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Vancouver Canucks Face Playoff Challenge Without Top Goalie
If the Vancouver Canucks aim to progress in the Stanley Cup playoffs, they will need to do so without their primary goaltender, No. 1 goalie Thatcher Demko. The Canucks’ head coach, Rick Tocchet, revealed that Demko is dealing with an undisclosed injury that sidelined him for Game 2 against the Nashville Predators. The Predators secured a 4-1 victory over the Canucks in that matchup, resulting in a tied best-of-seven series at one game apiece.
Injury Update and Starting Goalie Situation
Earlier in the day of Game 2, Tocchet initially stated that Demko was “day-to-day” before later updating the situation to “week-to-week.” The concrete details regarding the nature and timing of Demko’s injury remain undisclosed. Notably, the injury affecting Demko differs from the knee injury that caused him to miss the final 14 games of the regular season, according to Tocchet.
Casey DeSmith stepped in as the starting goalie for the Vancouver Canucks in Game 2, facing the Predators’ offensive onslaught. Despite the Canucks dominating in shots, DeSmith allowed three goals on 15 shot attempts. As the Canucks continue in the playoffs without Demko, DeSmith, a veteran player at 32 years old, is expected to shoulder the goaltending responsibilities. The Latvian goalie Arturs Silovs will serve as the backup during Demko’s absence.
Additional Player Update
In other unfortunate player news for the Canucks, defenseman Tyler Myers was unable to participate in Game 2 against the Predators due to illness. Tocchet confirmed that Myers was sidelined with the flu, adding to the team’s challenging circumstances as they navigate through the playoffs without key players.
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