Vancouver Canucks goaltender Thatcher Demko is expected to be sidelined six weeks with a lower-body injury, general manager Patrik Allvin announced

Demko, 26, sustained the injury during the first period of the Canucks’ 5-1 loss to the Florida Panthers on Thursday.

With 47 seconds remaining in the first period, Demko stopped the first two shots during a Panthers flurry in front of the net before Ryan Lomberg deposited the next rebound for a goal. Demko was down on the ice after the play and needed to be helped to Vancouver’s locker room.

Lomberg’s goal was the third for Florida in a 59-second span.

Demko stopped 15 of 18 shots as Florida delivered consistent pressure throughout the period before finally breaking through with a late surge.

“A lot of teams have a lot of injuries and we’ll overcome and we’ll be better for it and he’ll be better for it in the end when he’s healthy,” Canucks coach Bruce Boudreau said Saturday.

Spencer Martin replaced Demko, who is 3-10-2 with a 3.93 goals-against average and .883 save percentage in 15 games this season.

“If I was Spencer, I’d be going, ‘OK, now’s my chance to prove to the world that I’m not a backup, I’m a great goaltender,'” Boudreau said. “He’s proven it already to us but now he can prove it to everybody.”

Martin, 27, likely will be in net when the Canucks host the Arizona Coyotes on Saturday. He is 6-2-1 with a 3.21 GAA and .900 save percentage in 10 games (nine starts) this season.

–Field Level Media