Demko shines as Canucks win third straight: 'I kind of needed that one'
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Vancouver Canucks goaltender Thatcher Demko described Wednesday's 3-1 win over the Nashville Predators as "needed" for him after losses in his previous two starts.
Demko turned aside 31 of the 32 shots he faced against the Predators, picking up his first win since Jan. 18 and improving his record to 4-5-3 on the season.
Head coach Rick Tocchet elected to turn to Demko over former Predator Kevin Lankinen, who has been a revelation for the Canucks after signing late in the off-season, owning an 18-8-6 record.
“He’s a world-class goalie,” Tocchet said of Demko. “I have a ton of confidence in the guy and that’s why we started him tonight. He was awesome.”
After missing time early in the season from a knee injury that lingered from the 2024 playoffs, Demko has struggled to find his previous form. He has a .877 save percentage and a 3.27 goals-against average this season, well off from his career marks of a .910 save percentage and a 2.82 GAA.
Likewise, the Canucks have struggled alongside him, fighting to stay in the wild-card race in the Western Conference after winning the Pacific Division a year ago. Wednesday's victory marked the first three-game win streak for the Canucks since early November.
“We’ve been fighting for that consistency and getting three (wins) in a row is huge,” Demko said. “I kind of needed that one. It felt good to be on the winning side and I feel a little bit like myself again. A lot of build off.”
The win over the Predators lifted the Canucks over the Calgary Flames into the final wild-card spot, though Calgary could reclaim the spot with a win Thursday over the Anaheim Ducks.
Vancouver's win streak has continued despite the ongoing trade rumours and drama surrounding centres J.T. Miller and Elias Pettersson. Canucks president Jim Rutherford confirmed the rift between the two players earlier this week, stating "it certainly appears like there’s not a good solution that would keep this group together.”
Both Miller and Pettersson posted an assist in Wednesday's victory.
“Each individual just has to bring his game, and collectively as a group, rely on each other,” Tocchet added. “There’s a lot of noise and packs of positive people can overcome a lot of outside stuff.”
The Canucks will try for their second four-game win streak of the season on Friday against the Dallas Stars.