Last night, Vancouver Canucks goaltender Kevin Lankinen did a number on the Seattle Kraken with a 3-2 in the shootout. He’s the reason the Canucks won last night’s game.
The Canucks did not dominate this game. They didn’t overwhelm Seattle with speed or possession. They even held on in the third period. But none of that mattered as Lankinen decided the puck wasn’t going to get past him. Not then. Not later. Not in the shooting. Not at all.
Lankinen was tested throughout the night
From the opening moments, Seattle tested him. Jordan Eberle asked. Jared McCann with pace. Shots come clean, not the easy kind that yields pad stats. But Lankinen was calm, honest and patient. There was no extra movement or panic. He was there in the right place every time.
The game itself had a lot of juice. Conor Garland and McCann dropped the gloves in what could be the scrap of the year. Vancouver found just enough goals when they needed them. Elias Pettersson quietly climbed another rung on the franchise ladder, passing Alex Burrows on the all-time list.
But none of it survives without Lankinen.
The third period and shootout showed Lankinen at his best
In the third period the ice tilted hard. Seattle threw 16 shots at him in that final frame alone. Lots of A opportunities. Screens in traffic and chaos on the net. Still nothing. Lankinen stayed patient, letting plays come to him and never looking uncomfortable.
Overtime didn’t solve anything. And then came the gunfight, during which Lankinen had apparently decided to become folklore. Seventeen shooters so far. Seventeen stops.
That’s not a typo. Different shooters with different releases. Same result. Somewhere along the way, “hot streak” stops explaining what’s going on. It’s more than confidence, rhythm or even muscle memory.
Sportsnet announcers had fun describing Lankinen’s success
Sportsnet even used wrestling references, such as Mr. Perfect and Mr. Wonderful, to describe the success. It was a goalkeeper who is now on fire. Why not Mr. Clear, because a sportscaster noted that Lankinen’s save percentage in the shootout was much higher than his save percentage in regulation play.
What makes Lankinen’s piece particularly interesting is the context. There was a time earlier in the season when Lankinen conceded some soft goals. But whatever that was, it’s gone. This version of Lankinen looks regular again. And if the Canucks really want to win, that matters. With Thatcher Demko working back into form, the Canucks suddenly have something they haven’t always had. They have two goalies who show up, stop pucks and win games.
Teams steal games. Goalkeepers do that too. Last night Kevin Lankinen was the whole story.
Related: Pickard’s best game of the season interrupts Oilers’ goaltending plans
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