[PGT] Vancouver at Nashville - Round 1 - Game 3

[Jaimito]

19 minutes ago, Rip The Mesh said:

 

 

How Thatcher Demko helped prepare Casey DeSmith to carry the mail for the Vancouver Canucks

 

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Thatcher Demko was an emotional wreck on Monday. After years of grinding as one of the most laser-focused and committed goalies in the game, Demko finally earned a taste of the reason for the season when he started the Vancouver Canucks’ first playoff home game since he was a sophomore at Boston College.

 

His taste was more like a cruel tease. An awkward movement in the 60th minute of Game 1 caused a fluke knee injury, which sources say is unrelated to the one suffered in March, that will cost him at least Round 1. The only prescription is rest.

 

It took a conversation with a resolute Rick Tocchet to calm down Demko, who was in tears, and provide proper perspective. Tocchet’s message was simple: “Your season isn’t over. We’re going to need you, because we’re still going to be playing when you’re ready again.”

 

And that’s when Demko’s attention turned to Casey DeSmith. Because if Vancouver is going to get their No. 1 netminder back, DeSmith is going to have to carry the mail for the Canucks like he did in Friday night’s 2-1 win over the Nashville Predators in Game 3 at Bridgestone Arena.

 

Demko joined the Canucks on their trip to Music City and pumped DeSmith’s tires.

 

“He just said he believed in me,” DeSmith said. “You know, he’s watched me all year. He knows my game. And he said he’s excited to watch me and wouldn’t trust anyone else to do it.”

 

DeSmith, 32, has been in the league for six years now but has never been asked to be the guy for any extended period of time. He stepped in for the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2022 in their first-round series against the Rangers when Tristan Jarry went down. But DeSmith pressed Louis Domingue into service when he suffered his own injury in the second OT, paving the way for the infamous Spicy Pork and Broccoli Game, which is what a hungry Domingue ate during the overtime intermission thinking he wouldn’t be needed.

 

DeSmith’s next playoff start didn’t come until Tuesday night. He left Rogers Arena on Sunday after Game 1 knowing Demko was injured, but no one knew the severity. And when news of Demko’s injury broke on Tuesday, DeSmith was dropped into the pressure cooker against Juuse Saros and the Preds, in an on-edge and readily combustible Vancouver market.

 

He struggled. DeSmith looked a little nervous at times in Game 2. His rebound control wasn’t great and he allowed three goals on 15 shots. He bounced back with his first career playoff win on Friday night as the Canucks took a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven series, despite registering just 12 shots on goal. Game 4 is Sunday afternoon.

 

“It couldn’t have come at a better time,” DeSmith said. “I was really disappointed in the result the other night. I thought they team played great and I didn’t get the result they deserved.”

 

Maybe it was the additional time between games to wrap his mind around the role, but whatever it was, it was abundantly clear DeSmith just looked different in the glow of Nashville neon. Tocchet said that one of his assistant coaches remarked during the first intermission that DeSmith looked good. He looked confident, placing an exclamation point on his night with an aggressive blocker save that he directed all the way up toward the blue line.

 

“You could just tell that he had it,” Tocchet said. “He just looked big. He wasn’t side-to-side flopping. I think that really gave confidence to the team.”

 

Tocchet believes it is DeSmith’s demeanor that has made him successful at the NHL. The undrafted free agent out of University of New Hampshire, originally signed by now-Canucks president Jim Rutherford in Pittsburgh, is affable and honest. In his free time, you can find him playing disc golf in the Lower Mainland – he is a fan of Raptors Knoll Disc Golf Park in Langley – where he has apparently become pretty good at pinging baskets. That’s how he relaxes, a sport he was turned on to by family back in Rochester, N.H.

 

“I think it’s his personality,” Tocchet said on why DeSmith was able to settle in. “He’s not an uptight guy. He always has a smile on his face. I think it’s infectious. Even when he has a tough night or things don’t go his way, he comes in, spends hours with [goalie coach Ian Clark] and never complains. His demeanor is just great for that role.”

 

DeSmith arrived in Vancouver with the trust and backing of Rutherford and GM Patrik Allvin from the Pittsburgh connection. But he was a salary cap cast-off by the Penguins, and then flipped to Vancouver from Montréal in exchange for a third-round pick and another imperfect contract. So there weren’t huge expectations and no one really ever knows how a tandem will function, because DeSmith didn’t know his tandem mate well in Demko, despite the fact they share the same agents at Edge Sports Management.

 

Demko and DeSmith became fast friends. They became fathers for the first time within weeks of each other. And their wives and babies are now close. That has only helped support their on-ice relationship, where DeSmith has picked up for Demko twice now for extended runs after injury.

