Down a goaltender and with their backs against the wall in Game Five, the young Vancouver Canucks made a loud and clear statement. We are not done.
Playing as the visitors, albeit in a neutral site, the Canucks were able to defeat the Vegas Golden Knights 2-1 and extend their season to at least Thursday evening. They still have an uphill battle, trailing in the series three games to two, but a series win is not impossible. One thing that is possible, is a goalie controversy.
If you're a Twitter subscriber, odds are good that you saw the goalie dilemma playing out pre-game. There were fake Canucks PR Tweets deeming Jacob Markstrom "Unfit to Play" and media members sharing the Tweet. Then come game time, Thatcher Demko was actually the starting goaltender, with Markstrom actually Unfit to Play.
I have single handedly defeated Vancouver media pic.twitter.com/lLMuwLK5fF
How a fan fake Tweeted a scenario, that would go on to become real, is beyond me. Now it's important to note, he ended up being right and claims to be "an actual insider", but it was strange nonetheless. It was definitely a weird morning in the hockey world. Once the game started, it got even weirder.
Demko, a rookie netminder, had never started an NHL playoff game. He was perfect in relief of Markstrom, on Aug 23, making five saves on five shots. He's got an impressive resume, including backstopping the U-18 US Developmental Team in 2012 alongside current teammate Tyler Motte and later Boston College with 2012 U-17 team member Alex Tuch.
Demko has been a name on the radar of goalie followers for quite some time. What Game Five proved is that he can ride to the occasion and make big stops in a big game. In this game, he made more than a few big stops.
It's no secret that the Golden Knights like to shoot. They shoot early, they shoot often, and they shoot from anywhere inside the blue line. They're advanced stats darlings due to their willingness to get pucks on net and usually it works out in their favor. On Tuesday evening, they fired 43 shots Demko's way and defenseman Shea Theodore was the sole player to find the net and he even had to undress the entire Canucks defense to do so.
R2, Gm5: Shea Theodore makes a series of moves to bypass the defense, then makes a move to his forehand and goes top shelf for a masterful goal
Theodore's goal - on Vegas' 25th shot of the game - at 15:12 of the second period, felt like the floodgates opening. They finally beat Demko and with the pressure they'd been applying, will finally be able to rack up some goals. Boy was that wrong. Brock Boeser got the Canucks on the board, just 24 seconds later, before the PA could finish announcing the Theodore tally.
R2, Gm5: Brock Boeser redirects J.T. Miller's return pass by Robin Lehner, tying the game just 24 seconds after the Golden Knights goal
JT Miller found Boeser perfectly in the slot and the redirect found its way through Robin Lehner. Boeser stayed hot, directly contributing to the eventual game winner, three minutes into the third period. He fired a wrister through traffic and Elias Pettersson was able to get behind Brayden McNabb and redirect the puck past Lehner.
R2, Gm5: Elias Pettersson waits at the front of the net and tips Brock Boeser's shot by Robin Lehner, giving the Canucks a 2-1 lead
Vancouver's youthful talent of the Canucks won them this one. Boeser, Pettersson, Hughes, and Demko were all good in Game Five. The oldest player of the bunch is the rookie Demko, at 24 years young. The future is bright for the Canucks, but is it the foreseeable future, as in Games Six and Seven?
Game Five proved that any team can win any game, regardless of the circumstances, with good goaltending. Fortunately for the Vegas Golden Knights, they have one of the best goalie tandems in the NHL. As displayed on the two Canucks goals, defense plays a big part in the result. Neither team is known for their defense which makes this series more intriguing.
Defensive breakdowns, failed zone exits, and turnovers could decide the next two games. Both forward units are fast and tenacious on the forecheck, making the job of the defensemen that much harder. Regardless, it's hard to envision the Golden Knights dropping three straight, something they did just three times all season.
"We want to finish this off as quickly as possible. At the same time, Vancouver is going to have something to say about that."
- Pete DeBoer
They certainly did have something to say about it. It will be interesting to see who suits up in goal for the Canucks if both goalies are available and Fit to Play. Demko may be the play, with his huge performance fresh in the minds of the Golden Knights. Game Six is scheduled for a 6:45pm PDT puck drop on Thursday evening and if Game Five taught us anything, it will be a spirited affair.
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