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Brock Boeser leads the NHL with 8 goals, and Bubble Demko may be back |
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Is it too soon to suggest that Bubble Demko is back?
After putting up an 0.86 goals-against average and .985 save percentage against the Vegas Golden Knights in Edmonton, where he gave up two goals on 130 shots, Demko has given up three goals on 103 shots in his three starts this week — the first two wins over Ottawa, and Saturday's 4-1 victory over Winnipeg.
Over the six days between Monday and Saturday, his .971 save percentage is behind only two other goalies.
Petr Mrazek of Carolina pitched a shutout on Thursday as the Canes returned to action from their Covid break, but he was injured before making a save as he left Saturday's 4-1 win over Dallas on Saturday just 2:47 into the first period, with an injury that could be serious.
The other player above Demko? Braden Holtby, whose 36 saves in Vancouver's third win over Ottawa gave him a .973 save percentage.
In addition to Demko, eight other goalies who made three starts this week. The closest challenger, numbers-wise, is Philipp Grubauer of Colorado. He gave up four goals in three Avs wins, but only faced 71 total shots, so he's merely at a .944 save percentage and 1.33 GAA.
This week, the Canucks' tandem showed that it can be a strength for the club. And seeing the body language as Holtby congratulated Demko after the win on Saturday night, it certainly looks like the pair are forming a solid bond.
Which is good, since they're going to have to keep playing well if they want to flip the script in Montreal on Monday and Tuesday. I'm sure the memory of 17 goals allowed over three games is still very fresh, and I expect that both goalies will get a chance to write their redemption stories.
As a group, the Canucks have quickly transformed into a very different bunch than the one that pulled into a 2-2 tie with Montreal last Saturday night, then fell apart down the stretch and lost 5-2.
This week, in Winnipeg, they jumped out to an early lead, never trailed, and outshot the high-scoring Jets 31-11 in the final two periods.
I've been ranting on for years about how nearly every visit that the Canucks make to Bell MTS Centre seems to end in something like a 4-0 loss, and how Connor Hellebuyck has ridiculous numbers against Vancouver — especially on his home ice.
So, what a pleasant surprise to see Brock Boeser score on his very first shift, just 29 seconds into the game! It looks good in any language.
Bookending the game with an empty-netter, Boeser's eighth of the year moved him into sole possession of first place in the Rocket Richard race. Let's let his agent tell the rest.
In between Boeser's goals, rookies Nils Hoglander and Zack MacEwen introduced themselves to the national TV audience with goals of their own, and Jalen Chatfield had another solid night on the back end.
In addition to the Canucks, the Flames and Oilers also won on Saturday night — although Edmonton's win came in overtime. So with just one point for Toronton and none for the Habs or Jets, the North Division standings have suddenly gotten a whole lot tighter. The Canucks leapfrogged the Jets to move into third place — and with 12 points, they're now tied with second-place Montreal, although with three more games played.
Just five points now separate second from sixth in the North. And with every game a four-pointer, any team that can dominate a two or three-game set can make big moves in a hurry.
I really miss the usual interlocking schedule, but it looks like this structure is going to lead to a very exciting race to the finish. I think the multi-game sets are something that can be continued once we get back to more normal situations for the same reasons that we're seeing them now — saving money on travel and amping up intensity.
Since the Habs left Vancouver last week, they've played just two home games against Calgary — a 4-2 win on Thursday, where their power play went 2-for-3, and a 2-0 shutout loss on Saturday. That was their first regulation loss of the season.
Tyler Toffoli picked up his sixth goal of the year on Thursday, and Josh Anderson scored the game winner — his fourth. But Anderson left Saturday's game after the second period with what were being called flu-like symptoms — and these days, words like that trigger Covid concerns.
With details still emerging on Sunday, it sounds like the series against Vancouver will probably be good to go.
Jesperi Kotkaniemi also missed some time in the second period after this nasty-looking hit from Dillon Dube.
He returned for the third, and no supplemental discipline was assessed.
And finally — the Utica Comets kicked off their AHL preseason on Saturday with a 7-5 win over the Syracuse Crunch. Here's a quick rundown of all that offense:
Sounds like it was a terrific game for Kole Lind, who has been moved from wing into the middle. Don't see that very often!
There was no radio or TV for the game, and no media allowed in the building, so there isn't much to go on. Also have this lineup info:
The Comets are set start their season for real in Rochester this Friday.
Vancouver Canucks Blogger • 
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