The Canuck Way
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Canucks: 3 takeaways from 2-1 win over Montreal

By Zaahid Lalani

MONTREAL, QC - NOVEMBER 29: Bo Horvat #53 of the Vancouver Canucks and Ben Chiarot #8 of the Montreal Canadiens battle for position during the first period at Centre Bell on November 29, 2021 in Montreal, Canada. (Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images)
MONTREAL, QC - NOVEMBER 29: Bo Horvat #53 of the Vancouver Canucks and Ben Chiarot #8 of the Montreal Canadiens battle for position during the first period at Centre Bell on November 29, 2021 in Montreal, Canada. (Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images) /
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Demko saves the day

MONTREAL, QC – NOVEMBER 29: Goaltender Thatcher Demko #35 of the Vancouver Canucks gets the stick up to make a save. (Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images)
MONTREAL, QC – NOVEMBER 29: Goaltender Thatcher Demko #35 of the Vancouver Canucks gets the stick up to make a save. (Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images) /

We’ve said it before, and we’ll definitely say it again: Thatcher Demko has been Vancouver’s MVP this season.

The 25-year-old entered Monday’s contest on a three-game losing streak dating back to his team’s 1-0 loss to Chicago on November 21st, and was desperately looking to improve his overall record on the year.

Fortunately for Demko, his teammates decided to show up for large parts of the total 60 minutes, providing enough offensive support to land Demko his seventh win of the season.

However, like we’ve seen far too often, the team also needed Demko to bail them out every so often.

After registering 12 shots in the first half of the period, Vancouver decided to hit the snooze button, coughing up the puck at their own blueline and stringing together poor passes for the latter half of the opening frame.

As a result, Montreal was able to throw nine consecutive shots at Demko, including Ryan Poehling’s deflection that beat the netminder with just under 90 seconds left before the first intermission.

Vancouver was able to regain their form in the second period, limiting Montreal’s scoring chances while also registering 22 shots of their own, but they reverted back to their old ways in the third period, forcing Demko to once again be sharp between the pipes.

Montreal fired 12 more shots in the final frame, including four attempts on two separate powerplays, but Demko was up to the task. The San Diego native also provided us with yet another highlight-reel save in the final few minutes, absolutely robbing Ben Chiarot with a miraculous kick save.

There’s no doubt that the Canucks put up a better effort on Monday night, especially considering they had played just 24 hours prior, but they could’ve easily met the same fate that they did in Boston had it not been for Demko’s heroics.

In Demko we trust.

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