With the victory, the Canucks have now won four of their last five games.
It was a perfect night for the Vancouver Canucks (20-7-1) as they shut out the Florida Panthers (17-10-2) on "Roberto Luongo Night." Before puck drop, the organization honoured the Hall of Fame goaltender by inducting him into the Ring of Honour. With the victory, Thatcher Demko became the first goalie to hit 15 wins on the season and the third netminder in Canucks history to reach the mark in 22 or fewer games.
On a night where the Canucks honoured arguably the greatest goaltender in franchise history, it is only fitting that Demko was phenomenal. He stopped all 36 shots he faced, including 15 in the final frame, as he recorded his third shutout of the season. Just like Luongo did for so many years, he carried Vancouver to a victory as they improved their record to 17-0-0 when leading after two periods.
Here is what Demko had to say about his performance and Luongo postgame:
"It was a special night," said Demko. "Definitely did not want to get shelled on Luongo night, so I had a little extra pep in my step there. Just a really cool night. To watch one of the guys I watched growing up get properly thrown up there in the rafters is awesome. It was a cool night.
As for the rest of the team, they did what they needed to and capitalized on their opportunities. From crashing the net to converting on the power play, the Canucks built up a lead early and were able to sit back in the third and let Demko carry them the rest of the way. In an ideal world, they would have limited the Panthers' chances over the final 20 minutes while generating more than one shot, but this strategy worked tonight as they sent their fans home happy once again.
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ybhcmldZhDw[/embed]
Overall, it is hard to imagine a better night for Vancouver. Fans had the chance to honour a legend, the team won via a shutout, and Luongo finished his speech by saying, "Let's free the skate jersey." With momentum building and the fan base fully engaged, the Canucks are starting to look like a contender as they head toward the holiday break.
Stats and Facts
- This was the 20th time this season the Canucks have scored the first goal of the game
- With his goal, Brock Boeser extends his point streak to nine games
- Brock Boeser also became the fifth Canucks player to score 22+ goals through 30 games of the season
- With the sixth shutout as a Canuck, Thatcher Demko moves into a tie with Eddie Läck, Richard Brodeur and Garth Snow for seventh on the franchise's all-time shutout list
Game Summary
1st Period
VAN: 4:03- Andrei Kuzmenko (6th) from Conor Garland
VAN: 13:52- Dakota Joshua (5th) from Teddy Blueger
2nd Period
VAN: 10:08- Dakota Joshua (6th)
VAN: 15:41- Brock Boeser (22nd) from J.T. Miller and Elias Pettersson
3rd Period
Canucks Next Opponent
With their five-game homestand complete, the Canucks hit the road for four straight, starting with a Saturday afternoon game against the Minnesota Wild. The last time these two teams met, Casey DeSmith recorded his first shutout as a Canuck as Vancouver defeated the Wild 2-0. Game time is set for 11:00 am PT from the Xcel Energy Center.
