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Injured Casey DeSmith: former Lions goalkeeper backs Vancouver up

 Christopher Brown
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Injured Casey DeSmith: former Lions goalkeeper backs Vancouver up
Credit: Photo by Derek Cain/Getty Images

The Vancouver Canucks are without the injured Thatcher Demko. He won his team’s first game and has been unavailable ever since.

The result? In games #2 and #3 of the series against Nashville, former Canadian Casey DeSmith was on duty.

Was this ideal? Of course not. But at least DeSmith had a great season, he had the support of his people (especially Demko) and he won one of the two games, allowing his team to go into Game #4 with a series lead.

But now things are going badly. Looking ahead to Game #4 of the series, which takes place at 5 p.m. (Quebec time), we first saw the Canucks pilot unable to confirm DeSmith’s presence in net.

It was suspicious, especially in light of the fact that Demko isn’t ready to return.

And now we learn that Arturs Silovs will be in net for the Canucks after all. He will replace DeSmith, who is also injured and unable to play.

Silovs, who played for the Trois-Rivières Lions (10 games) in 2021-2022, will face a huge challenge. His nine games of NHL experience will help him… but how much?

Mikita Tolopilo(who?) is expected to be his assistant.

Frank Seravalli reports that DeSmith’s injury is not major and that the goaltender could return to action in the next game, adding that Michael McCarron’s shot would not be to blame.

This isn’t the only special situation in Canada (although it is rather bizarre, we must admit), as the Auston Matthews case is also attracting increasing attention.

And one has to wonder if it’s any weirder than what’s happening in Vancouver.

Basically, the man who didn’t finish yesterday’s game was told by his coach that “the effects have persisted and worsened as he continues to play”, and that this explains his absence at the end of yesterday’s game.

Understandably, with the Maple Leafs in such dire straits, there’s a lot of cynicism around town.

The Maple Leafs (1-3 in their series) are therefore in a poor position to hope to bring the Stanley Cup back to Canada, at the time of writing. The Canucks (2-1) are also in trouble.

The Jets (1-2, game #4 in progress) and Oilers (2-1) may have a better chance of advancing to the second round, given the current state of affairs in Canada.


In gusto

– That’s his prerogative.

– Pierre LeBrun: the Hart to Nathan MacKinnon. [BPM Sports]

– Pardon?

– Nice!

– Well done.

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