VANCOUVER — As the Vancouver Canucks embark on a new season in search of at least 10 more points than they had last year, goalie Thatcher Demko playing 53 games instead of 23 is a pretty good place to start looking.

His year shortened and hollowed by a series of injuries, Demko did not play last season until Game 27 for the Canucks. In December.

On Thursday, he was ready for Game 1. Demko stopped 17 of 18 shots, including a couple of breakaway saves, and kept the Calgary Flames scoreless until the Canucks found their game in the third period and pumped four goals past Dustin Wolf to win 5-1 at Rogers Arena.

After last season’s chaos for the Canucks and a disappointing 90-point finish that left them out of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, Game 1 felt like something more than just the first of 8

See Full Page