On Friday, Canucks number-one netminder Thatcher Demko went on the injured reserve list and is expected to miss at least a couple of weeks. Based on recent history; don’t hold your breath.
Also Friday, captain Quinn Hughes missed the match against the Carolina Hurricanes in Raleigh. He’s day-to-day with the club playing back-to-back games against the Lightning and Panthers on Sunday and Monday. “Huggy” has missed five games this season due to injury.
Before the 4-3 OT loss to the Canes, Vancouver forward Evander Kane took a shot off the head during warm-ups but was able to play. During the game he slid hard into the end boards after falling down in a high-speed puck chase against Carolina D-man K’Andre Miller.
Hughes’s regular D-partner Filip Hronek left the ice in the final seconds of regulation at the guidance of the league’s concussion spotter. As of late Friday night there was no update as to whether he has a condition.
Just a hunk of bad news and a few bullets being dodged for a team with five other NHL players on injured reserve already. That list would include forwards Jonathan Lekkerimaki, Filip Chytil, Nils Hoglander, Teddy Blueger and defenceman Derek Forbort.
The injury bug is apparently contagious. Canes leading goal scorer Seth Jarvis left Friday night’s game in the first period with a facial wound after being hit by teammate Andrei Svechnikov’s stick on a fluke play in behind the net. Svechnikov’s twig came up while he was defending against Elias Pettersson of the Canucks.
Earlier Canucks:
— Canucks Lose Demko And 5-3 Game To Jets