 

“You couldn’t ask from a better guy to learn from, just in terms of the excellence he has as far as being a goalie,” DeSmith said of Demko. “He’s very, very passionate about goaltending. It rubbed off on me. Hopefully he would say the same, but he’s a really hard worker and he’s a really good friend. He’s been really supportive every time that I’ve been in there – whether he’s been injured or it’s just my turn. He’s always more than supportive of me and I’ve really enjoyed his friendship.”

 

For one night, at least, Vancouver could breathe a sigh of relief. DeSmith knows he has big shoes to fill. He knows that he isn’t Demko. But he believes in himself, knowing that the Canucks need him only to be Casey DeSmith, as they all hope that is enough.

 

Edited April 27 by Jaimito

[tas]

1 minute ago, stawns said:

 

I mean, there was a very public, live tv confrontation between him and dchenn after a very bad game was there not?

and dak and garland fought in preseason and kesler and mitchell and blah blah blah. confrontation happens. confrontation is necessary sometimes. 

[NewbieCanuckFan]

7 minutes ago, Johnny said:

 

I disagree!

[Bob Long]

Just looking at the shift chart from last night: https://www.naturalstattrick.com/game.php?season=20232024&game=30173

 

Pretty interesting deployment of Petey, he was put in and out of multiple pairings, I wonder if this is Tocc trying to figure out a way to get Petey more space to work? he was switching line mates constantly. 

[Johnny]

2 minutes ago, NewbieCanuckFan said:

I disagree!

You’re absolutely right

[Alflives]

Just now, -dlc- said:

I'd argue that they actually shifted things from complacency to one of uneasiness. And that was needed.

Exactly! It’s fun to win. But it takes sacrifice to win enough to be a top club. And there are some players who just find it too uncomfortable to make those needed sacrifices because it’s not fun to them. Miller leads the group into the battle and it isn’t comfortable. But that’s what it takes to win. There are some players who refuse to be uncomfortable. JR/PA move those guys out. Then there are players who do even better when pushed out of their comfort zone. JR/PA bring those guys in. Miller, and guys like him, are hugely important in getting players to move into that uncomfortable area where winning happens. 

 

[Bob Long]

1 minute ago, Alflives said:

Exactly! It’s fun to win. But it takes sacrifice to win enough to be a top club. And there are some players who just find it too uncomfortable to make those needed sacrifices because it’s not fun to them. Miller leads the group into the battle and it isn’t comfortable. But that’s what it takes to win. There are some players who refuse to be uncomfortable. JR/PA move those guys out. Then there are players who do even better when pushed out of their comfort zone. JR/PA bring those guys in. Miller, and guys like him, are hugely important in getting players to move into that uncomfortable area where winning happens. 

 

 

I hear Long Island is really comfortable this time of year. 

[Hammertime]

 

I didn't feel like the preds were generating anything where I was like uh oh!

 

Canucks last 2 months of a crash course from Tocc in stingy hockey with a few nedded crashes, are paying dividends. De Smith can stop those low danger shots all day Silovs too and Demko on one leg. Preds only generated 1 high danger shot attempt against. Their stars are getting worn down. Our top 10 has 17 points theirs have 10. Stay calm "meet pressure with pressure" the owness is on them now to tie the series. Keep them to the outside and when the load up to penetrate take advantage. Never thought I'd be advocating dead puck era hockey especially for this team with our stable of wheelers but I feel like that's nash game. As soon as we get loosey goosey they'll start getting ducky lucky. 

 

Stay the course diamond fucking hands. Hodl.

[Rip The Mesh]

Now a wee bit of negativity; Our highest paid player has to learn how to find his scoring touch, not only in this round, if we win it, but further on down the line.

Pettersson has to get going. Rick is reluctant to employ the 649 line because he wants two, out and out scoring lines, I get that.

I hear folks say; Petey needs to be a game changer. Well he's matured enough that he should have and be running his own line. Bark orders

on the ice and and on the bench. He's pretty silent, at least from what I see on TV. Can't see nothin watching the little snippets from practices.

He's fine on the powerplay, needs to be more aggressive five on five, IMO.

[Hammertime]

38 minutes ago, stawns said:

 

I know it's hard to differentiate the sports for some. 

[BCNate]

A wins a win.  Move on to tomorrows game.  Massive game, coming home with a chance to close out on home ice would be huge.  Oilers probably cruise through in 5, getting through Nashville as quick as possible would be huge.  

[NewbieCanuckFan]

10 minutes ago, Johnny said:

You’re absolutely right

 

[Alflives]

4 minutes ago, Rip The Mesh said:

Now a wee bit of negativity; Our highest paid player has to learn how to find his scoring touch, not only in this round, if we win it, but further on down the line.

