“It’s poetic”: Demko leading best Canucks goalie duo since Luongo and Schneider

It’s fitting that on the night Roberto Luongo was inducted into the Vancouver Canucks’ Ring of Honour, Thatcher Demko delivered a signature performance. The goalie frustrated the Florida Panthers all night, making 36 saves in a 4-0 shutout victory.

“It’s poetic, right? Something was in the air… Just a really cool evening. He’s such a first-class guy,”  the American-born goalie said of Luongo after the big win.

Tonight’s shutout just confirmed something that should’ve already been obvious: the combination of Demko and backup Casey DeSmith is the Canucks’ best goalie duo since Luongo and Cory Schneider were between the posts.

In 2010-11, Luongo and Schneider shared the William M. Jennings Trophy for having the lowest combined goals-against-average. At that time, they were the most feared goalie tandem in the league.

“As I come through Vancouver now in my career, just hearing the legacy that he left off the ice and trying to follow in his footsteps. Obviously, big shoes to fill, but I’m doing the best I can,” Demko said about Luongo after the game.

The Canucks have had some rough seasons since Schneider was traded in 2013, yet they’ve still had strong goaltenders for the most part. Ryan Miller, Eddie Lack, and Jacob Markstrom have all provided the team with solid play in the crease, but they haven’t had a duo this strong since 2012.

Not only is Demko playing great as the starter, currently sporting a 15-7-0 record with a .923 save percentage, but DeSmith is also thriving as a backup.

Goalie Record Goals-against-average Save percentage Thatcher Demko 15-7-0 2.30 .923% Casey DeSmith 5-2-1 2.69 .917%

The two are giving the Canucks a chance to win every single night and playing as solid as the team has seen between the pipes in more than a decade.

“I thought he was solid,” head coach Rick Tocchet said about Demko after the game. “I thought he was great.”

Before the game, fans in the arena were treated to a heartwarming ceremony where Luongo’s Ring of Honour plaque was revealed. The former goalie gave a touching speech, and there was a tribute video narrated by Kevin Bieksa.