1. Pettersson Catches A Break
As of late, Pettersson’s play has left the fanbase a little divided to say the least, with some fans getting impatient and others holding onto the belief for the young Swede.
Since the New Year, Petey hadn’t scored a single point and, with the frustrating start to their road trip, it looked like he was far from getting out of this tough stretch.
We will not be screaming “HE IS BACK!” from the mountain tops just yet, but his gameplay was a serious throwback to what we really know and love of Pettersson.
I legit saw the monkey come off of Pettersson’s back
— Dan Riccio (@danriccio_) January 16, 2022
The patience on the first goal, the creativity on the second, and the fast puck movement on the powerplay made him a real difference-maker in this game.
Pettersson took just four shots but still got a chance for a hattrick late in the third period, which he unfortunately failed to take advantage of. Despite the missed opportunity, Pettersson still knows that he’s on the cusp of breaking through.
“I know what I’m capable of,” says Elias Pettersson. #Canucks
— Thomas Drance (@ThomasDrance) January 16, 2022
Even Boudreau chimed in with praise.
Boudreau on Pettersson breaking through: "We don't have a lot of natural scorers on the team so him starting to score, hopefully that's not an anomaly"
— Harman Dayal (@harmandayal2) January 16, 2022
Petey has never necessarily lacked confidence, so a statement like this is a good sign for the young superstar.
2. Back-To-Back starts? No problem for Demko
Demko played well the whole game, looked focused, sharp, and ready for action from the start of the game.
That wasn’t the original plan.
Just hours before puck drop, the team announced that Jaroslav Halak, who was the expected starter, was placed on the team’s COVID-19 protocol list, forcing Demko between the pipes for the second consecutive day.
Transactions: Canucks announce that Jaroslav Halak has been placed into the NHL’s COVID-19 protocol and Spencer Martin has been recalled from the taxi squad.
— Canucks PR (@CanucksPR) January 15, 2022
only conceding when his team was on the penalty kill.
Demko made 31 saves en route to his team’s win, while also reaching a milestone of his own.
Demko became just the second drafted goalie in franchise history to play 103 games, behind Glen Hanlon who played 136 as a Canucks draftee.
His impact was unmissable as he made save after save when the Capitals held more of the puck, including a big breakaway save on Nic Dowd in the second period to allow the Canucks to maintain their lead.
Sprong in alone
— Jeff Paterson (@patersonjeff) January 16, 2022
Ovechkin shot on 2 on 1
Ovechkin shot on 3 on 1
Dowd fumbled breakaway
*saves Demko made in that period to preserve #Canucks lead at 2-1
It also helped that Demko’s teammates finally provided him with some goals on the other end of his ice.
With the team not playing until Tuesday in Nashville, it would not be a huge surprise if Demko played once more to help his team secure one more victory on the road.