After battling to a 0-0 tie with the visiting Florida Panthers for 18 minutes, the final two minutes of the first period were an absolute nightmare for the Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»Canucks.
The Panthers scored three-straight goals in the space of 59 seconds to take a 3-0 lead. Worse, Thatcher Demko left the game with what appeared to be an injury to his right leg.
It was an ugly sequence beyond the injury. The Panthers got four shots out of a 3-on-2 rush, as the Canucks were unable to either find the puck or tie up Panther sticks around the net. Demko was able to stop the first three shots, but Ryan Lomberg scored on the fourth shot as Demko clutched his right leg in pain.
Demko seemed to suffer the injury on the third save as he pushed off his right leg to lunge across with his left pad.
The Canucks' number one goaltender had to be helped off the ice, putting no weight on his right leg, with backup Spencer Martin coming into the game in relief.
The injury came at the end of a very strong period for Demko. Under siege by the Panthers all period, Demko stopped 15 of 18 shots.
The Canucks confirmed that Demko would not return to the game.
