Thatcher Demko was superb in his return from a 14-game absence, making 39 saves as the Vancouver Canucks clinched the Pacific Division title on Tuesday with a convincing 4-1 win over the visiting Calgary Flames.
Tuesday marked the final home game of the regular season for the Canucks (50-22-9, 109 points), who needed just one point to be crowned division champs for the first time in 11 years. Vancouver won the Northwest Division back in 2013.
Demko had not played since March 9 due to a knee injury.
Tyler Myers had a goal and an assist while Dakota Joshua, J.T. Miller and Nils Hoglander also scored for the playoff-bound Canucks, who won 50 games in a single season for the first time since 2011-12.
Vancouver was able to cool off a Flames offense that had averaged four goals over its previous four games. But on Tuesday, Brayden Pachal had the only marker for Calgary (37-39-5, 79 points), while goaltender Jacob Markstrom made 27 saves.
The Canucks started quickly, scoring twice in an 88-second span of the first period to take a 2-0 lead.
Myers opened the scoring with a short-handed goal at the 12-minute mark. He raced down the right wing and took a perfect pass from Teddy Blueger before beating Markstrom blocker side for his fifth goal of the season.
Myers’ goal came just moments after former Canucks forward Andrei Kuzmenko rang a shot off the post.
Hoglander then scored his 24th marker of the season by finishing off a two-on-one rush with Elias Pettersson at 13:28 of the first.
Joshua extended the lead to 3-0 at 1:58 of the second period, mimicking Myers by putting a shot home blocker side on Markstrom.
Pachal scored on a wrist shot from the slot at 10:56 of the third to cut the Canucks’ lead to 3-1.
Miller added an insurance goal at 15:02.
–Field Level Media
