Demko's ridiculous save helps Canucks beat Kings in overtime

The Vancouver Canucks have four of the best players in the NHL on their team, and all of them showed up tonight.

Elias Pettersson scored, Quinn Hughes made history yet again, and J.T. Miller scored the overtime winner as the Canucks defeated the Los Angeles Kings 2-1 on Tuesday night.

MILLER TIME! 🚨

J.T. Miller wires it home to secure the @SUBWAYCanada OT winner for the Canucks! pic.twitter.com/oX78aBqBc3

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) March 6, 2024

While the Canucks’ three best skaters showed up, Thatcher Demko’s ridiculous save was the most electrifying play of the game.

Early in the third period with the game tied, Anze Kopitar set up Alex Turcotte with a cross-ice pass during a two-on-one. It looked like LA was going to take the lead, until Demko made one of the best saves in the NHL this season.

"THATCHER WITH THE CATCHER" 😱 pic.twitter.com/CnEpOeEN3u

— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) March 6, 2024

Demko was perfect aside from letting in a goal from Trevor Moore in the first period. He didn’t have to make any other miraculous saves aside from this one, as the Canucks led the Kings 14-3 in terms of high danger chances at even strength.

“I don’t think we liked our effort at home five days ago,” Demko told Sportsnet’s Dan Murphy. “We knew this had to be a committed game from us and I thought we did a really good job.”

The Canucks netminder had a modest answer when asked about his save of the year.

“It’s a two-on-one, so, just trying to get a piece of it and obviously I was able to get a save there and help the team get the win.”

Miller did pump Demko’s tires when asked about the save.

“When we see that, it’s almost like a get out of jail free type of situation,” Miller told Sportsnet’s Kate Pettersen post-game.

“Honestly, I don’t know the last time I scored on him in practice. He’s unbelievable.”

The Canucks finish off their road trip against the Vegas Golden Knights on Thursday night before beginning a season-long nine-game homestand.

Lindholm mysteriously exits game before returning

Aside from Demko’s heroics, there was arguably nothing that elevated the heart rate for Canucks fans more than Elias Lindholm’s mystery exit in the first period.

Here's the end of Lindholm's last shift of the first period. Doesn't look like anything significant happened to him but maybe he got something twisted in that last little tangle up? #Canucks pic.twitter.com/XzkA07NGQA

— Daniel Wagner (@passittobulis) March 6, 2024

With about four minutes left in the first period, Lindholm left the game for an unknown reason. He then wasn’t on the bench for the beginning of the second period.

His mystery absence came on a day where a report surfaced that the Canucks had possibly discussed trading Lindholm to the Boston Bruins in order to clear space to acquire Pittsburgh Penguins forward Jake Guentzel.

Canucks fans working out whether Lindholm is traded, injured, or dropping a massive dump pic.twitter.com/AAE7Ev4VKM

— Nate (@VanCityFins) March 6, 2024

Flipping a player of Lindholm’s calibre, barely a month after acquiring him, would be almost unprecedented.

Alas, Lindholm did return just before the midway point of the second period. He had 14:45 of ice time in this contest with no shots on goal.

Canucks’ Hughes joins elite company once again

After playing one of his worst games of the season five days ago against Los Angeles, Hughes was back to his old ways tonight.

The Hughes and Filip Hronek pairing was solid throughout the night, aside from one Hronek turnover that led to LA’s only goal.

When Hughes was on the ice, the Canucks dominated the Kings 10-1 in terms of high danger chances. Vancouver still had more high danger chances than LA without Hughes on the ice, but only by a modest 4-2 margin.

The Norris Trophy frontrunner registered two helpers against the Kings, and he now has 61 assists so far in 2023-24.

It’s his third straight season with at least 60 assists. Only three other defencemen in NHL history have accomplished that feat: Bobby Orr (six straight seasons), Paul Coffey (five straight and another three straight seasons) and Ray Bourque (five straight seasons).

Those three Hall of Famers have a combined seven Stanley Cups and 16 Norris Trophies between them.

Hughes looks poised to add a Norris to his resume shortly. And, if the Canucks continue proving they can win close, low-scoring games, perhaps Hughes can help these Canucks bring home their first Stanley Cup in franchise history.