Canucks' Thatcher Demko: Takes overtime loss in debut
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Demko surrendered four goals on 25 shots in Tuesday's 4-3 overtime loss to the Blues.
The Canucks came back from a 3-1 deficit, but they couldn't get the puck into the net in overtime. Dylan Holloway had the decisive goal, handing Demko a defeat in his season debut after a nearly eight-month recovery from a knee injury. It's safe to assume Demko and Kevin Lankinen will share the goaltending duties for at least the rest of December unless one or the other gets on a hot streak. The Canucks' next game is a tough one at home versus the Panthers on Thursday.
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Canucks' Thatcher Demko: Making season debut Tuesday
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Demko will be in the home blue paint Tuesday versus the Blues, Brendan Batchelor of Sportsnet 650 reports.
Demko will make his first start of the 2024-25 campaign, as he's been contending with a knee injury dating back to last season. The California native's last appearance came in Vancouver's first-round playoff series against Nashville on April 21. The 29-year-old shouldn't be expected to take over the No. 1 netminding gig, at least in the short term, as Kevin Lankinen's strong play between the pipes has afforded Vancouver the luxury of easing Demko back into game action. Demko has been the backup to Lankinen in each of the last two games. Demko was stellar in 2023-24, posting a 35-14-2 record, .918 save percentage and 2.45 GAA over 51 regular-season outings.
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Canucks' Thatcher Demko: Backing up against Jackets
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Demko (knee) will serve as the backup for Vancouver at home versus Columbus on Friday, Thomas Drance of The Athletic reports.
Demko looks poised to return to action sooner rather than later. While he will sit on the bench behind Kevin Lankinen on Friday, it could open the door for Demko to make his first start of the season in a home matchup versus Tampa Bay on Sunday. Lankinen's strong play -- he's 12-3-3 on the season -- could see Demko eased back into action, but he should eventually reclaim the No. 1 spot in the crease.
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Canucks' Thatcher Demko: Nearing return
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Demko (knee) believes he's at a point in his recovery where he might be able to serve as the backup goaltender within Vancouver's next three games, Brendan Batchelor of Sportsnet 650 reports Thursday.
The Canucks' next three games will all be at home. They'll host Columbus on Friday, Tampa Bay on Sunday and St. Louis on Tuesday. Demko was fantastic in 2023-24, posting a 35-14-2 record, 2.45 GAA and .918 save percentage in 51 regular-season appearances. Given that he suggested he might start as an understudy, Vancouver might slowly ease him back toward his typical workload. Even still, his return would likely result in Arturs Silovs being sent to the minors. Kevin Lankinen, who has done fine as the temporary No. 1 with a 12-3-3 record, 2.66 GAA and .906 save percentage across 18 outings this campaign, will see his role significantly diminish, especially once Demko is back up to speed.
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Canucks' Thatcher Demko: Progressing in recovery
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Demko (knee) is making strides in his recovery and could be a game-time decision sooner rather than later, Iain MacIntyre of Sportsnet reports Tuesday.
Demko won't be an option versus Boston on Tuesday and likely won't play in the second half of the Canucks' back-to-back against Pittsburgh on Wednesday either. Still, it's a positive update from general manager Patrik Allvin regarding the backstop's availability. Once given the all-clear, the 28-year-old San Diego native should reclaim his spot as the No. 1 option in Vancouver, relegating Kevin Lankinen to the backup role.
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Canucks' Thatcher Demko: Placed on non-roster list
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Demko (knee) will begin the 2024-25 season on Vancouver's non-roster injured reserve list, the team announced Monday.
Demko's status shouldn't come as a surprise considering the team has repeatedly said he doesn't have a clear timeline to return. At this point, fantasy managers should probably consider the backstop as week-to-week, though it could certainly be longer. Arturs Silovs and Kevin Lankinen will pick up the slack in Demko's stead.
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Canucks' Thatcher Demko: No timetable for return
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Demko (knee) has made a lot of progress over the last 2-3 weeks, but said Thursday there is still no timetable for his return, Harman Dayal of The Athletic reports.
Demko also said that he had a minor procedure done in the offseason that was unrelated to his knee injury. Demko stated that he has an unique injury -- a lower-body muscle injury -- and hasn't found any hockey player with a similar injury. Should Demko miss the start of the regular season, look for Arturs Silovs to take over the No. 1 job with the Canucks.
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Canucks' Thatcher Demko: Meeting with media Thursday
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Demko (knee) is expected to discuss his recovery from a knee injury when he talks to the media Thursday, Thomas Drance of The Athletic reports.
Demko is not expected to participate in training camp or preseason games as part of his recovery plan. More details may be available after his media session, but Demko is likely to continue to need to manage his workload even once he's cleared for games.
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Canucks' Thatcher Demko: No timetable for return
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Demko is progressing in his recovery from a knee injury, but it's unclear when he'll return to full strength, per Sportsnet 650 on Tuesday.
Demko appeared in one postseason outing against Nashville before he injured his knee. The 28-year-old's rehab has taken longer than expected, so there's speculation that Vancouver will take a look at the goaltender market in the event that Demko isn't ready to start the 2024-25 season. There's also no clarity on whether Demko had a surgical procedure to address his knee issue at this point. In 51 appearances in 2023-24, Demko was 35-14-2 with a .918 save percentage and a 2.45 GAA.
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Canucks' Thatcher Demko: Ruled out for Game 7
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Head coach Rick Tocchet said Saturday that Demko (knee) will not play in Monday's Game 7 versus the Oilers, Thomas Drance of The Athletic reports.
