In this edition of the Vancouver Canucks News & Rumors, Thatcher Demko is a Vezina Trophy finalist. Additionally, Brock Boeser fuels the Canucks to a 3-1 comeback in Game 4. Also, Arturs Silovs steps up for the Canucks as Casey DeSmith misses Game 4.
Demko Named Vezina Finalist
On April 29, the NHL announced the 2023-24 Vezina Trophy finalist, an award given to the goalie voted best at his position by NHL general managers. Canucks goaltender Demko was named one of the three finalists, along with Sergei Bobrovsky and Connor Hellebuyck.
Demko impressed this season, posting a 35-14-2 record, a 2.45 goals-against average (GAA), a .918 save percentage (SV%), and five shutouts through 51 games. He finished tied for sixth in wins and fifth in GAA. Demko was leading the NHL in wins before he suffered a knee injury, which caused him to miss 14 games. Head coach Rick Tocchet discussed how important he is to the club.
“He’s our rock,” Tocchet said. “All year, even last year when I got here, I knew I had something special. Very business-like, works his [rear end] off. He’s a student of the game, he wants it. He’s working double time as it is now and he’s around a lot and the guys can feel his energy. It’s too bad he got hurt because of course everyone knew he was going to be a nominee. That’s a no-brainer.”
The goaltender will have a harder time winning the award than the other two goaltenders as he missed a few games due to an injury. However, Demko has showcased he is among the league’s best in net and deserves the recognition he is getting this year. The 2023-24 season will be something for him to continue to build on.
Boeser Carries Canucks in Comeback Win
The Canucks took a 3-1 stranglehold over the Nashville Predators on April 28. After trailing 3-1 and playing a disappointing hockey game, the club made a comeback in the final three minutes of Game 4. Boeser had the Canucks only goal, which opened up the scoring in the game, and then picked up his second goal of the game with 2:49 remaining in regulation. He finished off the hat trick with eight seconds left in the game, tying it and sending it to overtime. Elias Lindholm finished the game a minute into OT.
Related: Comeback Canucks’ Promising Playoff Narrative
Boeser said the club showed a lot of character throughout the season in similar situations. The team has been in a position where they’ve gotten 6-on-5 goals and have gotten the looks they want. He added sometimes those looks work and other times they don’t, and in Game 4 they did.
“I think there’s been times this year where we’ve shown a lot of character,” Boeser said. “I think that’s prepared us for this moment. I think the message is you can’t give up until the final horn, and we didn’t give up there. We continued to battle back and we felt that momentum shift once we tied it up. We were feeling really good going into overtime.”
J.T. Miller assisted on all three of Boeser’s goals. The two forwards lined up together all season long, as Miller reached the century mark with 103 points, and Boeser scored 40 for the first time in his career. Boeser has four goals and five points in four games this round. Additionally, he scored the game-winning goal in Game 3.
Silovs Steps Up With DeSmith Out
Before Game 4, Rick Dhaliwal announced Silovs would start for the Canucks as DeSmith was hurt. He added that DeSmith’s injury wasn’t related to Michael McCarron’s hit in Game 3 and was a lower-body injury.
Silovs stepped in and played well for the Canucks on April 28. The 23-year-old made 26 saves, posted a .900 SV%, and allowed three goals. Considering the Canucks were outshot 30-21, and Silovs has only played four NHL games this season and nine in his career, he did his job. For Game 5, Tocchet said the Canucks will have the option to start DeSmith. Nonetheless, both goalies have helped the team pick up a win in this series and have shown they can be trusted.
Injury Updates: Pettersson, Hughes & Demko
The Canucks are dealing with multiple injuries in the playoffs, as are most NHL teams. Elias Pettersson, who is noticeably struggling in the postseason, is not 100% but isn’t dealing with a major injury. Meanwhile, Quinn Hughes has taken multiple hits throughout the series and also seems to be dealing with an injury. The club reduced his minutes for two periods in Game 5 but he still managed to make a big play on the game-tying goal. Additionally, Demko, who hasn’t played since Game 1, is expected to be out for two to four weeks.
