Brock Boeser’s deft deflection in the third period drew the Canucks even. However, Nazem Kadri converted a cross-ice pass just three minutes later for the winner
It started Tuesday as if the combatants had New Year’s Eve plans and wanted to get the game over with as soon as possible.
Sticks got up, tempers flared, there were three fights in the second period, and a level of chippy-ness associated with a game of elevated meaning as the teams combined for 16 penalties and 50 minutes.
It was also a test of team unity and the Canucks answered the call in a tough 3-1 setback that vaulted Flames into the second wild-card position, a point before the Canucks, who are now on outside of a playoff spot but have a game in hand.
However, Nazem Kadri converted a cross-ice pass of the rush just three minutes later before Soucy game the puck away for Jonathan Huberdeau to salt it away with an empty-net goal.
Here’s what else we leaned as Connor Zary also scored for the Flames, while the Canucks fell to 10-4-2 on the road:
Lankinen versus Blackwood bucks
Any pending unrestricted free agent is aware of what’s happening with those in a similar situation. Especially one who ranks as a bargain-aisle find.
For Lankinen, 29, the latest indication of where he may slot in for a Canucks contract or the open market came Friday. When goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood, 28, of the Colorado Avalanche agreed to a five-year, US$26.50 million contract it probably caught the attention of Lankinen.
Lankinen won his first 10 road starts to set an NHL record and it’s understandable that the Canucks could entertain locking him up, even with Demko under contract for another season at $5 million before needing a new deal. Canucks general manager Patrik Allvin told Sportsnet on Monday there might be a way to retain both stoppers.
“There are ways to afford both, if we want to go down that path,” said Allvin. “I think Kevin has been really good for us up to this point. This is the most he has played and a very small sample size of what he is. But not doubt he has been very good for us.”
Lankinen finished with 26 saves and was at his customary calm and collected best. It took the 11th Flames shot in the first period to get a puck past him. Zary finished off a sequence that started with Lankinen denying Jakob Pelletier on a backhanded after he got past Juulsen. Yegor Sharangovich then shovelled the rebound into top of the crease for a two-foot, tap-in to open scoring.
Lankinen was tested early and often Tuesday. In the first period, he got a right arm on a Sharangovich shot destined for the top corner and then fought off a hotshot by Zary before getting a blocker on a shot he didn’t even see. It was the same in the second period. Lankinen hugged the post on a 5-on-3 Flames power play to deny Matt Coronado.
The Kuzmenko calamity continues
You’d think after sitting out five-straight games and eight of the last 11, of which most were as a healthy scratch to reach him on some level, mercurial Russian winger Andrei Kuzmenko would have had plenty of incentive to right so many wrongs Sunday in a 3-0 loss at Las Vegas.
He responded with no shots and one hit on 9:49 of ice time and sat the last eight minutes.