Canucks Lose 4-3 to Blues Amid Demko's Return

Summary:

• The Vancouver Canucks recorded a 4-3 loss to the St. Louis Blues on Tuesday.
• Demko’s comeback after an eight-month injury was not enough to bring victory for the Canucks. 
• The goalie made a few key saves but faced relentless pressure.

Thatcher Demko’s return following an eight-month recovery was expected by many live sports bettors to lead the Vancouver Canucks to victory. 

Instead, it turned into a mix of defensive breakdowns and struggles and a disappointing 4-3 overtime loss to the St. Louis Blues at Rogers Arena on Tuesday.

Pressure on Demko

The Canucks showed resilience, managing to rally from a two-goal deficit and force overtime. 

Jake DeBrusk’s clutch goal with just under two minutes remaining in regulation saved a point and further showed the team’s fighting spirit. 

Nonetheless, the emotional boost of having their star goalkeeper back did simply not suffice to also secure them the win.

Defensive lapses plagued the Canucks throughout the game, leaving the 29-year-old San Diego players exposed to relentless pressure. 

Demko faced several high-danger chances, including a dramatic two-on-zero save against Oskar Sundqvist in the third period. 

However, it was the breakdown in overtime that truly sealed their fate. Dylan Holloway slipped past Vancouver’s defense and roofed the game-winning goal over Demko’s shoulder just 1:40 into the extra frame.

Conor Garland admitted after

Obviously, you don’t want to give a guy four or five breakaways or odd-man rushes. So it’s not very good. But he’s a battler, hangs in there, makes big saves. Like I said, that’s why he’s the greatest. Hopefully we can play better in front of him whenever he gets in there next.

Demko: “It Kind of Felt Like a Whirlwind of a Day”

Demko’s road back has been anything but straightforward. The goalie suffered a rare torn popliteus muscle in his knee, an injury virtually unheard of in NHL history. 

Understandably, his first game back was a mix of excitement and uncertainty.

It kind of felt like a whirlwind of a day, I’ve talked about managing expectations and not putting too much weight on that first game back. But obviously, as the moment builds, you’re excited to play and you want to perform. Definitely a little bit of a weird day.

Demko also admitted he wasn’t at his sharpest:

Yeah, I mean, felt rusty for sure. Obviously, it’s frustrating losing. I thought I could have played a couple of goals differently.

St. Louis knew how to capitalize on Vancouver’s defensive missteps. Robert Thomas scored a shorthanded breakaway goal late in the first period, and Jordan Kyrou added a power-play goal in the second. 

Coach Tocchet: “It’s Good to See Him in Net”

Despite the loss, head coach Rick Tocchet praised Demko’s effort.

I thought he was good tonight, It’s good to see him in net; he looks big. He’s worked really hard, so I thought he did a great job for us tonight.

Looking ahead, the Canucks face another challenge against the Florida Panthers on Thursday which Canadian bettors can find the latest NHL odds for. 

The return of J.T. Miller, who took a leave of absence for mental health reasons, could provide the stability they desperately need. 

Miller participated in the morning skate and is expected to fully rejoin practice on Wednesday.