Demko makes 42 saves for Canucks in win against Senators

VANCOUVER --J.T. Miller and Tyler Motte each scored two goals, and the Vancouver Canucks defeated the Ottawa Senators 5-1 at Rogers Arena on Wednesday.

Thatcher Demko made 23 of his 42 saves in the first period to help Vancouver (4-5-0) win consecutive games for the first time this season after losing five of the previous six.
"The way things are going, one game at a time isn't going to be good enough," Demko said. "We've got to start stringing some together."
Elias Pettersson had a goal and an assist, and Quinn Hughes and Jay Beagle each had two assists for the Canucks, who can sweep a three-game set against the Senators on Thursday. Vancouver has outscored Ottawa 12-2 in the first two games.

Josh Norris scored, and Marcus Hogberg made 30 saves in his second start of the season for Ottawa (1-5-1), which has not won since the season opener.
"I hate losing, everyone in the room hates losing," Senators forward Brady Tkachuk said. "So we've just got to bear down a little bit extra. We're going to get out of this eventually. We've just got to stick together, which we have been, and stay positive, but the focus [Thursday] is on a win."
Demko, who made 35 saves in a 7-1 win Monday, became the first Canucks goalie to start consecutive games after splitting the first eight games with Braden Holtby. Demko was at his best with the Senators outshooting the Canucks 23-7 in the first period.
"[Demko] keeps us in it, gives us life," Miller said. "It's [stinks] when we don't play the way we're supposed to start a game and they're coming off a game where we know that they're going to bring their best. We had to raise our compete level to match that."
Motte made it 1-0 at 2:06 of the first period on a rebound, and Norris tied it 1-1 on a power-play scramble at 8:16.
Coach DJ Smith called the first period Ottawa's best of the season. The challenge has been maintaining it.
"For some reason, we just find one period to fall apart and mess everything up," Norris said. "We're young but that's not an excuse. Just a lot of mistakes that are very preventable."

Vancouver outshot Ottawa 20-7 in the second period and went ahead 2-1 at 1:16 after a neutral-zone turnover and line change led to a breakaway for Pettersson. He made a drop pass to Hughes in the high slot, and he sent it across to Miller for a backdoor one-timer for his first goal of the season.
"I heard a squeaking noise behind me," Pettersson said. "I was going to shoot it and I heard [Hughes] scream 'Petey! Petey!' so I dropped it and he made a good play to [Miller]."
Miller, who also had an assist, made it 3-1 at 7:29 on a rebound, and Pettersson scored on a wrist shot on a power play at 17:16 for a 4-1 lead.
It was first multiple-point game of the season for Pettersson, and ended a two-game drought for Miller, who led the Canucks with 72 points (27 goals, 45 assists) in 69 games last season.
"I've got to be honest, other than a couple of goals I got, I don't think we spent much time in their end," Miller said of his line with Pettersson and Brock Boeser. "The team played well, but to be frank we need to be way better as a line still. I know it looks pretty for you guys because I got some points … but our standards are higher than a couple of open nets."
Motte scored his fifth goal of the season on a deflection at 11:46 of the third period for the 5-1 final.
"It's nice to see some goals go in, but at the end of the day it's all about the team winning," Motte said.
NOTES: Ottawa defenseman Christian Wolanin left at 8:30 of the second period with a lower-body injury. There was no update. … Ottawa's 24 shots tied the Vancouver record for shots against in the first period, set March 13, 2008 by the Arizona Coyotes, and was two short of the Senators record for any period. Ottawa had 26 shots in the third period against the Florida Panthers on Oct. 22, 2008. … Canucks forward Bo Horvat had a four-game point streak end (four goals, four assists). ... The Senators defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs 5-3 on Jan. 15.