Canucks head coach says goalie Demko won’t play Tuesday’s Game 2 vs. Predators

The Canucks will probably be with out all-star goalie Thatcher Demko after they face the Nashville Predators in Sport 2 of their first-round playoff collection on Tuesday in Vancouver.

Head coach Rick Tocchet stated the 28-year-old netminder goes to be evaluated later Tuesday and is “day-to-day.”

“He skated yesterday. He is not going to play tonight,” Tocchet stated. “It wasn’t the outdated damage and that is all I actually acquired for you guys.”

Casey DeSmith will take over the Canucks’ internet for Sport 2 at 10 p.m. ET.

Demko performed all of Sport 1 for the Canucks on Sunday, backstopping the crew to a 4-2 victory. Tocchet stated he wasn’t positive whether or not the damage occurred throughout the sport.

“It might need been within the sport, however I am not fairly positive as a result of he skated yesterday,” he stated. “I do not know the precise timeline. That is why I do not wish to speculate whether or not it is this time or no matter.”

Demko missed 14 video games after struggling a knee damage on March 9, however returned for Vancouver’s two last video games of the common season. He completed the marketing campaign with a 35-14-2 document, 2.45 goals-against common, .918 save proportion and 5 shutouts.

‘He works more durable than anyone’

The all-star netminder confirmed his work ethic as he rehabilitated and acquired again into the lineup forward of playoffs, stated Canucks ahead J.T. Miller.

“It sucks. He works more durable than anyone on a day-to-day foundation when he isn’t injured, not to mention when he is attempting to get again in for stuff like this. So you are feeling for the man,” Miller stated.

“He is a giant a part of our crew, however we have got to discover a approach to be resilient as a bunch and transfer ahead. We’re not the one crew going by way of any such stuff. So it is gonna occur. We have to discover a approach to be resilient, like I stated.”

DeSmith, 32, had a 12-9-6 document with a 2.89 GAA and .896 save proportion for Vancouver this season.

He went 4-5-1 whereas Demko was out with the knee damage. Arturs Silovs, who will probably be DeSmith’s backup Tuesday, additionally performed 4 video games, going 3-0-1.

DeSmith is a popular goalie with an ideal manner, Tocchet stated.

“I am very assured [in DeSmith],” the coach stated. “Any time you get within the playoffs, there’s tales and he is seeking to be a contributor to his crew,” he stated. “And we anticipate, the way in which he is performed all yr for us, actually stable hockey. We’re not searching for him to be spectacular. We’re searching for him to be Casey.”

Lone playoff sport was memorable

DeSmith has made one playoff look in his NHL profession, and it was dramatic.

Enjoying for the Penguins, he stopped 48 of the 51 photographs he confronted in Pittsburgh’s 4-3 additional time win towards the New York Rangers in Sport 1 of a first-round collection on Could 3, 2022. DeSmith was injured within the second additional time and had to get replaced by Louis Domingue.

The Penguins introduced the next day that DeSmith would bear core surgical procedure.

The Canucks understand how they should play in entrance of DeSmith on Tuesday, Miller stated.

“If we play the way in which we’re presupposed to play, it ought to be a neater evening for Casey, within the sense of giving up large possibilities,” he stated.

“When that occurs, I do know [the goalie’s] life’s a hell of rather a lot simpler. So, like I stated, fear about us. There’s issues we will not management and that is clearly certainly one of them as a participant. So we’d like to have the ability to simply concentrate on the sport. Regular sport for us.”