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Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Vancouver Canucks

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When: Sunday, 1:00 p.m. PT, Rogers Arena

TV: Sportsnet. Radio: Sportsnet 650

The buzz: Thatcher Demko is all about routine and details. He has a Zen-like approach to his craft and doesn’t like to deviate from preparations that put him in the right mental and physical state to perform at his best.

That’s why a matinee against the highly dynamic Lightning on the occasion of his return from a long and strenuous rehab for a left knee injury is not the best way to score the goal – although he is ready – because the Canucks are on home ice with a terrible 4-5-3 record. And their starts in the first half of the game were terrible.

So instead of facing a shooting gallery, Demko will once again be backing up Kevin Lankinen and could then get the cage on Tuesday against the St. Louis Blues. The Canucks are scheduled to practice on Monday.

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Demko suffered a knee injury in Game 1 against the Nashville Predators on April 21 when he was caught against the post late in the opening game of the first-round playoff series.

The Buzz 2.0: So the Canucks started another bad game, you say. The 15th time this season you say.

No problem, they came back nine times to win. That’s not sustainable, you say. Come on, what’s your evidence? What do you mean they only won 12 times last season after conceding the first goal of the game? What do you mean by the team that scores first tends to win the game?

Oh boy.

Here’s the simple truth: The Canucks need to start better. It’s one thing to come back against an exciting but flawed team like Columbus. It’s a completely different thing to try to do that against a strong team like the Lightning.

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The story: The Lightning completely overwhelmed the Canucks on their season-opening visit to Florida in October. They play well.

The hope: The Lightning aren’t as fast as Columbus and the Canucks have been pretty solid defensively this season when not facing fast teams.

The fear: The Lightning just beat the Sharks 8-1. Brandon Hagel shows why he belongs on Team Canada. Brayden Point has 16 goals. Nikita Kucherov has 34 points despite missing the last two games. Moral of the story here: Watch. Out of.

The top weapons: Jake DeBrusk remains on fire. Quinn Hughes too. Elias Pettersson continues to collect points and so does Brock Boeser. Vancouver can score, but can they beat the Lightning? Can they score first?

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The wounded: Canucks: Thatcher Demko (knee, day-to-day), Derek Forbort (leg, day-to-day), JT Miller (personal leave, indefinite), Filip Hronek (shoulder, eight weeks). Lightning: Nikita Kucherov (unknown, day by day), Mitchell Chafee (unknown, day by day)

The quote: “I have to talk to my goalkeepers this afternoon.” — Tocchet had said who will start on Sunday.

The latest: JT Miller skated alone. Tocchet says there is a plan. What’s notable is that Miller’s equipment was back in its stall on Saturday.

The lineup:

DeBrusk-Pettersson-Boeser

Joshua Suter Garland

Höglander-Blueger-Sherwood

Räty-Sasson-Heinen

Hughes Myers

Soucy Juulsen

Brännström-Desharnais

Demko

The prediction: How many Canadians went to the Taylor Swift show on Saturday? How many flashes? Will that make a difference in this matinee opener? The Canucks are still stumbling at home, it feels like a 4-2 Lightning win.

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– with a file from Ben Kuzma

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