VANCOUVER – How Vancouver Canucks start the new season looking for at least 10 points more than last year, goalkeeper Thatcher Demko playing 53 games instead of 23 is a good start to the search.
His year shortened and devastated by a series of injuries, Demko did not play last season until his 27th game with the Canucks. In December.
On Thursday he was ready for the first game. Demko stopped 17 of 18 shots, including a pair of breakaway saves, to retain possession. Calgary Flames scoreless until the Canucks found their game in the third period and scored four goals over Dustin Wolf for a 5-1 win at Rogers Arena.
After the chaos of last season for the Canucks and a disappointing 90-point finish that left them out of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, Game 1 felt like more than just the first of 82 tests. But it was especially important for 2024 Vezina Trophy runner-up Demko, who spent much of last year trying to heal a knee injury that delayed his start and undermined his performance.
Demko played only 23 times. Thirty more games this season would likely cost him at least five more wins.
“Even this morning I felt pretty good,” Demko told reporters after the game. “You know, I'm just glad to be here. So yeah, I felt good all day, just waiting, wanting to get to the rink and get my gear on.”
“I think the first game is huge…just kind of continuing the momentum (since preseason). And especially (with) the turnover that's happened since last year in our room and in our coaching staff, it's also a testament to the work that everyone put in over the summer and then in camp. Obviously, there are 81 players left.”
“Demmer's game always helps,” smiled Canucks defenseman Tyler Myers when asked about their star goalie's potential to play 53 games instead of 23. “You know, he's a world-class goalie and he always has been since I've been here. So for him to feel like he is, it's really encouraging for our group. He's incredible. It's great to have him behind us.”
It was great on Thursday that the upper center Elias PetterssonAnother player vital to Vancouver's rebounding season emerged unscathed from a dangerous hit by Flames defenseman Mackenzie Weegar in the second period.
It’s great that elegant second-line center Filip Chytil, who said before training camp that he needs to score more goals, “not just play good hockey; no one cares,” opened a nervy game by scoring twice in six minutes early in the second period to make it 3-0 on a beautiful breakaway at 8:53 after he partially blocked a shot and then capitalized on an Arshdeep Baines pass behind the Calgary defense.
Perhaps the biggest highlight for the Canucks was that the team, so cohesive and fired up after a positive pre-season, overcame a nervy first half without allowing a goal, ultimately just stealing the game from the Flames in the third period.
Jonathan Lekkerimaki, off a center pass from Evander Kane, and Brock Boeser also swept past Wolf, last year's Calder Trophy finalist who has had to start this season twice in 25 hours.
Canuck Kiefer Sherwood scored the only goal of the first two periods, surprising Wolf with a strong wrist shot from the right circle that hit the goalie in a hurry at 14:53 of the first period.
“Yeah, it's a good feeling,” Myers said. “At the same time, we know there's a lot more to it. The first game, whether it's a little bit of nerves or whatever, it's definitely more than that. But we also did a lot of good things.”
“We talked about it; it won’t always be perfect,” Pettersson said. “But I think we handled it. So yeah, happy with the win. I mean, I think it builds character (when) we find a way to win, even if it wasn't the best we had.”
It was a game of preseason highs early on, but it quickly ramped up to intensity midway through the season with a pair of shutouts early in the second.
Just 20 seconds into the middle frame, Weegar unbalanced Pettersson with a shoulder check, sending the most expensive player in Canucks history headfirst into the boards.
But with almost the same shot at 4:33, another Vancouver player, Elias Pettersson, a sophomore guard known as “Junior,” catapulted Flame Connor Zary into the boards with a borderline hit.
In both cases, judges Francis Charron and Tom Chmielewski wisely initially imposed large landing fines, allowing them to review the checks. Weegar and Pettersson Jr. had their penalties reduced to two-minute juveniles.
They seemed like the right calls, since not a single blow was struck with malicious intent. But the decision did little to satisfy both teams.
Luckily, both Zari and the original Pettersson remained in the game after receiving medical attention.
“I'm fine,” Pettersson said. “I saw the replay. I don't think it's a dirty shot, just bad timing. I throw (the puck) to Brock and it's a bad fall, so I'm reaching for the puck and then he pushes me. I think I took the hit a little bit with my hand, but I landed sideways. I feel a little tightness in my neck, but it's okay.”
Pettersson expects to play Saturday when the Canucks face the Edmonton Oilers, who remain a perfect 1-0 after an imperfect but hard-fought opener.
The Canucks' power play, so cohesive and dangerous throughout the preseason, struggled to generate quality chances against the Flames. The first block was especially untidy. But penalties from Vancouver, which led the NHL in the final two-thirds of last season, negated Calgary's power play with four chances spanning eight minutes.
During one critical hit in the second period, with the Canucks holding a 1-0 lead, Baynes blocked a pair of tough shots in one half by Flame Matt Coronato.
“Big boy blocks,” Demko said of Baynes, who won a roster spot in the preseason. “I patted him when we came in the room at the second break, and I think everyone else did too. I mean, those are huge blocks, especially in that moment. It's a one-goal game and they're looking to tie the game on the power play, and he comes out and makes two huge shots for us. He's a really smart guy, with a great hockey IQ, and obviously that's why he's there on the PK.”
The Canucks finished with 19 blocked shots, 11 more than the Flames. Vancouver lost 36–27.
Debrus-Pettersson-Beser
Bedort-Pettersson (Jr.)
Blueger, Karlsson, Mancini
