@Thatcher Demko just had himself one heck of a period.
The 26-year-old Vancouver Canucks goaltender stopped all 13 shots he faced in the opening frame of Sunday’s game against the New York Rangers, making multiple highlight-reel saves along the way.
Demko’s victims included Rangers stars @Mika Zibanejad and @Chris Kreider. The Canucks’ official Twitter account put together the below compilation of some of Demko’s most impressive stops from his first 20 minutes of play at Madison Square Garden.
Just Demko doing Demko things. pic.twitter.com/uyYG3HQqWK
— Vancouver #Canucks (@Canucks) February 28, 2022
One of Demko’s best saves in the first period came in its final minute — and set up a goal at the other end of the ice.
With less than 50 seconds remaining in the opening frame, Demko did the splits to deny Rangers defenceman K’Andre Miller of a tap-in goal at the right side of the net.
The play went the other way, and Canucks forward J.T. Miller set up @Tyler Myers 10 seconds later for his first goal of the 2021–22 season.
WHAT A SEQUENCE! pic.twitter.com/YKFofTxmOx
— Vancouver #Canucks (@Canucks) February 28, 2022
Myers’ goal gave the Canucks a 2–0 lead, which increased to 3–0 off a @Juho Lammikko tally early in the second period. @Tanner Pearson has the other marker for Vancouver.
Demko entered Sunday’s action with a 22–16–2 record and a .917 save percentage in 41 appearances this season.