The Vancouver Canucks might have Thatcher Demko officially back in action as they try to get on track on home ice against the visiting St. Louis Blues on Tuesday.
The Canucks’ outstanding 10-2-1 road record has been undermined by a 4-6-3 record at home. Only the Chicago Blackhawks (eight) and Utah Hockey Club (10) have fewer home points than the 11 points the Canucks have tallied in Vancouver this season.
The opening two games of the Canucks’ current six-game homestand reflected the team’s inability to sustain momentum in their own building. Vancouver earned a 5-2 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Friday, but it then suffered a late breakdown in Sunday’s 4-2 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning.
With the score tied 2-2 at the 14:09 mark of the third period, some miscommunication led to the Canucks receiving a penalty for too many men on the ice. Jake Guentzel then scored on the ensuing power play for what proved to be the Lightning’s game-winning goal.
Vancouver was 0-for-3 on power plays, while Tampa Bay went 2-for-4.
“Special teams won the game for them. … I thought five-on-five we were fine,” Canucks coach Rick Tocchet said. “Just obviously unfortunate, can’t have that too-many-men (penalty).”
Demko’s looming return from a lingering knee injury could help spark the Canucks. Demko hasn’t played since the Canucks’ first game of the Stanley Cup playoffs in late April, but the goaltender has served as Kevin Lankinen’s backup in Vancouver’s past two games without seeing any ice time.
Rather than having Demko face the high-scoring Lightning or the Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers on Thursday, Tocchet and his staff might be looking to ease Demko back into action in between those games, against the more limited St. Louis offense. The Blues rank near the bottom of the NHL in both goals (72) and shots per game (26.9).
St. Louis did have a five-game point streak (4-0-1) before Saturday’s 4-2 road loss to the Edmonton Oilers. It was the Blues’ first regulation defeat since Jim Montgomery was hired as the team’s coach.
Down 3-0 after two periods against the Oilers, St. Louis made it a 3-2 game at 13:09 of the third period. But just 69 seconds after Jake Neighbours scored the Blues’ second goal, Troy Stecher scored to stifle the St. Louis rally.
“We played a little bit too passive in the first two periods,” Blues forward Dylan Holloway said. “Third period we kind of had a push and the push was good, but just not enough, a little too late.”
Jordan Binnington allowed four Oilers goals on just 21 shots as the Blues goaltender continued his inconsistent season. Binnington has an 8-10-2 record and a .897 save percentage in 21 games and is expected to start again on Tuesday.
The red-hot Quinn Hughes leads the Canucks with 32 points (seven goals, 25 assists). Thirteen of those points (three goals, 10 assists) have come during the star defenseman’s ongoing seven-game point streak.
Holloway has nine points (five goals, four assists) during a six-game point streak. Jordan Kyrou leads the Blues with 23 points (nine goals, 14 assists).
