DeSmith earns shutout in Canucks win over Wild
Casey DeSmith remains undefeated against the Minnesota Wild.
He earned the latest win after a 26-save shutout as the Vancouver Canucks snapped Minnesota's four-game winning streak with a 2-0 victory over the Wild on Thursday night at Rogers Arena.
The shutout was DeSmith's first since April 21, 2022.
“I didn't know that,” he said about his perfect record against the Wild. “I don't think it's anything in particular, I just try to show up every game and sometimes it goes your way.”
DeSmith last played on Nov. 25, with starting goalie Thatcher Demko earning the other four starts.
“I've always been somebody who can have a long layoff and hop back in and do my job,” DeSmith said.
“I think it's an extra focus in practice, a little extra gear that I have to have so when I go into a game, the game doesn't feel that much faster.”
Canucks head coach Rick Tocchet praised his netminder's perfect performance.
“Was it two weeks since he's played? That's what Casey does. He's done that in his career when he's had inactivity. he was solid for us,” said Tocchet.
Nils Hoglander and Teddy Blueger scored for Vancouver (17-9-1).
Filip Gustavsson stopped 15-of-17 shots for Minnesota (9-11-4), which had won its last eight meetings against Vancouver.
The Canucks lost three of their last five entering Thursday's game.
Meanwhile, the Wild outscored their opponents 18-5 during their win streak.
“We're going to go through those lulls and the inconsistency,” Tocchet said. “If you can stay away from those three, four, five, six game losing streaks, it builds confidence.”
Much of the first period was one-way traffic from Minnesota, with Vancouver going without a shot until there was 6:42 remaining. The Wild outshot the Canucks 12-4 in the frame.
Hoglander opened the scoring with 1:55 left in the first for his ninth of the season. The left-winger brought the puck up ice from his own zone, cut into the slot from just above the right faceoff circle and beat Gustavsson with a wrist shot.
“I think they came out pretty hard in the first,” said Hoglander about his winner. “I don't think that was our best first period. That was a big goal that our line scored.”
While the second period was scoreless, things had changed. The Canucks recorded 10 shots to the Wild's four, with Filip Hronek and Elias Pettersson having the closest scoring chances for Vancouver.
“I felt like we had full control in the first period there and then they made a great read great screen there,” said Gustavsson about his team's performance.
“Hoglander was just waiting there and he saw an opportunity to put it just in there. Then second period, they had more control over it and I think I came up with some good saves, DeSmith did that too and we just couldn't break through him.”
Blueger got in on the action 2:05 into the third period with his second of the season. After Conor Garland's pass split the Wild's defence, Blueger deked Gustavsson from in close, going backhand then forehand to beat the sprawling goaltender.
Gustavsson was pulled in the final two minutes as the Wild looked to stage a comeback.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 7, 2023.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canadian former Olympic snowboarder wanted in Ontario double homicide: DOJ
A Canadian former Olympic snowboarder who is suspected of being the leader of a transnational drug trafficking group that operated in four countries is wanted for allegedly orchestrating the murder of an 'innocent' couple in Ontario in 2023, authorities say.
Ontario school board trustees under fire for $100K religious art purchase on Italy trip
Trustees with an Ontario school board are responding to criticism over a $45,000 trip to Italy, where they purchased more than $100,000 worth of religious statues.
A photographer snorkeled for hours to take this picture
Shane Gross, a Canadian marine conservation photojournalist, has won the title of Wildlife Photographer of the Year.
Tobacco giants would pay out $32.5 billion to provinces, smokers in proposed deal
Three tobacco giants are proposing to pay close to $25 billion to provinces and territories and more than $4 billion to some 100,000 Quebec smokers and their loved ones as part of a corporate restructuring process triggered by a long-running legal battle.
More Trudeau cabinet ministers not running for re-election, sources say shuffle expected soon
Federal cabinet ministers Filomena Tassi, Carla Qualtrough and Dan Vandal announced Thursday they will not run for re-election. Senior government sources tell CTV News at least one other, Marie-Claude Bibeau, doesn't plan to run again, setting the stage for Justin Trudeau to shuffle his cabinet in the coming weeks.
Robert Pickton's handwritten book seized after his death in hopes of uncovering new evidence
A handwritten book was seized from B.C. serial killer Robert Pickton's prison cell following his death earlier this year, raising hopes of uncovering new evidence in a series of unprosecuted murders.
Former members of One Direction say they're 'completely devastated' by Liam Payne's death
The former members of English boy band One Direction reacted publicly to the sudden death of their bandmate, Liam Payne, for the first time on Thursday, saying in a joint statement that they're 'completely devastated.'
Israel says it has killed top Hamas leader Yayha Sinwar in Gaza
Israeli forces in Gaza killed top Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, a chief architect of last year's attack on Israel that sparked the war, the military said Thursday. Troops appeared to have run across him unknowingly in a battle, only to discover afterwards that a body in the rubble was Israel's most wanted man.
Indian government employee charged in foiled murder-for-hire plot in New York City
The U.S. Justice Department announced criminal charges Thursday against an Indian government employee in connection with a foiled plot to kill a Sikh separatist leader living in New York City.