The 2023-24 season is nearing its end and the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs will start on April 20. The Vancouver Canucks have had a successful regular season and are headed to the postseason for the first time since 2015. The club has a 50-22-9 record and ranks among the top teams in the NHL.
Head coach Rick Tocchet has done a tremendous job transforming the team into a winner, while the club’s top players have been playing their best. J.T. Miller, Quinn Hughes, Brock Boeser, and Thatcher Demko are having career years, while Elias Pettersson has played well for most of the season. Additionally, the front office has added multiple pieces to the blue line and upfront, which have improved the roster. As a result, the Canucks are Stanley Cup contenders and have a chance to win it all. Here are a few things they need for a successful run in the 2024 Postseason.
Elite Goaltending From a Healthy Demko
The Canucks have had ups and down without their starting goalie Demko since the knee injury he suffered on March 9 against the Winnipeg Jets. Since the injury, the Canucks have a 7-5-2 record with a 2.86 goal against per game (GA/GP). Casey DeSmith has a 4-5-1 record, with a 2.94 goals against average (GAA) and a .888 save percentage (SV%). Meanwhile, Artur Silovs has a 3-0-1 record but still has struggled posting a 2.47 GAA and a .881 SV%. Although the club isn’t scoring at the same clip as before, they also haven’t received the big saves they would get from Demko.
Before Demko’s injury, the Canucks had a 44-17-4 record, second-best in the league. Demko started 49 of those games, posting a 34-13-2 record in those games. He has a 2.47 GAA, .917 SV%, and five shutouts on the season. Before his injury, Demko was a likely Vezina Trophy nominee prior to his injury as he was one of the top goaltenders in the NHL.
Demko will play a massive role in any success the Canucks have in the playoffs. He showed he could carry the team and win big games before, especially in the 2020 NHL Playoffs. In his first and only playoff appearance, Demko played three games, posting a 2-1-0 record, .64 GAA, .985 SV%, and a shutout. He was the main reason the Canucks forced the Vegas Golden Knights to a Game 7 that year. He put together an impressive performance as a rookie goalie.
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The only worry that comes with Demko’s performance in the playoffs…
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