Stanley Cup Playoffs Buzz: Demko could return for Canucks in Western 2nd Round

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Vancouver Canucks

Thatcher Demko could return for the Canucks at some point during the Western Conference Second Round against the Edmonton Oilers.

Canucks coach Rick Tocchet said Sunday his No. 1 goalie won’t play Game 1 of the best-of-7 series but is making progress in his recovery from an injury sustained late during the opener of Vancouver’s six-game series victory against the Nashville Predators in the first round April 29.

“You always hope,” Tocchet said when asked if he “hopes or expects” Demko back against the Oilers. “The expect, I mean, things change day to day, but there has been improvement. … From my experience, it's a slow process and all of a sudden, two, three days later [it becomes], 'Oh man, I really feel good.' I don't know where it's at in that sense. It has improved, but to what percentage? I don't know.”

It's been two weeks since the injury, and he remains listed as week to week. But Demko, a finalist for the Vezina Trophy as the NHL’s top goalie, skated in Nashville ahead of a series-clinching Game 6 victory Friday.

Demko was 35-14-2 with a 2.45 goals-against average, .918 save percentage and five shutouts despite missing five weeks late in the regular season with a knee injury. He played the final two games of the season before getting injured in the playoff opener against the Predators, but Tocchet said at time it was not related to the previous knee injury.

Tocchet wouldn’t say which of his other goalies will start Game 1 against the Oilers. Backup Casey DeSmith, who won both his starts against Edmonton in the regular season, played Games 3 and 4 against Nashville before missing Game 5 with an injury. Third-string goalie Arturs Silovs took over for the final three games, with DeSmith backing up the last two, and went 2-1 with a .938 save percentage that included a series-clinching 28-save shutout in Game 6.

“[Goaltending coach Ian Clark] and I go through the same thing,” Tocchet said of the decision process on who starts against Edmonton. “You go through the team you are playing, the play of the goalie, how many practices he's had … it's the same thing.” -- Kevin Woodley

Florida Panthers

Sam Bennett has resumed skating but will miss his fourth straight game when the Panthers host the Boston Bruins in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Second Round on Monday (8 p.m. ET; ESPN, SN, TVAS, CBC).

The forward has not played since sustaining an apparent hand injury in a 3-2 overtime win in Game 2 of the first round against the Tampa Bay Lightning on April 23, when a shot from teammate Brandon Montour struck him. Bennett scored the opening goal and had an assist on the second, and he was expected to be out week to week.

“He skated well today,” Florida coach Paul Maurice said after practice Sunday. “He is at or probably better than [where] I thought he would be. He will not play tomorrow night, but we will list him as day to day.”

Bennett had 41 points (20 goals, 21 assists) in 69 regular-season games and one goal and one assist in two playoff games, all of which came in Game 2 against the Lightning. -- George Richards

New York Rangers

Adam Fox played Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Second Round against the Carolina Hurricanes at Madison Square Garden on Sunday.

The defenseman returned to practice Saturday after missing the Rangers' full-team on-ice workouts Wednesday and Thursday because of maintenance reasons, according to the team.

"I feel good, ready to go," Fox said.

The Rangers never issued a specific reason why Fox didn't skate Wednesday or Thursday. Fox also was not specific and would not say if he skated on his own before Saturday.

"I think any time you get some extra rest and recover, just having that extra time off is important," Fox said. "Fully ready to practice today and obviously it's nice to get out there and skate before the game."

Fox's absence earlier in the week could stem from what appeared to be a knee-on-knee hit he took from Washington Capitals defenseman Nick Jensen in the first period of the Rangers' 4-2 first-round series-clinching win Sunday.

Fox wouldn't say if it was knee on knee, but he was shaken up after taking the hit to his right leg that resulted in a tripping penalty on Jensen at 18:51. He quickly returned and finished Game 4, playing 21:09, the most among the Rangers’ six defensemen.

"There were no restrictions out there," coach Peter Laviolette said. "He looked great. He had a great practice."

Fox had two assists and was plus-4 while averaging 21:46 of ice time per game in the first round. He led Rangers defensemen with 73 points (17 goals, 56 assists) in 72 regular-season games.

In addition, defenseman K'Andre Miller was in the lineup for Game 1; he left practice early Saturday after a puck appeared to hit him under his chin. -- Dan Rosen