Canucks vs. Predators: Casey DeSmith is healthy again … to back up?

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Vancouver Canucks coach Rick Tocchet is keeping his cards close to his chest about the status of goalie Casey DeSmith, who missed Game 4 on Sunday against the Nashville Predators because what is now being called a “lower-body” injury.

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DeSmith was a full participant in Tuesday morning’s game-day skate before Game 5 at Rogers Arena. But sources hinted to Postmedia and to the Nation Network’s Irfaan Gaffar that Artūrs Šilovs, who started Game 4 in DeSmith’s stead, was going to be the starting goalie for Game 5.

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Šilovs went through many of the same morning skate rituals that have become customary for starting goalies under Canucks director of goaltending Ian Clark — a lot of visualization work with Clark, specific game-preparation drills — but then DeSmith did them as well.

At the very least, it was a very deliberate effort by the Canucks to conceal who their starting goalie would be. Šilovs was first off the ice, usually indicative of the starting goalie, but then DeSmith followed shortly after.

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The Canucks don’t let their goalies speak to media on game days, but they’re often still in the dressing room when reporters are allowed to enter. On Tuesday, however, both were already gone.

Asked in his morning media availability, Tocchet was coy. He said he normally doesn’t mind telling reporters about his plans for starting goalie, but in this situation he’s under orders to not reveal anything.

DeSmith didn’t even dress on Sunday, but was healthy enough to be the Canucks’ emergency third goaltender. Nikita Tolopilo, who has been serving as the team’s third goalie since Thatcher Demko was injured last week, sat on the bench as the backup for Game 4 and was on the ice again Tuesday morning, though barely participated in practice.

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Tocchet didn’t confirm that Tolopilo wouldn’t be the back up on Tuesday, but he got pretty close to at least saying that.

Asked if Šilovs and DeSmith would be the two goalies dressed, Tocchet got creative.

“I’ll put it this way, Casey had a good day yesterday, so I would foresee it that if he did not play, he’d be a backup,” he said.

On Monday, Tocchet said that DeSmith’s status was being monitored hour-to-hour. He said the undisclosed injury happened during Friday’s Game 3 in Nashville.

DeSmith did practise Saturday and was reportedly very jovial with reporters afterwards, so his absence on Sunday for Game 4 was a total surprise.

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