Canucks: 3 takeaways from 4-0 Game 6 win over Golden Knights

The Vancouver Canucks forced a decisive Game 7 with a 4-0 win over the Vegas Golden Knights. Thatcher Demko was on a whole different level.

Play I’m Still Standing by Elton John. The Vancouver Canucks are still standing (That’s also the song that plays in the arena after every win). Vancouver beat the Vegas Golden Knights 4-0 in Game 6, ultimately forcing a Game 7 and I can’t believe what I’m writing right now.

The Canucks made sure they put the game away in the third and will play in a Game 7 for the first time since 2011. They were under siege by Vegas at times, but the Canucks zone entries were a bit better than in Game 5 and they spent more time in the offensive zone as well. Their transitions up the ice improved a bit from as well, but above all else, their rookie goaltender was perfect.

Here are three takeaways from the massive victory.

1. Thatcher Demko says no goals for Vegas

Thatcher Demko is becoming quite the story. With Jacob Markstrom dealing with a lower-body issue, likely a groin injury according to TSN 1040’s Rick Dhaliwal, Demko was thrown into the fire for Game 5. He was arguably better in this one.

Demko stopped all 48 shots for the shutout and has made a total of 90 saves, letting in only one goal in the last two games. Not bad for a guy who hasn’t started in months. He improves his save percentage to .990 with his first-ever NHL shutout.

Demko tracked the puck well. He looked focused in goal, and he made even the toughest saves look easy. Just when you thought the Golden Knights scored, Demko was there to keep the puck out. He was making key saves with the glove, blocker, pads, you name it. He was stopping it.

He also gave us this interesting fact. Remember this for trivia night.

Demko also set an NHL playoff record as well. Another to remember for trivia night.

Demko is the biggest reason why the Canucks have forced a sudden-death Game 7.  At the time of this writing, not much has been said about Markstrom’s injury and we are unsure if Demko will get the nod tomorrow, but there is a good chance he does. Especially with the Canucks calling up Jake Kielly. That spells long term trouble for Markstrom if you ask me.

Whoever is in goal to start tomorrow night, Travis Green is confident in whoever starts according to Sportsnet 650’s Brendan Batchelor.

Let’s wait and see.

2. Quinn Hughes continues to impress

Quinn Hughes has had a tough few games in this series. Tough under his standards anyway. The Golden Knights were all over him and he was being contained quite well.

Fortunately, he was back to his old ways. Hughes’ excellent acceleration was on display in this one, and watching him enter the neutral and offensive zones was once again an absolute treat. It really never gets old.

He scored two points in this game. The first was an assist on the J.T. Miller goal early in the third. He used his acceleration to enter the offensive zone, go behind the net, and gave the puck to Miller who buried it passed Robin Lehner who was perfectly screened by Elias Pettersson.

Hughes even got on the score sheet himself later in the period on a four on four. He unleashed this bomb of a shot past Lehner after creating time and space with fewer skaters on the ice (Something that benefits the Canucks versus bigger teams like Vegas).

He was also great on the other end of the ice as he made great defensive plays throughout the game. Travis Green played Hughes for only 17:40. Maybe less is more for No. 43? It obviously gives him more energy to move around and create scoring opportunities in the offensive end.

With the icing on the cake, Hughes also surpassed Colorado’s Cale Makar and Shea Theodore for the playoff lead in points by a defenceman. With 16 and as of now, he holds the record for most points by a rookie defenceman in the playoffs. Did we expect any less from him though?