COL at VAN | Recap

VANCOUVER -- Thatcher Demko made 25 saves for the Vancouver Canucks in a 3-0 win against the Colorado Avalanche at Rogers Arena on Tuesday.

It was the first shutout of the season and ninth in the NHL for Demko, who missed the first two months of the season recovering from a knee injury sustained in the first game of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs. He came into the game 4-6-3 with an .873 save percentage but has won two of his past three starts with a .943 save percentage.

“I know where my game's at right now,” Demko said. “There's been some games that probably didn't reflect that. Sometimes that's the challenging part as a player, is being able to have confidence and trust in yourself internally when you know externally, it might not look that way. So, I know what direction I'm headed, and certainly tonight was a good game.”

COL@VAN: Demko records 25-save shutout in 3-0 victory

Jake DeBrusk had a goal and assist, and Filip Hronek had two assists for the Canucks (24-18-11), who were playing their second straight game without top defenseman Quinn Hughes because of an undisclosed injury. It was Vancouver’s first win in three games (1-1-1) since trading center J.T. Miller to the New York Rangers on Friday, the first of two deals that brought back four players.

“Obviously, Quinn is such a huge part of this team, everyone here knows it, and it's a big loss,” DeBrusk said. “It's one of those things where lots of guys have to step up and really help in different ways and obviously no one's going to be like him but, in saying that, I think our defenseman did a great job tonight, especially against a team that is unreal on the rush.”

Mackenzie Blackwood made 28 saves for the Avalanche (31-22-2), who were trying to win three straight games for the first time in a month.

Colorado, which is 7-7-2 since a six-game winning streak ended on Jan. 4, only had four shots in a third period that included four Canucks power plays.

“It's disappointing,” coach Jared Bednar said. “For me, this is a borderline playoff game in February, right? And I just didn't like the way we competed in order to win the game. We played a smart hockey game for the most part. We did some good things, but like in the trenches, we weren't hard enough.”

DeBrusk put the Canucks ahead 1-0 at 4:26 of the second period after Hronek stole the puck inside the Vancouver blue line and led a rush up ice. His shot off right wing created a high rebound that DeBrusk caught between the hash marks while driving the net, dropping the puck to his stick and sliding a low shot past Blackwood’s left pad from in close.

“That one was weird,” DeBrusk said. “I didn't know if that was going to count or what was going to go down, because it's kind of just a freak play.”

COL@VAN: DeBrusk catches the puck, puts it down and scores

It was the first goal in three games against Blackwood, ending his shutout streak at 146:55, the ninth-longest in team history.

“I made the save, put it up in the air high, and then he caught it and threw it down,” Blackwood said. “I was backing up because there was guys all coming to the net, so I just backed up a little bit too quick on that one, and he kind of just like crumbled it off the post there. That was a weird play.”

Colorado hit the post three times in the first period, including two on point shots from Cale Makar, and Martin Necas on a 2-on-1 pass from Nathan MacKinnon.

“There were sparks, shifts where we did [generate enough], shifts where we just didn't but the consistency right now is just not there,” Makar said. “We just can't string a couple games together lately, and it's unfortunate.”

Demko was at his best midway through the second period, first getting a glove on a Makar shot off the rush at 10:15, then going post to post to get his glove on Artturi Lehkonen’s backdoor one timer at 10:56 before ending the extended pressure shift by catching another Makar shot at 11:08.

“Just trying to get a piece of something,” Demko said. “It was a big kind of sequence there, a lot of bodies flying around, and couple scoring chances, but I thought the guys collapsed really well, and kind of managed the guts of the ice and we got to get through those situations as a six-man unit.”

COL@VAN: Demko with a great save against Artturi Lehkonen

Brock Boeser made it 2-0 on the power play at 8:20 of the third period on a rush that started with a long breakout pass from Hronek to DeBrusk and a cross-ice pass that Boeser chipped under the glove of a sliding Blackwood.

“I was really proud of the way we played and that's a good hockey team over there, and obviously their star guys, you know what they can do,” Boeser said. “They got some looks, but I think we kept strong and held the fort down, and [Demko] made some unreal saves, so kudos to everyone.”

Drew O'Connor, who was acquired from the Pittsburgh Penguins on Friday, scored his first for the Canucks into an empty net at 19:48 for the 3-0 final.

“Anytime that you have some new faces in the mix, they're all excited and it's contagious,” DeBrusk said. “They brought lots of energy and speed."

NOTES: Makar, MacKinnon and Colorado defenseman Devon Toews will represent Canada in the 4 Nations Face-Off from Feb. 12-20. Lehkonen is on Team Finland. … The Avalanche killed off a two-minute 5-on-3 in the third period without giving up a shot and Boeser’s power play goal is the only one they’ve given up in eight games, killing 15 of 16. … Hughes skated with coaches before on Tuesday morning but left before the full morning skate started and is considered day to day. … Hughes will represent the United States in the 4 Nations Face-Off. Vancouver forward Elias Pettersson is on Team Sweden.