Canucks and Flyers Starve Off Elimination Just To Make The Night Interesting

44 shots. 43 saves.

What a way to end Thatcher Demko's first #StanleyCup playoff start… AND IN AN ELIMINATION GAME, TOO. pic.twitter.com/N9t7LI4mgv
— NHL (@NHL) September 2, 2020

Scott Laughton (@Laughts21) just achieved hero status tonight. #StanleyCup pic.twitter.com/MibY7fWfu8
— NHL (@NHL) September 2, 2020

Both the Flyers and Canucks could have been sent packing tonight but just to make life interesting, both teams beat their rivals and kept the series going.

First the Flyers.

Flyers vs Islanders – Game 5 in a series where the Islanders were leading 3-2. It was do or die and as the Flyers do, they battled tooth and nail to keep themselves in the fight. Barzal started the scoring early with a goal just 1:20 into the first period. Then the Flyers went on to have 3 unanswered goals in a row (Giroux, van Riemsdyk, Niskanen). They sat with that lead until half way through the 3rd. The Islanders put up back-to-back goals from Nelson and Brassard to tie it up and send us to OT.

After 12 grueling minutes into OT, Scott Laughton of the Flyers finally put the nail in the coffin and secured a Game 6. The Flyers haven’t been playing at the level everyone expected them to. They’ve been more timid with the puck and missing countless scoring opportunities. Now, fresh off a win and hopefully hungry to flip the series, I hope we can see more of this kind of play from them. Game 6 between these two will be Thursday, September 3rd at 6:00 PM CT.

Scottie saves the season. #AnytimeAnywhere | #PHIvsNYI pic.twitter.com/uhnPJ4M2on
— Philadelphia Flyers (@NHLFlyers) September 2, 2020

Now to Game 5 of the Golden Knights/Canucks series.

I’ve been pulling for the Canucks since the jump so I am delighted that they didn’t get KO’d tonight. The team decided to switch things up, put rookie Thatcher Demko in net, and boy did that work out well for them. Vegas got on the board first with a goal from Shea Theodore but scoring stopped there for them. Brock Boeser quickly got the game tied with a goal 24 seconds later. Then in the 3rd period, Elias Pettersson (tipped in with the shot from Boeser) scored the GWG just 3 minutes in and Demko did the rest.

The rookie goaltender stopped 43 of the 44 shots he faced, he really stood on his head for his team. The Canucks only put up 17 shots on goal themselves so let’s hope in Game 6, they’ll be a little tougher on Fleury or Lehner. Game 6 will be Thursday, September 3rd at 8:45 PM CT.