It’s barely November, and the Vancouver Canucks are already giving fans that same uneasy feeling. Losses keep stacking up, and once more, it’s Thatcher Demko holding everything together. The 29-year-old has been excellent, often spectacular, but there’s a sense that this movie has been played before.
Is Thatcher Demko Carrying Too Much Weight for the Canucks Again?
Vancouver has dropped four of its last five. The latest, a 2-0 loss to the Rangers, said a great deal about where this group stands. With Quinn Hughes, Conor Garland, and others missing, the lineup looked patchy, the energy off. They’re heading into a three-game road swing with more questions than answers.
Demko did his part, as usual, with 23 saves on 24 shots. It was his seventh start already, and he’s sitting on a .926 save percentage with a 2.18 goals-against. Great numbers. Too great, maybe, considering how often he’s being asked to bail them out.
Fans have noticed. His knee injury from last spring isn’t ancient history, and while Demko looks sharp now, Vancouver’s leaky blue line and thin depth don’t make for easy nights.
Social media has been both grateful and anxious. One fan joked, “demko is a hardworking mother who never gets a break.” Another said, “Thatcher Demko, we are not worthy. #Canucks” while attaching a clip of his incredible save.
One fan shared, “Demko out there playing 1v5 on Legendary difficulty.”
While another wrote, “Demko is expected to get at least two starts on this road trip, but with off-days between Saturday’s game in Minnesota and Monday’s in Nashville, it’s possible he could play all three,” and added a GIF that said “Here we go again”.
The overall tone is half funny, half tired. Even within the organization, there’s an acknowledgment that he might start most of this trip, maybe all of it. Kevin Lankinen’s .873 save percentage doesn’t exactly inspire confidence. Understandably, Adam Foote wants to stick with the guy who gives them a chance. But it’s late October. The grind hasn’t even really started.
The Weight He’s Carrying and What’s Driving Him
If there’s one thing keeping this team from falling off early, it’s Demko. His numbers are among the best in the league again, top in goals saved above expected, top in goals saved above average.
It’s not just numbers, though. He’s playing like a guy with something to prove. After missing much of last year, he admitted, “I didn’t play one single good game last year.” That honesty hit home. Now, he looks closer to the 2023-24 version, the one who was a Vezina finalist, stealing wins on his own.
Being left off Team USA’s orientation list this summer didn’t sit well with him. The competition level is there every night. Still, he keeps saying the focus is the Canucks, and it shows.
Demko’s the backbone again, but that’s both a compliment and a warning. If the team can’t lighten his load or find offense soon, they risk watching history repeat itself as one of the league’s best goalies runs into the ground while trying to keep a flawed roster alive.
