The Vancouver Canucks defeated the New Jersey Devils 2-1 on Sunday morning.
The Vancouver Canucks are 1-0 in the post-Quinn Hughes era after a 2-1 victory over the New Jersey Devils. Jake DeBrusk scored with the man advantage, while Zeev Buium's power play goal in the first served as the winner. As for Thatcher Demko, he was Vancouver's best player as he stopped 25 of the 26 shots he faced while also picking up an assist.
All the attention heading into this game was on the three players the Canucks received for Hughes. Buium, Marco Rossi and Liam Öhgren all had strong nights, with Buium having the biggest impact on the scoresheet. In fact, Buium now holds a place in Vancouver's record book as he is the first defenceman to record multiple points in the first period of his Canucks debut.
Starting off with Buium, he looked composed with the puck all night. He finished with a goal and an assist while playing 19:50. Buium also recorded a hit and a blocked shot in his debut while playing on a pair with Tyler Myers.
As for Rossi, he served as Vancouver's first-line center on Sunday. He played 18:16 and recorded one shot on net, a hit and two blocked shots. Rossi also had a strong night in the faceoff dot, winning nine of his 15 draws.
Lastly, Öhgren skated on Vancouver's fourth line with Max Sasson and Linus Karlsson. During his 11:39 of ice time, the 21-year-old recorded a shot on goal and a blocked shots. Overall, it was a good debut for Öhgren as he showed off his strong positioning and ability to play a physical game along the wall.
The real star of the game however was Demko, who arguably stole two points for the Canucks. He stopped 12 of the 13 shots he faced in the second period as well as all eight in the final frame. While it wasn't a heavy workload game for Demko, he still came up with massive saves when the team needed him most.
Lastly, the Canucks special teams played a massive factor in Sunday's win. Vancouver scored twice on the power play while not allowing a goal on the penalty despite despite a lengthy five-on-three kill. Overall, the Canucks looked more organized in both situations while also received some puck luck on their second goal.
Even for those who want Vancouver to tank, it is hard to be angry at Sunday's result. The newest Canucks stepped up while Demko was able to bounce back from a disappointing start on Thursday. Overall, it was an intriguing game as Vancouver found a way to leave the Prudential Center with a victory.
Stats and Facts:
- Thatcher Demko records his first assist since February 27, 2024
- Zeev Buium becomes the third defenceman to record multiple points in his Canucks debut
- Zeev Buium becomes the 13th rookie defenceman to score a game-winning goal for Vancouver
- Defenceman Elias Pettersson sets a new career high with six hits
Scoring Summary:
1st Period:
1:01- VAN: Jake DeBrusk (9) from Conor Garland and Zeev Buium (PPG)
6:48- VAN: Zeev Buium (4) from Conor Garland and Thatcher Demko (PPG)
2nd Period:
4:02- NJD: Luke Hughes from Jesper Bratt and Dawson Mercer
3rd Period:
Up Next:
The Canucks continue their five-game road trip on Tuesday against the New York Rangers. Just like Vancouver, New York has struggled at home, with just four wins in 15 games at MSG. Puck drop is scheduled for 4:00 pm PT.
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