Canucks 4 Flames 1: Demko’s sharpness, division title stoke hype, hope

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There’s always a challenge with taking care of business.

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That’s how the Vancouver Canucks approached their final home game of the regular season with an opportunity to clinch the Pacific Division title for the first time in 11 years and also win their 50th game of the campaign for just the third time in franchise history.

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Still, the anticipation of hosting the first playoff game at Rogers Arena since 2015 was on the minds of many before a convincing 4-1 victory over the Calgary Flames on Tuesday to seal the title deal and still have a shot at topping the Western Conference.

“I’m really happy for the guys,” said Canucks head coach Rick Tocchet. “They did a hell of a job all year and it’s a big honour. They should enjoy it. Let’s face it. Nobody really picked us to win the division and you have to give the players a lot of credit.

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“It’s a hell of a feat going into training camp and working for this. It’s a resilient group. They bought in and we try to do the right things every day.”

J.T. Miller went one better. From where the Canucks are today compared to two years ago isn’t lost on the centre. Either is claiming the division crown.

“It’s cool,” he said. “A couple of years ago here it felt like time was standing still for our team. Lots of turnover. Lots of new faces. We have a lot of reasons to feel good about how far we’ve come in a short amount of time.”

The Canucks struck twice in a 1:28 span of the opening period and Thatcher Demko displayed zero rust with a sharp, square and steady return after missing 14 games with a knee injury. He denied Nazem Kadri on a trio of Grade A chances and it took 33 shots to deny the starter his sixth shutout of the season at 10:56 of the third period.

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An extra save went to Quinn Hughes for sweeping a loose puck off the goal line early in the period.

And when the Canucks extended their lead to 3-0 early in the second period, the Flames lost some fire to play spoiler until a Nils Hoglander cross-check penalty and an ensuing scrum in front of the Calgary bench ramped up the testosterone.

Here’s what we learned as Tyler Myers, Dakota Joshua, Hoglander and Miller scored for the Canucks, while Brayden Pachal replied for the Flames.

In Demko they will always trust

Depending on your birth certificate, it’s easy to recall big and standout stoppers.

For Tocchet, it was playing with Ron Hextall and Tom Barrasso.

For Miller, it was playing with Henrik Lundqvist and Andrei Vasilevskiy.

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However, the Canucks centre sees something special in Demko. It’s not just the size and the mobility, it’s the dedication to rank among the game’s best and be set for the playoff test.

“There are a ton of athletic goalies who are talented, but his work ethic, and his brain and mindset, is what separates him,” said Miller. “He works harder than anybody and competes harder. He has been unreal for us.”

Demko was sharp from the outset Tuesday.

He made a right-pad save off Kadri and then frustrated the Flames’ centre off a partial break in the first period and then again on a power play feed that found Kadri alone at the top of the crease.

“A lot of really good positives to take away from it,” Demko said of the win and division title. “It’s a testament to the work we’ve put in this year and I don’t think anyone here is satisfied. The games will get fun next week (playoffs) and I’m really excited to get up for that.

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“Whatever kind of game I was going to see tonight was important. I’m going to see different types of game in the playoffs and it’s being able to handle any kind. It was good to get out to the 3-0 lead so I could focus on things and get into a rhythm.

“I feel pretty good about my game. It was good to get some game feel with bodies flying around, the stuff you don’t see in practice.”

“Demmer was excellent tonight,” said Tocchet. “It’s his temperament. The big-time goalies, you can just tell. When the pressure hits, they’re not flipping and flopping and diving. They continue with their style. Demmer is a big goalie and just looks big in the net. 

“It doesn’t matter if the team is all over us or not, he stays to who he is, and that’s why I love him.”

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The Canucks finished their regular season Thursday in Winnipeg. It’s a meaningful game, if the conference-leading Dallas Stars lose their final game Wednesday. Aside from another start for Demko, there are players playing through stuff. Rest might be best.

“You want to win every game, but there are precautions,” stressed Tocchet.

Is Hoglander a playoff wild card?

For the bowling-ball Hoglander, playing in the top-six mix means not forgetting his bottom-six mantra. Play hard. Play direct. Play smart.

That’s what the improved Swedish winger did to give the Canucks a two-goal cushion in the first period. On a tic-tac-goal sequence started by Ilya Mikheyev, it was Elias Pettersson’s sweet cross-ice feed that found a streaking Hoglander for his career-high 24th goal of the season.

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But he also mixed it up. Will that fly in the playoffs?

“It’s a tough one because he’s an energy type of guy,” said Tocchet. “You have to be careful and I don’t want to take his batteries out. But you can’t be taking an undisciplined penalty and I’ve lived that in my career.

“You have to play on the edge but not go over the line.”

Hoglander’s effort came 1:28 after Myers was sprung by Teddy Blueger on a short-handed breakaway. After former Canucks winger Andrei Kuzmenko rang a power play shot off the post, it was Myers going short side on Jacob Markstrom.

Did you see smart Joshua move?

It’s one thing to be sprung on an odd-man rush. It’s something else to show a veteran-like patience to freeze the goalie and then pick your spot.

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Joshua broke in with Elias Lindholm and first looked off the former Flames centre, which momentarily froze Markstrom, before picking the far side. It was Joshua’s career-high 18th goal and 32nd point.

And the winners are …

The Canucks announced their annual awards Tuesday on Fan Appreciation Night and the winners weren’t surprising.

Miller was named most valuable player, most exciting player and the leading scorer for being the engine to drive the offence with his career-high 103 points (37-66) to rank ninth in league scoring.

Hughes, who leads all blueliners with 91 points (17-74) was named top defenceman and winner of community leadership. Joshua was named unsung hero and Pettersson tops the most three-star awards.

bkuzma@postmedia.com

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