Elias Pettersson and Nils Hoglander have returned to Vancouver for evaluation after being injured Saturday against the New York Rangers. They will miss rest of six-game trip.
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Thatcher Demko #35 of the Vancouver Canucks looks on during the second period against the Seattle Kraken at Climate Pledge Arena on January 02, 2025 in Seattle, Washington. Photo by Steph Chambers /Getty Images
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The latest: Thatcher Demko is finally back.
The Vancouver Canucks starting goaltender had a full practice Sunday after being sidelined with a Feb. 8 injury and prolonged rehab that placed him on the sidelines for 15 games. The practice went so well, and he felt so good, that he was taken off injury reserve and is getting the nod to face the New Jersey Devils tonight.
“He’s a world-class goalie and he’s had some bad luck,” Canucks head coach Rick Tocchet said in his pre-game address. “He’s put a good base together and is itching to go.”
Tocchet also said Elias Pettersson and Nils Hoglander have returned to Vancouver for injury evaluation after sustaining ailments Saturday against the New York Rangers. They will miss the rest of the road trip.
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Demko is dialled in to help keep his club’s perilous playoff chase from becoming more daunting. The timing couldn’t be better.
With Kevin Lankinen enduring flu-like symptoms Saturday in a 5-3 loss to the New York Rangers, the Canucks need a capable tandem to shoulder a workload, be difference-makers, and even steal games down the stretch drive. It won’t be easy.
With 12 games remaining in the regular season, the Canucks need 16 points to hit the projected 92 points to squeeze in the postseason. That means going 8-4-0 or 7-3-2. And it has to start tonight.
Demko’s latest injury setback was strange. He winced after making a trio of saves during warm-up. He then flexed his left leg after making one of six stops in the first 10 minutes before giving way to Lankinen in what would be a signature 2-1 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs at Rogers Arena.
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The buzz: Under normal circumstances, it would be another Hughes brothers reunion celebration.
However, it will be far from normal because there’s really not much to cheer about for the siblings.
Quinn Hughes is running on fumes to keep the Canucks’ quickly diminishing playoff hopes alive. Jack Hughes had season-ending shoulder surgery March 5 to halt his sparkling season with 27 goals and 70 points. It placed the Devils’ post-season plans in a more urgent state to stay ahead of the pack.
And Luke Hughes, who has 35 points (6-29) is shouldering a bigger load with top Devils’ blueliner Dougie Hamilton sidelined for the remainder of the regular season following a March 5 lower-body injury.
However, the biggest focus remains on the Canucks captain.
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The St. Louis Blues won their sixth-straight game Sunday and have 81 points in 72 games to strengthen their hold on the final Western Conference wild-card spot. The Calgary Flames have won three straight and have 77 points in 69 games and the Canucks 76 points in 70 games.
Moneypuck.com has the Canucks’ chances of advancing to the postseason at just 11.3 per cent.
Hughes continues to lead the charge while performing at less than 100 per cent. His latest injury in a challenging season didn’t deter the reigning Norris Trophy winner. He piled up nine shots and 15 attempts and logged 28:25 Saturday in a bitter 5-3 loss to the New York Rangers on the second stop of a defining six-game road trip.
“He wants those moments,” Canucks head coach Rick Tocchet said Sunday. “He wants to win so bad. When he’s playing, we’re a different team. But he’s learning he can’t put the team on his shoulders.”
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Captain Quinn Hughes has always maintained a laser focus, even when playing through the discomfort of not being 100 per cent healthy. Photo by Jared C. Tilton /Getty Images
With Elias Pettersson and Nils Hoglander exiting Saturday with undisclosed injuries, and returning to Vancouver for injury assessment, the top-line drive has stalled at the most inopportune time. Brock Boeser, Pettersson and Hoglander combined for 12 points (6-6) in the last three games.
Atau Raty has been recalled under emergency conditions from the AHL affiliate in Abbotsford and will play tonight. His 56 per cent faceoff efficiency in 21 NHL games this season will help, but he has but two goals.
With centre Filip Chytil in concussion protocol, the Canucks are thin down the middle. A career 20-goal season by Pius Suter is a nice surprise, but it will take collective shift-to-shift production to keep their playoff hopes alive.
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It’s why Hughes must once again drag his team into the fight. He hit the 400-point plateau Saturday in just 421 games and needs 10 points to surpass Alex Edler, who logged 925 games, as franchise leader for defenceman scoring.
His numerous end-to-end rushes Saturday spoke of a never-ending will to keep the Canucks in the playoff fight. It comes with incredible skill and pure exhaustion.
“We’re playing gutsy right now with a lot of guys out and their third one (goal) goes off my skate,” Hughes lamented post-game Saturday. “Nine times out of 10, I think we walk away with that one. We kind of shot ourselves in the foot at the end, but we probably played one of our better games of the year.
“We’ve got guys playing with heart, so you can’t really complain.”
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The history: Second meeting of season. The Canucks were bombed 6-0 at home on Oct. 30. Struggling goaltender Arturs Silovs allowed six goals on 22 shots and the Canucks mustered but 20.
The hope: Brock Boeser continues to think to shoot first and pass second. The winger struck Saturday in the third period to make it 3-3 and has confidence and five goals in the last three games.
The fear: After Boeser struck with his tying effort, the Rangers needed just 37 seconds to regain the lead as the Canucks were slow on the back check. J.T. Miller then sealed the deal with an empty-netter.
The top guns: Boeser has 23 goals and is on pace for 30 after being stuck on 18 goals for a dozen games. He needs a run of seven goals in the final 12 games to make it happen. He also missed seven games.
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The wounded: Canucks: Elias Pettersson (undisclosed, day-to-day), Nils Hoglander (undisclosed, day-to-day), Filip Chytil, (concussion, day-to-day), Noah Juulsen (hernia surgery, IR). Devils: Jack Hughes (shoulder surgery, season ending, LTIR), Jonas Siegenthaler (lower body, week-to-week, LTIR), Dougie Hamilton (lower body, week-to-week), Ondrej Palat (day-to-day, undisclosed).
The quote: “I liked our game. If we can have that same effort you’ll be on the right side a lot more.” — Rick Tocchet.
The possible lineup:
DeBrusk-Suter-Boeser
Garland-Blueger-Lekkerimaki
O’Connor-Aman-Sherwood
Joshua-Raty-Karlsson
Hughes-Hronek
MPettersson-Myers
Forbort-Mancini
Demko
(Pettersson, Hoglander out “day-to-day”)
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The prediction: The desperate Canucks have a strong start and resilient finish to gut one out in a crucial 3-2 win.
(FAN FORUM: Do you have a specific question for a player? Pass it along to @provincesports and we’ll get it in a future edition.)
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