EDMONTON — The Vancouver Canucks need more than their goalie to start on time.

Thatcher Demko’s brilliant performance on Saturday wasn’t enough to save the Canucks, who were outshot 37-15 and lost 3-1 to the Edmonton Oilers.

This was a goalie-adjusted blowout. Without Demko, as Canucks winger Brock Boeser noted, the score could have been 5-1 or 6-1.

But had the Canucks just managed more in the first two periods, when they were outskated and outplayed and outscored 2-0, the game might have actually finished in their favour. That’s how good Demko was.

Two games don’t make a trend — especially when there are 80 remaining.

But in their National Hockey League opener on Thursday, the Canucks’ sloppy first half on home ice against the Calgary Flames looked like nerves, opening-night jitters

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