Demko and the importance of letting go in big-game preparations

There may not be enough superlatives to describe Thatcher Demko’s first two NHL playoff games.

That they ended with historical comparisons to Jacques Plante is enough said.

When Demko followed up his 42-save effort in Game 5, a 2-1 win against the Vegas Golden Knights on Tuesday, with a 48-save shutout in a 4-0 win in Game 6 on Thursday, he became the first goalie since Plante in 1953 to win his first two playoff starts facing elimination.