Pettersson has to get going. Rick is reluctant to employ the 649 line because he wants two, out and out scoring lines, I get that.

I hear folks say; Petey needs to be a game changer. Well he's matured enough that he should have and be running his own line. Bark orders

on the ice and and on the bench. He's pretty silent, at least from what I see on TV. Can't see nothin watching the little snippets from practices.

He's fine on the powerplay, needs to be more aggressive five on five, IMO.

Isn’t Miller our highest paid player? And he’s been great. 

Edited April 27 by Alflives

[NewbieCanuckFan]

3 minutes ago, Alflives said:

Isn’t Miller our highest paid player? And he’s been great. 

EP's actual salary this season was $10.25 million.

[Alflives]

Just now, NewbieCanuckFan said:

EP's actual salary this season was $10.25 million.

Cap allocation? 
Your concept would suggest that Petey, in a year without a bonus, was one of our lowest paid players. 
Cap allocation determines where the player ranks. 

[-dlc-]

26 minutes ago, tas said:

and dak and garland fought in preseason and kesler and mitchell and blah blah blah. confrontation happens. confrontation is necessary sometimes. 

Schenn said something to Miller and pointed at him....they said words of frustration as they skated off the ice. Drama. 5-1 loss and yeah, we don't want guys being "ok" with that. They weren't. 

 

Not really anything monumental.

[Bob Long]

2 minutes ago, -dlc- said:

Schenn said something to Miller and pointed at him....they said words of frustration as they skated off the ice. Drama.

 

Not really anything monumental.

 

I'm just pretending that Schenn isn't actually playing for Nashville. Thats my coping mechanism there. 

[NewbieCanuckFan]

6 minutes ago, Alflives said:

Cap allocation? 
Your concept would suggest that Petey, in a year without a bonus, was one of our lowest paid players. 
Cap allocation determines where the player ranks. 

Cash salary (his contract was structured that way).  I'm just assuming that's what the other poster was referring to (as Petey's new cap hit doesn't take until effect until the next season)

[Rip The Mesh]

 

[NucksNation]

Man what happens if DeSmith just starts playing lights out and Demko is ready to return next round. Do we keep playing DeSmith?

 

I think Big Z has moved into my #1 spot to re-sign. We’d probably be down 3-0 without him imo. They’d be walking into our zone easily and Hughes would be getting slaughtered, they sure calmed down after that big hit on Josi. 

[-dlc-]

6 minutes ago, Bob Long said:

 

I'm just pretending that Schenn isn't actually playing for Nashville. Thats my coping mechanism there. 

I bought his practice worn hoodie. I'm going to burn it. (not really)

 

I didn't like him going for Garland. Maybe it's carry over from the mean girls period referred to earlier?

[Alflives]

1 minute ago, NewbieCanuckFan said:

Cash salary (his contract was structured that way).  I'm just assuming that's what the other poster was referring to (as Petey's new cap hit doesn't take until effect until the next season)

Makes no difference. Contracts total costs are spread out over the full term. So yearly cap allocation is all that matters. Otherwise guys with big front loaded bonuses would be the lowest salaries on their clubs in non bonus years. That makes no sense. 

[JeremyCuddles]

We still on about last year's drama? When things are going good we gotta find something to be mad about. Lol. We gonna dig up tweets from 12+ years ago too? 

[Bob Long]

21 minutes ago, Rip The Mesh said:

Now a wee bit of negativity; Our highest paid player has to learn how to find his scoring touch, not only in this round, if we win it, but further on down the line.

Pettersson has to get going. Rick is reluctant to employ the 649 line because he wants two, out and out scoring lines, I get that.

I hear folks say; Petey needs to be a game changer. Well he's matured enough that he should have and be running his own line. Bark orders

on the ice and and on the bench. He's pretty silent, at least from what I see on TV. Can't see nothin watching the little snippets from practices.

He's fine on the powerplay, needs to be more aggressive five on five, IMO.

 

Hard to do when you're double teamed, much like they are doing to Quinn.

 

I do think Rick is looking for ways to help petey find more open ice - his time with players last night:

 

[Jaimito]

25 minutes ago, Rip The Mesh said:

Now a wee bit of negativity; Our highest paid player has to learn how to find his scoring touch, not only in this round, if we win it, but further on down the line.

Pettersson has to get going. Rick is reluctant to employ the 649 line because he wants two, out and out scoring lines, I get that.

I hear folks say; Petey needs to be a game changer. Well he's matured enough that he should have and be running his own line. Bark orders

on the ice and and on the bench. He's pretty silent, at least from what I see on TV. Can't see nothin watching the little snippets from practices.

He's fine on the powerplay, needs to be more aggressive five on five, IMO.

 

Highest paid guy now is Miller.  I think he's doing fine.