974 save%, and a 0.97 GAA. His game 1 appearance was spectacular as well as he stopped 22 of 24 shots, including a jaw-dropping split save against Nashville’s Anthony Beauvillier. The 4-2 victory came in only his third game back from injury.
Demko’s 35-14-2 record in the regular season was the 5th best all-time regular season record for goalies in Canucks’ history. His .918 save % ranked 2nd best for goalies who play 40 or more games this year.
Who Mans Canucks Net Now?:
https://gty.im/2147789722
Canucks will have to lean on their backup Casey DeSmith in the meantime. The ex-Penguins goaltender, who was involved in the Erik Karlsson trade to Pittsburgh, has been a solid backup for Vancouver this season. A 12-9-6 record, .896 save %, and 2.89 GAA is how DeSmith’s season panned out in 2024.
Although his 2024 stats aren’t too flashy, his one playoff-game appearance in 2022 was. Before going down with an upper-body injury in overtime against the New York Rangers, DeSmith made 48 shots and 51 saves in Game 1. Although Pittsburgh won in overtime, the win went to backup Louis Domingue instead.
The backup to DeSmith will be Arturs Silovs, a 23-year-old from Latvia. Silovs only played 4 games this year for Vancouver going 3-0-1 with a .881 save % and a 2.47 GAA. Silovs’ AHL record with the Abbotsford Canucks was solid with 16 wins in 34 games, a .907 save %, and a 2.74 GAA.
This could be a major turning point in this series. No matter if Vancouver wins or loses this series, Casey DeSmith will be the determining factor for the outcome.
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About the author: Trevor Poetzinger is a senior at Western Michigan University studying journalism in hopes of becoming a sports journalist. Poetzinger is a big Chicago sports fan, with the Blackhawks and White Sox as his favorites. Poetzinger also loves talking about anything hockey and baseball-related, whether it’s the pros, semi-pros, or college.
