The Vancouver Canucks fell back to five points behind the St. Louis Blues with the Blues’ 3-2 win over the Nashville Predators on Thursday. The good news is, they still have two games in hand, and are on a bit of a roll lately, with galvanizing character wins against the New Jersey Devils and New York Islanders earlier this week.
Related: Demko & Secondary Offence Lead Canucks to 5-2 Win Over Islanders
If not for those improbable victories without their top two centres in Elias Pettersson and Filip Chytil, the Canucks would be nine back of the final wild card spot and probably facing the reality of missing the playoffs for the eighth time in the last ten years. But thanks to Thatcher Demko’s heroic return to form and offence from unlikely sources, they are still in the race, and despite the odds being stacked against them in the standings and on the ice, they are getting it done with players stepping up all over the roster.
Thatcher Demko Saving the Day
Demko was brilliant again versus the Islanders in his second game back from injury. He’s basically picked up where he left off when he exited the Canucks’ eventual 2-1 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Feb. 8. Before that, he had won two straight and only allowed one goal. Now, he’s on a personal four-game winning streak, rocking a 1.20 goals-against average (GAA) and a .949 save percentage (SV%). He’s playing like the Vezina Trophy finalist he was last season before he got hurt, and that’s music to the Canucks’ ears, who are in an intense battle for a playoff spot and need every win they can get.
As for Demko’s latest act of heroism, he must be in former captain Bo Horvat’s nightmares right now. He stopped him point-blank twice in the first period on Wednesday, once again showcasing the athleticism and lightning-fast side-to-side movement he’s become known for. His first save was a thing of beauty as he did the splits to rob Horvat, and then stymied him again with the blocker on a 2-on-1 off a feed from Noah Dobson a few minutes later. He also made several other big-time stops in the first period to keep the Islanders at bay and allow the Canucks to find their game in the second period. If not for Demko’s brilliance these past two games, they would not have four points in the standings and still be in the playoff race.
Canucks’ Depth Leading the Way
The Canucks have been going with Pius Suter, Teddy Blueger, Nils Aman, and Aatu Raty as their four centres for two games now and surprisingly have two wins. They have been stepping up and providing offence, too, with Suter notching two points against the Devils and Blueger and Raty scoring against the Islanders. With Elias Pettersson and Filip Chytil out with injuries, this is exactly what the Canucks were hoping would happen. While Suter and Blueger aren’t bona fide top-six centres in the NHL, they have both been in situations in their career where they were top players on their respective teams, whether that be in the minors or internationally. They are just tapping into that experience right now and elevating their game at the most important time of the year.
Beyond the contributions from the Canucks’ usual bottom-six centres, they are also getting it from other parts of the lineup, including Kiefer Sherwood, who has been an absolute beast and revelation in his first season in Canucks colours. I don’t think even general manager Patrik Allvin thought he would be this good when he signed him in the offseason. In addition to the physicality we all know he was going to bring, he has also added a lot of offence. On Wednesday, he increased his career-high to 17 goals and 32 points and now has five points in his last five games (seven in his last 10), which includes three goals. Oh yes, he also keeps setting a new hit record for players to chase next season, which now sits at a gaudy 404 in 68 games. To put that in perspective, he only had 234 last season in the same number of games.
The Canucks also got offence on Wednesday from the biggest unlikely source, Derek Forbort, who only has two goals in his last 81 games. His goal ended up being the game-winner as he potted a rising wrister past Ilya Sorokin in the second period. Basically, they are getting key performances from everywhere in their depleted lineup, which could end up being the difference between making the playoffs or not.
AHL Call-Ups Making a Difference
When injuries strike a roster, it’s an opportunity for players in the American Hockey League (AHL) to shine. In the Canucks’ case, these players aren’t just getting small opportunities on the fourth line, but roles in the top-nine or first power play unit. This is especially true for rookie Jonathan Lekkerimaki, who is playing on the second line and top power play unit in place of Pettersson. While he didn’t contribute to the offence against the Islanders, he played a big role in the win over the Devils, scoring the goal that tied it at two and winning it in the shootout. In both cases, he used his lethal wrist shot to beat Jacob Markstrom, and with more time and experience in the league, it’s only a matter of time before he’s in every goalie’s nightmares. Mark my words, in his prime, he will score 30 or 40 goals with that shot.
Lekkerimaki isn’t the only call-up from Abbotsford, either, as he has been joined by Raty and Aman up front and Victor Mancini and Elias Pettersson on the backend. As mentioned, Raty stepped up against his former team on Wednesday with a 2-2 equalizer of his own, Aman is playing a regular role in the bottom-six and Pettersson (who clocked the fourth-best max speed among defencemen on the back-check on Wednesday at 23.72 mph) and Mancini have alternated solid games in the lineup on defence. Overall, the Canucks have gotten very meaningful and timely contributions from their AHL affiliate this season, and it’s a good sign for the future of the franchise.
Back At It Tonight Against the Blue Jackets
The Canucks will hope all of this continues against the Columbus Blue Jackets this evening as they play yet another must-win game. In any case, Demko and their depth are stepping up at the perfect time. Will it be enough to power past either the Blues (85 points), the Minnesota Wild (87 points), or maybe even the Edmonton Oilers (87 points)? Only time will tell, but either way, these last two wins have shown that the Canucks aren’t going to roll over and die, even in the face of adversity.
