The Vancouver Canucks arrived in Ottawa to kick-off a four-game road trip against the Senators. With a valuable two points up for grabs, the Canucks would have to find a way to win another game without Elias Pettersson in the lineup.
The 22-year-old’s health remains in question. Coming into the contest, he’d already missed five games, and with him not joining his team on the road, it’s likely he misses at least another four. Not having your star player available is never a good thing, but surprisingly enough, Vancouver has played their best hockey of the season with him out of the lineup.
That was definitely not the case on Monday night. But despite coming out flat-footed and being outplayed by the Senators for the majority of the matchup, the Canucks were able to sneak out a victory, although it nearly slipped right through their fingers. Here are three takeaways from the Canucks 3-2 overtime win against the up-and-coming Sens.
People love The Demko Show
If he hadn’t gained your confidence before tonight, he sure has now. Thatcher Demko had himself another solid game. I know, I know… What else is new, right? But it’s the truth! When all was said and done, the Canucks newly acclaimed No.1 goaltender led his team to victory stopping 44 of 46 shots and posting a fantastic 0.957 save percentage.
It was a season-high in terms of saves, and it definitely helped cushion his NHL lead in both shots against (709) and total saves (652). No doubt about it, the 24-year-old goalie is playing to the best of his ability, and he’s giving the Canucks hope of potentially making the 2021 NHL Playoffs.
Throughout the contest, Demko made more than a handful of quality stops that kept his team alive. He was by far the best player on the ice for the Canucks, and if it wasn’t for him bringing his A-game, Vancouver would have lost. Check out this big pad save against a rushing Brady Tkachuk. An absolute game-changer.
🔥 Kick. Pad. Save. 🔥 pic.twitter.com/pnvBHdNG99
— Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks) March 16, 2021
Here’s another big save by the Vancouver netminder. A confident glove stop while his opponent gets a quality scoring chance off the rush in a high-danger area. No sweat for Demko.
https://twitter.com/Canucks/status/1371632863511126016
To say the least, Demko was lights out once again, just like he has been for the past month or so. It was a remarkable performance for the San Diego native, but for him, it was just another game and another two points for his team.
“I thought our third period was pretty solid actually […] ultimately we got two points which is all that matters,” said Demko post-game.