Demko rocked, defensive no-show, and more: 3 reasons why Vancouver Canucks lost 5-1 to Boston Bruins

The Vancouver Canucks suffered a bitter 5-1 loss to the Boston Bruins on home ice on Saturday night. The Canucks struggled to get their offense moving, mustering a single tally on the night.

David Pastrnak led the way for the Bruins with a four-point night. Brad Marchand, Morgan Geekie, Pavel Zacha and Marc McLaughlin got the other goals for the Bruins. Meanwhile, Mark Sasson got the Canucks on the board with his first of the season at 10:13 of the third period.

Canucks netminder Thatcher Demko gave up a five-spot on 28 shots in his second start of the season.

So, here’s a look at the three key reasons why the Vancouver Canucks lost to the Boston Bruins on Saturday night.

3 reasons why Vancouver Canucks lost to Boston Bruins

#3 Underwhelming special teams

The Vancouver Canucks special teams didn’t have a particularly strong night. For starters, the power play went 0-for-2. Vancouver’s chances were spread out between the second and third periods. The team’s first power play opportunity came in the second when the game was still 3-0.

Had the Canucks scored on that opportunity, the score would have been 3-1. That goal could have been a momentum swinger that, with plenty of time left on the clock, could have changed the game’s outcome.

Similarly, Vancouver gave up a power play goal to open the scoring in the first period. While the Canucks ended up going 3-for-4 on the penalty kill, it’s worth pointing out that the power play goal by Marchand in the first swung the early momentum in the Bruins’ favor, putting the Canucks in a tough spot from the beginning.

#2 Defensive no-show

While the Vancouver Canucks played a tough, physical game, they showed a largely weak defensive effort. David Pastrnak had a goal and three assists, with Pavel Zacha registering three points of his own.

Overall, Vancouver could do little to stop the Bruins’ top six, giving them plenty of time and space to make plays. It seemed as though the Canucks were frozen in time, unable to keep up with the Bruins’ speed and skills.

#1 Demko rocked

Thatcher Demko made this second start since coming off the injured list. However, it was another rough night for the Canucks’ starting netminder. Demko gave up five goals on 28 shots. Saturday night’s performance came on the heels of his last outing, where he gave up four goals on 25 shots against the St. Louis Blues in a 4-3 overtime loss.

While Demko may still need time to get back to form, the clock is ticking. The longer it takes Demko to round into shape, the more complicated it will become for Vancouver to stay in the thick of the Western Conference playoff race.

The Canucks will get the day off on Sunday before facing a tough challenge from the visiting Colorado Avalanche.