3) Kevin Lankinen keeps the Canucks in touch
If there was any doubt about where Tocchet's confidence lies right now on the goalie situation, surely Monday night removed any doubt? With Kevin Lankinen getting the start for a fifth consecutive game over Artūrs Šilovs, he seems all but anchored in as the number one pending whenever Thatcher Demko is finally ready to return.
Now we understand there are those who will point at Lankinen allowing four goals on 28 shots, and wondering what the fuss is all about? Further, that this was the second straight game where he finished with a less than average .875 save percentage.
However, if you watched the actual game, it's clear that the 29-year-old actually played extremely well, hence why he was awarded the Third Star of the Game. The reality is that without his performance, the Canucks aren't even in position to recover from their 3-1 deficit and take the game to overtime.
We are hesitant to go as far as claiming the Canucks rely on Lankinen too much, but this doesn't change the fact he was crucial to the team securing a valuable point. In our humble opinion, the only goal where you can attach any type of blame to him, was the Hurricanes' first one.
Aside from this, the Finland intentional made several critical saves to get his teammates off the hook and keep the Canucks in the game. Arguably the biggest one came with 10 minutes remaining in the third and the home side down 3-2, when he stopped Seth Jarvis on a short-handed two-on-one.
Postgame, Lankinen was asked about the game, and offered some insight into how he deals with facing teams who are playing better on the night. Also as per the team on social media, he said:
""They've got some pretty good skill. They play hard, so that's always a challenge against those guys, but so do we. I'm just trying my best to stay present and whatever comes my way, just to weather the storm a little bit ... and I’m going to keep grinding here.""
Quote of the game:
Jake DeBrusk talks about his mentality and approach to his goalless drought to begin the 2024-25 season. As per Kuzma, he said:
""I’ve gone through this too many times and I’m more worried about my overall game and there have been good and bad spurts. I’ve got to dial it up and put one in the net. Frustration can lead to bad things. I have to stick with it.""