Canucks 2, Devils 1: New Faces, Veteran Poise
It was never going to feel normal. The Vancouver Canucks walked into Newark on Sunday without Quinn Hughes for the first time in years, carrying the weight of a blockbuster trade and the curiosity that comes with new names in old jerseys. And yet, by the end of a 2–1 win over the New Jersey Devils, the night felt strangely steady. Not flashy. Just handled.
The scoreline says Vancouver won 2–1, but the story lived between the moments. Power-play goals early, long stretches without the puck late, and Thatcher Demko quietly reminding everyone why structure still matters when talent changes hands. The Canucks didn’t dominate. They survived—and sometimes that’s the more revealing test.
Key Point One: Zeev Buium Arrives Calmly
Zeev Buium didn’t tiptoe into his debut. He scored, added an assist, and looked comfortable running a power play that needed direction in a hurry. Paired with Tyler Myers, Buium moved pucks decisively and didn’t try to be Quinn Hughes—he played Zeev Buium hockey, and that was enough.
There’s a confidence to his game that doesn’t shout. It shows up in choices: for a 20-year-old defenseman in his first NHL game with a new team, points mattered more than anything.
Key Point Two: Canucks’ Power Play Sets the Tone
Jake DeBrusk opened the scoring 61 seconds in, cleaning up his own rebound on the power play, and Vancouver never had to chase the game after that. The second power-play goal—Buium’s—came less than six minutes later and gave the Canucks breathing room they’d need all night.
That early cushion changed the posture of the game. Vancouver could simplify. New Jersey had to press. And when the Devils pushed hard late, the Canucks already knew who they were supposed to be.
Key Point Three: Thatcher Demko Holds the Line
The Devils outshot Vancouver 26–15 and owned long stretches of the third period. It didn’t matter. Thatcher Demko stopped 25 shots, including several during a critical 5-on-3 kill, and never looked rattled.
This was Demko’s kind of game—quiet, focused, unbothered. When Vancouver bent, he didn’t.
Final Thoughts from the Canucks’ Perspective
This wasn’t a statement win. It was something subtler. A team adjusting in real time, finding structure after a seismic change, and trusting the details to carry them through.
Marco Rossi and Liam Ohgren made their debuts without fireworks, but not without purpose. The Canucks didn’t ask them to save the night. They asked them to belong.
In the first game of a new chapter, Vancouver didn’t lose its shape. Sometimes, that’s the real victory.