Rookie goaltender Thatcher Demko had 26 saves in his first career NHL game, helping the Vancouver Canucks to a 5-4 overtime win over the Columbus Blue Jackets in action Saturday afternoon at Rogers Arena.
Darren Archibald, Nikolay Goldobin, Jussi Jokinen, Bo Horvat and Alex Edler (with the OT winner) scored for Vancouver (29-40-9), while Seth Jones, Pierre-Luc Dubois, Zach Werenski and Cam Atkinson tallied for the Blue Jackets (44-29-5).
Joonas Korpisalo stopped 24 Canucks shots in taking the loss for the Blue Jackets.
After a Daniel Sedin penalty, Columbus got on the board at 13:55 of the opening period, when defenceman Jones fired a slapshot off the goalpost and in as Demko was screened by his own teammate, Archibald. The goal was the 16th of the season for Jones.
Seth Jones fires it from the point for Thatcher Demko's first goal-against in the NHL. #CBJ leads the #Canucks 1-0 pic.twitter.com/6bfaGRTHG2
— CanucksArmy (@CanucksArmy) March 31, 2018
Demko was especially sharp in the second period, making one unbelievable save on a Columbus 2-on-1.
Thatcher Demko bailing out the #Canucks on a 2-on-1 🔥 pic.twitter.com/acNy2iatpU
— CanucksArmy (@CanucksArmy) March 31, 2018
Vancouver tied the game up with eight minutes and seven seconds left in the second period on Archibald’s fourth goal of the season.
Archibald flew up the left boards and took a hard wrist shot. Korpisalo got a piece of the puck with his glove but it found its way into the back of the net. On the play, Vancouver’s Ashton Sautner was awarded the only assist, earning him his first NHL point.
Archie rips it and the puck goes off Korpisalo's glove and in. #Canucks and #CBJ are tied at 1 pic.twitter.com/AMROt0Wyel
— CanucksArmy (@CanucksArmy) March 31, 2018
Vancouver broke the tie almost immediately, when Jokinen fed Goldobin with a give-and-go for a one-time slapshot through the legs of Korpisalo for his sixth goal of the season to make the score 2-1 Canucks.
Goldobin makes it 2-1 #Canucks with 6 minutes left in the second period . #CBJ pic.twitter.com/GKJisGMu1D
— CanucksArmy (@CanucksArmy) March 31, 2018
Just over five minutes into the third period, Jokinen scored against his former team, converting a Jake Virtanen pass from behind the net for his fourth goal of the season.
Jussi that goal?! Jokinen makes it 3-1 #Canucks. #CBJ pic.twitter.com/87a1bi4ZJu
— CanucksArmy (@CanucksArmy) March 31, 2018
Jokinen provided some more magic when he helped extend the Canucks lead. Jokinen skated into the Columbus end and sent a saucer pass to Horvat, who roofed the puck above Korpisalo’s glove side to set a new career high in goals with his 21st of the season.
Horvat from Jussi "you see that saucer pass" Jokinen makes it 4-1 #Canucks. #CBJ pic.twitter.com/hZWQWbR5Up
— CanucksArmy (@CanucksArmy) March 31, 2018
Columbus clawed back on the power play, when Dubois received a pass in the slot and slid the shot underneath Demko for his 19th goal of the season at 16:02 of the period.
Pierre "was never actually going to be a Canuck because Subban" Dubois makes it a 4-2 game. #Canucks #CBJ pic.twitter.com/lckFbjo1Qn
— CanucksArmy (@CanucksArmy) March 31, 2018
With their goalie pulled, Columbus brought the game within one goal at 18:23, when Artemi Panarin sent a cross-ice pass to Werenski for his 15th goal on the season.
Werenski makes it a 4-3 game with 1:37 left in the third period. #Canucks #CBJ pic.twitter.com/MMQ1iWY9aY
— CanucksArmy (@CanucksArmy) March 31, 2018
Just 16 seconds later, Seth Jones sent another cross-ice pass to Atkinson at the back door to tie the game up at 4-4.
…. and Atkinson scores 16 seconds later and the game is tied 4-4. #Canucks #CBJ pic.twitter.com/jzQQHekBLw
— CanucksArmy (@CanucksArmy) March 31, 2018
In overtime, it took the Canucks a minute and 21 seconds to cap off the victory when Edler had the puck all alone on the side of the net and snapped a wrist shot past Korpisalo’s blocker side.
Alex Edler with a casual OT winner. #Canucks win 5-4 and Thatcher Demko is 1-0-0 in his NHL career! pic.twitter.com/dYZa2CJk0m
— CanucksArmy (@CanucksArmy) March 31, 2018
GAME NOTES:
Vancouver: Demko currently holds a 23-12-4 record with a 2.49 GAA for the Utica Comets in the American Hockey League this year… Centre Adam Gaudette played in his second NHL game this afternoon. He led the NCAA with 60 points (30-30-60) in 38 games this season.
Columbus: Forward Thomas Vanek was traded from Vancouver for Tyler Motte and Jokinen on Feb. 28… Columbus had won 12 of their last 13 games before facing Vancouver… Jones had a goal and three assists in the afternoon… Forward Panarin had four assists in the game.
