The Vancouver Canucks kicked off their nine-game homestand with a decisive win over a tough Winnipeg Jets team.
Casey DeSmith and Thatcher Demko notched a shared shutout, DeSmith and Demko stopping 10 and 12 shots respectively.
DeSmith made a substitution for Thatcher Demko at 6:59 in the middle frame as the Canucks were up 4-0 and he stayed between the pipes for the remainder of the game. He said Demko gave him a heads up a few minutes prior that he might need relief so DeSmith prepared himself to take the ice.
"Just warm up as fast as I can. It was nice that I got a shot fairly early, I think it was the first shift. So that's always nice just to get the first save out of the way and then just go from there and get the body feeling good,” DeSmith said.
He was able to step in and help lock in the shutout which he said was a great feeling after having 2 wins in his last six starts.
“This is great to be a part of. Obviously, not the circumstances I like to be a part of the game but that's a heck of a win against a really good team,” DeSmith said. “Just to go drop the puck all the way to the end of the game and really take it to them, that was impressive win for the team.”
All four lines made the stat sheet in some form, Canucks’ Head Coach Rick Tocchet said his team played structured and disciplined to stay out of the penalty box.
“I think all 21 guys contributed. It was a good effort by everybody. You could pick a lot of guys that had good nights and do the small things,” Tocchet said.
“It's been a tough month and I think this last week, guys are feeling their legs again. We're a team that has to skate, we're a team that has to play structured hockey, and I just feel we're getting it back again. It just seems like we're refreshed. You know, and this is a good month to get even more fresher.”
Game Recap
In the first period, through J.T. Miller’s tough play net-front, he earned himself a tip-in to start a scoring run for the home team.
