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Demko feeling 'strong' and could return to Vancouver Canucks net tonight

Rob Williams
Rob Williams
|
Mar 24 2025, 5:01 pm
Demko feeling 'strong' and could return to Vancouver Canucks net tonight
Jerome Miron/Imagn Images

It’s been a miserably frustrating season for Vancouver Canucks goaltender Thatcher Demko.

The All-Star netminder, who hasn’t played in more than six weeks, has been battling injuries for 12 months.

Limited to just 17 games this season, Demko has struggled to find his Vezina finalist form, and that’s understandable. But Demko was seemingly starting to get in a groove prior to the 4 Nations break, posting a shutout against Colorado and stopping 33 of 34 shots against San Jose.

The 29-year-old was forced to leave a game against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Feb. 8. It was reportedly a groin injury, not a re-aggravation of the knee injury he suffered last year.

But like many things in the human body, they’re all connected.

“The knee situation was pretty traumatic on the whole system,” Demko told Sportsnet’s Iain MacIntyre on Sunday. “It was such a major injury, there’s so much grey area, and then I felt like I was just trying to rush and get back into the net. I feel good now. I feel strong right now.”

It sounds like Demko may be strong enough to play tonight in New Jersey, according to a report from Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman.

Kevin Lankinen wasn’t at 100 per cent on Saturday, according to Canucks head coach Rick Tocchet. What exactly he’s dealing with is a mystery.

The Canucks could also be without two-thirds of their revamped first line, as Elias Pettersson and Nils Höglander both Saturday’s game with injuries.

Demko, meanwhile, was a full participant in practice on Sunday.

Is he really ready to perform? That’s still unclear, but the Canucks could use some Demko magic right about now.

nhl standings march 24

The Canucks are five points back of a playoff spot (NHL.com)

Vancouver had a dreadful weekend, losing a heartbreaker to J.T. Miller and the New York Rangers and watching every team around them pick up points (St. Louis, Calgary, and Utah collectively went 4-0-0).

The St. Louis Blues won both their games over the weekend, extending their lead on a playoff spot by five points. The Calgary Flames also leapfrogged the Canucks in the standings, while the Utah Hockey Club pulled within a point of Vancouver.

With just 12 games left in the season, a win against the Devils tonight would help the playoff push in a big way.

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