The Vancouver Canucks suffered a rare loss last night when close rivals the Seattle Kraken showed up in their building and took home a 4-3 win. In this edition of Canucks Quick Hits, Thatcher Demko couldn’t keep the Canucks in it, and they just couldn’t score enough to pull out the win, even if there were some players who made key contributions for Vancouver in this game.
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Quick Hit One: Thatcher Demko Has a Tough Night in Goal
Thatcher Demko had a challenging night as the Canucks fell to the Kraken. It wasn’t that he was bad in the crease, but he did lose. Despite making 22 saves, Demko couldn’t get the win for the Canucks.
For the highly competent goalie, the loss was an odd one. The goals could have been prevented. His team had a couple of defensive lapses, including a bad line change. Plus, there was a strange deflection. Finally, a turnover came at the wrong time. Those were the goals.
All through the game, Demko’s performance was strong and he made several big saves. This loss was only Demko’s second in six games in November. Overall, his record is a solid 8-4-0, with a 2.22 goals-against average and an impressive .926 save percentage.
Quick Hit Two: Three Canucks Goal Scorers
Three different Canucks players scored goals during the game. First, Nils Hoglander scored a late goal in the final minute of the third period. While his goal brought the game close, his team couldn’t get another one to get the tie. The goal was the second straight game in which he scored. He now has five goals for the season – three of them in November. In 16 games, Hoglander now has put up seven points and a plus-7 rating.
The second Canucks goal came from all-world defenseman Quinn Hughes. Hughes’ goal tied the game at 2-2 in the second period. This goal brings his total to seven for the season, which interestingly matches his goal total from the previous year. What an amazing season the Canucks’ captain has had. He now has 28 points, with a great plus-14 rating in 18 games. He’s now on a seven-game point streak with three goals and nine assists in that span.
The third goal scorer was J.T. Miller. Miller’s goal opened the scoring for the Canucks in the first period. The veteran center is now on a seven-game point streak, with five goals and seven assists during his impressive stretch. On the season, he has totaled 11 goals and 28 points in his 18 games. No surprise, Miller has become a key part of the Canucks’ high-scoring offense. He’s a power-play phenom with 13 points on the man advantage.
Quick Hit Three: Canucks Helpers with Helpers
In the Canucks’ 4-3 loss to the Kraken, four players contributed assists to the cause. First, Phil Di Giuseppe collected an assist, which was his third in the past six games (he also has scored a goal). The 30-year-old is enjoying his role on the second line, where he brings physicality and depth scoring. He has eight points in 18 games this season.
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Second, Filip Hronek had been on an 11-game point streak earlier in the week that just ended. However, he bounced back with an assist last night. The 26-year-old defenseman continues to be a solid partner for Hughes in the team’s first defensive pairing. In his first full season with the Canucks, he has scored a goal and put up an amazing 17 assists, with a plus-9 rating in 18 games. He’s easily on pace to pass his career-high 39 points set last season.
Third, Elias Pettersson maintained his consistent scoring pace with an assist. He’s now reached the 20-assist mark for the season. The 25-year-old center now has put up 28 points in 18 games. That ties him with Hughes and Miller (his teammates) for first place in NHL scoring.
Finally, Tyler Myers registered two assists in the game. In his past four games, he had four helpers. For the season, the veteran defenseman has recorded nine points, with a plus-9 rating in 18 games. His time on ice has been reduced a bit, but his effectiveness has improved.
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