Canucks lose to Sharks despite turning in solid effort
The fear of overplaying Markstrom
When Michael DiPietro got called up after it was revealed that Thatcher Demko was out with a concussion, I speculated on Twitter that it may be in the Canucks’ best interest to give DiPietro a start on one of these back-to-back road trips, in order to keep Markstrom fresh.
After the 43 save shutout he turned in against the Carolina Hurricanes on Thursday night, it was clear that Markstrom was going to get the start last night against the Sharks.
When the Pacific Division is as close as it is right now, (just six points separate the first place Coyotes and the fifth-place Canucks), getting two points are absolutely crucial. It’s no secret Markstrom gives the Canucks a better chance at winning than DiPietro does, but the worst-case scenario would certainly be the Canucks’ being forced to play the 20-year-old goaltender in the event Markstrom goes down with an injury.
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Last night, at the start of the second period, the Hockey Night in Canada broadcast pointed out something that could have easily been missed. After sliding across his crease in an attempt to make a save on Tomas Hertl‘s first period goal, Markstrom appeared to tweak something in his leg.
Markstrom stayed down for about 10 seconds but was able to continue and finish the rest of the game. While that’s all fine and dandy, it’s important to remember that the Canucks are one injury to Markstrom away from being in a very, very bad situation.
43 saves on Thursday night and 23 saves last night can easily take their toll on a goaltender. With a busy week coming up to kick off a five game homestand, the Canucks will want their number one goaltender healthy and ready to lead them to victory.
Markstrom said he’ll be ready to go tonight vs. Vegas if called upon. We’ll have to wait and see what head coach Travis Green and his staff decide on.