Yahoo Sports What NHL EDGE Says About Canucks Thatcher Demko's First Start Of The 2024-25 Season
After missing close to eight months with injuries, Thatcher Demko made his first start of the 2024-25 season on Tuesday against the St. Louis Blues. While Demko had a strong outing, the Vancouver Canucks did fall in overtime, losing 4-3. With this in mind, here is a look at Demko's night using tracking from NHL EDGE.
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In his return, Demko stopped 21 of the 25 shots he faced. Overall, it was a good test for last season's Veznie Trophy runner-up, as he faced a mixture of breakaways and long-distance shots. Below is a look at where the shots that Demko faced last night came from.
According to NHL EDGE, Demko stopped 4/5 on high-danger shots, 7/10 on mid-range shots and 6/6 on long-range shots. He also went 4/4 on shots without a designation, which is made up of the two beside the net on the right and the two along the wall on the left. While there were some goals that he would want back, Demko got better as the game progressed and was one of the main reasons the Canucks skated away with a single point.
One of the more surprising statistics is that Demko had trouble with mid-range shots. Last season, he stopped 341 of the 378 mid-range shots he faced and posted a save percentage of .902. While it has been only one game, this is an area to keep an eye on for at least Demko's next few starts.
DENIED. BY. DEMK🚫 pic.twitter.com/eKPBXDmAkw
— Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks) December 11, 2024
Ultimately, it was a strong performance, especially considering that Demko has not played since April 21. As mentioned, he made multiple crucial saves and even faced his first 2-0 of the season. While it is unclear how his injury will impact him in the future, against the Blues, Demko showed why he is still considered one of the best goaltenders in the NHL.
