“We practice techniques and the habits so much, but it’s a matter of keeping the puck out of the net and I love that part of goaltending.” — Canucks’ Kevin Lankinen
Kevin Lankinen is a member of the ’10-90 Club.’
When the unflappable Finn allowed six goals in a lopsided and rare 6-1 road whipping at Winnipeg on Jan. 14 — including Kyle Connor connecting for a natural hat trick in the opening 13:37 as the Canucks struggled to defend against the speedy Jets — it could have festered.
It included denying Alex Ovechkin on seven occasions, including a trio of quick-release wrist shots off faceoffs, to keep the Russian sniper 20 goals shy of breaking Wayne Gretzky’s NHL career goal mark of 894.
“That just builds the confidence a little bit, but the way I see the game, it’s always one puck at a time and a 0-0 game in my head,” said Lankinen. “I just try to stay present.”
It included good structure with sharp glove, pad and rebound saves and even acrobatics late in the opening period when a puck had banked off the end boards and wound up between Lankinen’s legs.
“That’s the fun part of being a goalie sometimes,” he chuckled. “Do whatever it takes. We practice techniques and the habits so much, but it’s a matter of keeping the puck out of the net and I love that part of goaltending.
“I was excited to be back and it felt good, obviously, and a good challenge on a Saturday night and playing a home game. It doesn’t get much better than that.”
Lankinen has gained leaguewide acclaim for winning his first 10 road starts this season to surpass the NHL record set by Glenn Hall (1965-66) and Cam Talbot (2022-23).
And with a 12-3-3 road record, 2.35 goals-against average and .912 saves percentage — second only to Connor Hellebuyck of the Jets — the pending unrestricted free agent is making a strong case to re-sign here.
Management is sold on the work this season to reward Lankinen, 29, for accepting a one-year, US$875,000 deal because the Helsinki native was out of work in September.
There are a dozen NHL goalies from age 28 to 34 with varying experience who currently have cap hits between $5 million and $6 million. That range could be negotiating bookends for the Canucks, who may offer Lankinen term as incentive to not swing for a salary home run.
Here’s what awaits the Canucks this week:
Canucks vs. Blues
When and where: Monday, 4:30 p.m. | Enterprise Center
TV: Amazon Prime, ESPN. Radio: Sportsnet 650
Why watch: Blues coach sings blues
You can tell the wild-card race is heating up when St. Louis bench boss Jim Montgomery called a timeout seven minutes into a 2-0 loss to the Stars on Saturday. The Blues had 33 shots but another 22 were blocked and 15 missed the net. “I didn’t think we were playing with the required amount of desire and passion that we should be showing at this time of year especially,” he said.
Who to watch: Right-winger Jordan Kyrou
Good wheels and great release make first-liner dangerous. Leads team with 21 goals and 145 shots. Has 10 points (5-5) in last 10 games and 11-game home streak last month with 11 points (6-5). It’s longest since Craig Janney’s 13-game streak in 1993-94.
Canucks vs. Predators
When and where: Wednesday, 6 p.m. | Bridgestone Arena
TV: Sportsnet. Radio: Sportsnet 650
Why watch: Predators playing spoiler
In a season gone sideways despite big free-agent acquisitions, the Predators still strung together a five-game win streak before falling 5-2 in Anaheim on Saturday. They beat the Wild and Golden Knights in that run, but even a 7-3-0 spurt still has the Predators 12 points back of wild-card spot.
Who to watch: Left winger Filip Forsberg
He has always given the Canucks fits with his finish and feisty play. Is on a real heater with 12 points (6-6) in the last five games with 30 shots. Leads the Predators with 49 points (18-31) and 173 shots.
Canucks vs. Stars
When and where: Friday, 5 p.m. | American Airlines Center
TV: Sportsnet. Radio: Sportsnet 650
Why watch: Battered, bruised and finding a way
The Stars just finished a stretch of 11 games in 19 days, including a trio of back-to-back tests, and remain in contention for the Central Division title by grinding out wins. They also own one of the league’s best home-ice marks at 18-7-1. The Stars don’t have a player in top 30 scoring, but have seven with double-digit goals.
Who to watch: Centre Matt Duchene
At 34, the second-line veteran pivot shows no signs of slowing down. Leads the Stars in scoring with 48 points (18-29), power-play goals (5) and game winners (4). Has nine points (2-7) in the last seven games, and despite being eighth in team shots (86), he sports a gaudy 20.9 shooting accuracy percentage.