Demko was believed to have a chance to return during the second round, but this will eliminate that possibility. The Canucks will instead entrust either Arturs Silovs or Casey DeSmith in a must-win game with a trip to the Western Conference Finals on the line. Demko will have missed 12 straight contests after Monday, and there's been no indication at what point he might be available if the Canucks are able to extend their playoff run.
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Canucks' Thatcher Demko: Still unavailable
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Demko (knee) won't be available for the start of Vancouver's second-round series against Edmonton, Brendan Batchelor of Sportsnet 650 reports.
Demko, who is considered week-to-week, sat out the final five contests of the Canucks' first-round series versus Nashville. It remains unclear when he will be available to return. During Demko's absence, Casey DeSmith and Arturs Silovs have shared time between the pipes. The 23-year-old Silovs could make his fourth straight start in Game 1 versus the Oilers on Wednesday.
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Canucks' Thatcher Demko: Travels with team
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Demko (knee) joined the Canucks for their trip to Nashville for Games 3 and 4 despite being labeled week-to-week, Dan Murphy of Sportsnet reports Thursday.
Given Demko's week-to-week timeline, his presence on the trip is likely more about being around the team and perhaps helping Casey DeSmith in an off-ice capacity than him potentially returning to action soon. Another update on Demko will likely surface once he's upgraded to day-to-day.
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Canucks' Thatcher Demko: Considered week-to-week
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Demko (undisclosed) is regarded as week-to-week, coach Rick Tocchet told Thomas Drance of The Athletic on Wednesday.
Demko was a key part of the Canucks' regular-season success, posting a 35-14-2 record, 2.45 GAA and .918 save percentage in 51 contests. He also stopped 20 of 22 shots en route to a 4-2 victory over the Predators in Game 1 on Sunday. The Canucks will likely lean on Casey DeSmith during Demko's absence.
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Canucks' Thatcher Demko: Out Tuesday, considered day-to-day
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Demko is considered day-to-day with an undisclosed injury and won't play in Tuesday's Game 2 versus the Predators, Canucks rinkside reporter Kate Pettersen reports.
Demko was solid in Sunday's Game 1, stopping 20 of 22 shots en route to a 4-2 win over Nashville. The good news is Demko's undisclosed injury isn't related to the knee issue that kept him out from March 13-April 13. The bad news is the Canucks will be without their No. 1 netminder for at least one playoff contest and potentially more. Casey DeSmith will take over for Vancouver between the pipes until Demko is ready to return.
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Canucks' Thatcher Demko: Earns Game 1 win
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Demko stopped 20 of 22 shots in Sunday's 4-2 win over the Predators in Game 1.
Demko allowed four goals on 65 shots over two games to close the regular season following his return from a knee injury. The 28-year-old was facing a deficit for a large portion of Sunday's game, but the Canucks turned things around in the third period to get the win. He won a career-high 35 games with a 2.45 GAA and a .918 save percentage over 51 regular-season outings, so he's going to be tough for the Predators to solve over a full series.
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Canucks' Thatcher Demko: First off ahead of Game 1
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Demko was the first goalie off the ice at the morning skate, according to Thomas Drance of The Athletic, indicating will he patrol the home crease Sunday in Game 1 against Nashville.
Demko posted a 35-14-2 record with a 2.45 GAA and a .918 save percentage in 51 games during the regular season. He also went 1-1-0 with a .938 save percentage in two outings after returning to the lineup last Thursday from a knee injury. Demko stopped 43 of 47 shots en route to a mark of 2-0-0 versus the Predators in 2023-24. Nashville placed 10th in the league with 3.24 goals per contest during the regular season.
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Canucks' Thatcher Demko: Takes loss as regular season closes
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Demko set aside 22 of 25 shots in Thursday's 4-2 loss to the Jets.
This was the final tune-up for Demko before the Canucks face the Predators in the 2024 Western Conference quarterfinals. A knee injury cost Demko a month's worth of games before he returned Tuesday, when he led the Canucks to a 4-1 win over the Flames, but he's held up fine physically since rejoining the team. Demko finished the regular season with a 35-14-2 record, 2.45 GAA and .918 save percentage, which marked career-best totals, plus he had five shutouts in his breakout campaign.
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Canucks' Thatcher Demko: Facing Jets
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Demko will be between the visiting pipes versus Winnipeg on Thursday, John Lu of TSN reports.
Demko was sensational Tuesday in a 4-1 win over Calgary -- he stopped 39 shots and looked playoff ready. Demko is 35-13-2 with a 2.44 GAA and a .918 save percentage in 50 contests this season. He will face the Jets, who will be resting all their top regulars, including Josh Morrissey and Kyle Connor.
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Canucks' Thatcher Demko: Kept busy in return
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Demko stopped 39 of 40 shots in Tuesday's 4-1 win over the Flames.
Demko returned from a 14-game absence due to a knee injury, and the Flames kept the pressure up throughout the contest. The 28-year-old was up to the challenge, allowing just a Brayden Pachal tally in the third period. Getting Demko back is a huge boost for a Canucks team that has the depth to be a contender in the playoffs. He's at 35-13-2 with a 2.44 GAA and a .918 save percentage over 50 appearances. It's unclear at this time if Demko will get the start Thursday versus the Jets in a tilt that may have implications for home-ice scenarios later in the postseason.
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Canucks' Thatcher Demko: Returns to crease Tuesday
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Demko (knee) will be activated from long-term injured reserve ahead of his home start against Calgary on Tuesday, Brendan Batchelor of Sportsnet 650 reports.
Demko will return from a 14-game absence because of a knee injury. He has a 34-13-2 record this season with five shutouts, a 2.47 GAA and a .917 save percentage through 49 games played. Calgary is tied for 17th in the league this campaign with 3.09 goals per contest.
