After multiple updates and delays dating all the way back to the playoffs last season, Thatcher Demko finally made his much anticipated return to action for the Vancouver Canucks last week. However, it's fair to say it didn't go as planned, or at least as hoped.
Demko allowed four goals on 25 shots, as the Canucks fell 4-3 in overtime to the St. Louis Blues. At the same time, it was tough to be too critical of the goalie, given that this was his first game action since Game 1 of last season's opening round against the Nashville Predators.
However, then came Saturday night's debacle against the Boston Bruins. In arguably the Canucks' worst performance of the 2024-25 campaign, they were humiliated 5-1 in front of their own fans.
Now to be clear this was a failure by the players as a whole, with speculation and concerns about the collective team chemistry and morale. Still, it was tough not to focus on Demko's individual performance, as he allowed five goals on 28 shots.
As The Canucks Way's Jonathan Bailey asked, should the team be worried about last season's Vezina Trophy runner up going forward? Even allowing for it not all being his fault, the optics didn't look good after allowing nine goals in two games and compiling a lowly .830 save percentage.
A positive turn of events
Well, Canucks fans now have something positive to hang their hat on, following Monday night's home contest against the Colorado Avalanche. Yes Kiefer Sherwood deservedly received the majority of the plaudits after the first hat-trick of his NHL career, but Demko also more than played his part in a 3-1 win.
The 29-year-old was awarded the Second Star of the Game and was on course for a shutout, until the Avalanche scored a consolation goal inside the final minute of the third period. However, this didn't take away from an impressive performance which saw him stop 30 of the 31 shots he faced.
Demko was at his best during the second period, with the game delicately poised at 1-0 to the Canucks. The Avalanche were all over the home team with a 9-1 shot advantage in the early stages of the second frame, but the two-time NHL All-Star made several crucial saves to keep the visitors at bay.
The Canucks only finally put the game away courtesy of Sherwood's empty-netter with 2:35 remaining in the contest, to make it 3-0. There's no doubt that this game could have quite easily gone in the other direction, if not for the heroics of Demko between the pipes.
Thankful for a positive result
The San Diego, California native was understandably relieved about finally getting a win on the board. As per Kevin Woodley of NHL.com, he said: "Big one for me. Certainly wouldn't have liked 0-3 my first three back."
Despite being deserving of praise, it speaks volumes that Demko wanted to give credit to the players in front of him. As per Ben Kuzma of The Province, he said: "The PK was great against a skilled unit and we did a good job not letting them set up. Blocking shots is always important and it sucks for those guys. I wear a lot more gear and they’ve got to pony up and I appreciate that."
Make no mistake though, that the rest of the Canucks players, the coaches and the fans, are more than appreciative of what Demko did. It's only one oustanding performance, but it alludes to what he is truly capable of.
Last season was a career year for the 2014 36th overall draft pick, as he went 35-14-2 and produced a .918 save percentage and 2.45 Goals Against Average. If he can return close to this form on a more consistent basis, then the Canucks automatically become a genuine contender come playoff time.