BUF@VAN: Demko makes pad save on Skinner

VANCOUVER -- Thatcher Demko made 36 saves in his season debut for the Vancouver Canucks, a 4-3 win against the Buffalo Sabres at Rogers Arena on Friday.

Loui Eriksson gave Vancouver a 4-3 lead at 5:57 of the third period, less than a minute after Demko made saves on Evan Rodrigues' one-timer and Vladimir Sobotka's rebound attempt.
"I haven't played in two weeks or something like that, so to get a lot of shots was nice," said Demko, who was called up from Utica of the American Hockey League on Jan. 4. "I know I just got up here, I've got a lot to prove. And I'm more than willing to do that. I know it's going to take work and results as well. You've got to prove yourself."
WATCH: [All Sabres vs. Canucks highlights]
After Eriksson scored on a pass from behind the net by Josh Leivo to the top of the crease, Demko made 11 of his 16 third-period saves. That included getting across his crease to stop rookie Rasmus Dahlin's high one-timer on the power play with 5:36 left in the third. The shot dented the cage on Demko's mask badly enough he switched to a backup mask after a delay.
"The puck caught me just above the eyebrow, and the cage was actually touching my eyebrow," Demko said. "I maybe needed a little break too. The power play was kind of buzzing."

BUF@VAN: Horvat finds Boeser for tap-in goal

Dahlin's point streak ended at five games, tied for the longest in NHL history for an 18-year-old defenseman with Aaron Ekblad, Phil Housley and Bobby Orr (twice).
Brock Boeser had a goal and an assist, Alexander Edler and Sven Baertschi scored, and Bo Horvat had two assists for the Canucks (22-21-6), who have a four-game point streak (2-0-2).
"These are meaningful games, and [Demko] stepped up like great players do and he played phenomenal," Horvat said. "We owe him a lot of credit."
Rodrigues, Kyle Okposo and Sam Reinhart scored, and Linus Ullmark made 19 saves for the Sabres (24-18-6), who have one win in their past five games.
"I thought we played a really good game tonight and mistakes cost us," Okposo said. "We created plenty to win that game. They capitalized on our mistakes, and [Demko] made a couple great saves."
The Sabres had the first seven shots on goal, and Rodrigues gave them a 1-0 lead at 8:48 of the first with a backdoor tap-in after Rasmus Ristolainen used his skate to redirect a pass into the slot.
The Canucks got their first shot at 9:30, and Edler tied it 1-1 on their third at 12:12 with a low point shot into traffic.
Baertschi made it 2-1 on Vancouver's next shot at 15:31, finishing a backdoor pass from Derrick Pouliot after he split the defense on a solo rush.
"I loved the way we started the game," said Housley, in his second season as Buffalo coach. "We were in the offensive zone, we were making plays, we were executing well, we were getting a lot of looks, and then we give up those two goals and it's more of just sorting things out in our own end."
Okposo tied it 2-2 at 2:26 of the second period with a backhand from in close.
Boeser made it 3-2 at 8:00 on a backdoor tap-in after defenseman Lawrence Pilut's blind backhand pass went right to Horvat between the top of the face-off circles.
Reinhart tied it 3-3 at 12:52 on a spinning backhand after being left alone in front of Demko.

BUF@VAN: Eriksson finishes Leivo's feed, breaks tie

They said it

"This break is something we have to treat positively. The last week and a half, we have made some mistakes, we haven't gotten the results we wanted, and when we come back, we have to push. There's no bones about it, we're outside of a Stanley Cup [Playoff] spot right now. We talk a lot about the process and the way we have to play, and I think our identity is forged now, and now we have to get results, now we have to make sure we are limiting those mistakes away from the puck, and (it is) time for everybody to take a step." -- Sabres forward Kyle Okposo on not playing their next game until Jan. 29
"That's why you play, you know. You want those guys to be proud and stuff like that. I'm just glad that I was able to get the guys a win." -- Canucks goalie Thatcher Demko on his teammates

Need to know

Dahlin had a goal and five assists during his five-game point streak. … The Canucks were without their top scorer, rookie forward Elias Pettersson (knee), for the fifth straight game. … Horvat, who hasn't scored in 11 games, got his 200th NHL point with his assist on Boeser's goal. "Me shooting the puck hasn't been working, so I thought I'd give it to somebody who's going to put it in," Horvat said.

What's next

Sabres:At the Columbus Blue Jackets on Jan. 29 (7 p.m. ET; FS-O, MSG-B, NHL.TV)
Canucks: Host the Detroit Red Wings on Sunday (4 p.m. ET; ESPN+, SNP, FS-D, NHL.TV)

Eriksson's goal propels Canucks past Sabres, 4-3