Canucks top prospects of week 18: Gaudette, Palmu, Demko
No. 3 – G Thatcher Demko (Utica Comets, AHL)
The Comets played in three games last week with Thatcher Demko getting the starts in two of them. He went 1-0-1, making a combined 60 saves on 66 shots. The loss was against the Syracuse Crunch, a division rival. Thanks to Demko, he brought the game to a shootout where the Comets ultimately fell.
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With that loss in the rearview mirror, the Comets won two in a row. Richard Bachman played very well in the middle game of the week and Thatcher Demko was tasked with the toughest matchup yet against the formidable Wilkes/Barre-Scranton Penguins.
It was a slugfest in the goal scoring sense, coming down to a game winning goal from Patrick Wiercioch in overtime. The Comets took the game 5-4, putting an exclamation point on that win. Utica holds the second best points percentage in the North Division, keeping Rochester and Syracuse at bay.
The Comets have played well in the last month, despite being hit with injuries. There are so many new faces here on professional tryouts, it becomes increasingly difficult to keep track of the new names.
This was the first week the Comets had to play without their top three contributors in Reid Boucher, Nikolay Goldobin and Philip Holm. Those three were all brought to Vancouver after a sudden outbreak of injuries. Darren Archibald‘s new deal with the Canucks means he will not return to Utica this season.
The Comets are being held with duct tape and glue in the form of veteran forwards and players on tryouts, but they are getting the job done. Their goaltending is carrying them and it’s not the most sustainable way to win, but as the team is depleted, there isn’t another way. Fortunately, a reinforcement is on the way.
The return of Reid Boucher will bolster their forces down the stretch. I’m sure the Canucks will remember to paper Nikolay Goldobin at the deadline so he can join the Comets after Vancouver’s injured players return. Hopefully, that is enough to go on a long run in the Calder Cup playoffs.