Goalie Kevin Lankinen 'living day by day' with Vancouver Canucks
Kevin Lankinen has made a point of focusing on what's in front of him — whether it's a puck or an opportunity.
The goalie stuck to that ideal Friday as he made his debut for the Vancouver Canucks (0-0-2).
"Living day by day has kind of been my motto the last few years," he said after the Canucks dropped a 3-2 shootout decision to the Philadelphia Flyers (1-0-0).
"Not look too far ahead, not look too far behind, and just put my best foot forward every day. And with those habits every day, kind of build that long term success, if you will. So, that was a good first one, but a lot to build on, too.”
Lankinen stopped 29 of the 31 shots he faced Friday before Morgan Frost put a shot past him glove side in the fifth round of the shootout.
Some of his biggest saves of the night came midway through the third period when Philly's highly touted prospect Matvei Michkov fired the puck from the slot, hitting the Finnish netminder's pad. The rebound popped out to rookie Jett Luchanko, whose shot sent Lankinen diving backward and to his right for a save as bodies crashed into the crease.
“I think that was a little bit of desperation mode there. But I think that's part of the game, too," Lankinen said. "I got the bounce, and I think I got some help from the guys, too, along the goal line there. So that's a team effort.
"I'm trying to do my best, and I know the guys have got my back. And likewise. So it's fun to play behind this team.”
Canucks head coach Rick Tocchet was impressed with Lankinen's performance.
“Really good," he said. "He’s been good the whole camp and every game he’s played a solid game. Really solid.”
Lankinen was a late addition for the Canucks.
The 29-year-old goalie inked a one-year, US$875,000 contract with Vancouver on Sept. 21 when the team was already in Penticton, B.C., for training camp.
Now in his fifth NHL season, Lankinen went undrafted before signing with the Chicago Blackhawks as a free agent in May 2018. He spent two seasons with the club before joining the Nashville Predators ahead of the 2022-23 campaign.
The six-foot-two, 190-pound netminder has 45-43-15 career record with a .905 save percentage, a 3.06 goals-against average and three shutouts.
He joins a Vancouver goalie squadron led by all-star Thatcher Demko, who is out indefinitely with a knee injury.
The Canucks are "a great group, from top to bottom," Lankinen said.
"Solid (defence) core, exceptional talent up front. Obviously, goaltending has been really strong here, too. And even the coaching staff, starting from the head coach to the goalie coach, and everything is top-notch," he said. "So, I'm just proud of being part of this.”
Vancouver's defence was tested Friday when Tyler Myers went down less than two minutes into the game after hitting Joel Farabee along the boards.
Myers spent several minutes on the ice being looked at by trainers before he was helped up and went directly to the locker room, favouring his right leg. He did not return.
Making adjustments when a defenceman leaves the game isn't easy, admitted Vancouver blue liner Derek Forbort.
"You’ve just got to be smart with your changes. You don’t want to over extend," he said. "It sucks, but everyone’s just got to pick up the slack.”
The Canucks defenders logged big minutes Friday, including captain Quinn Hughes, who's ice time totalled 31:29.
Lankinen liked the team in front of him rallied.
"That was huge, obviously, playing with five (defencemen) throughout the whole game," he said. "Especially a game like that, a lot of grinding and battling. They did a tremendous job. I'm really proud of the d core.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 11, 2024.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'Going behind his back': Tory MPs support federal housing program that Poilievre vowed to cancel
Five Conservative MPs have written letters to the Liberal housing minister asking him to grant their communities funding from a program that Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre this week called disastrous and promised to cancel.
North Korean troops in Russian uniforms are heading toward Ukraine, U.S. says
U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Wednesday that North Korean troops wearing Russian uniforms and carrying Russian equipment are moving to the Kursk region near Ukraine, in what he called a dangerous and destabilizing move.
Afghan women cannot pray loudly or recite in front of other women, says Taliban minister
Afghan women are forbidden from praying loudly or reciting the Quran in front of other women, according to a Taliban government minister.
1 person facing charges following fatal boat crash in eastern Ontario on Victoria Day weekend
A South Frontenac Township man is facing charges, including impaired operation causing death, in connection to a boat crash that killed three people on Bobs Lake in eastern Ontario over the Victoria Day long weekend.
B.C. woman continues to be paid for a federal government job she has never worked
Vanita Lindsay has been paid $8,816.20 for a job she has never worked.
Air Canada to resume daily flights to Beijing, increase service to Shanghai
Air Canada says it's increasing its service to China including daily flights to Beijing.
Airbnb says man's losses not covered after rental home robbed in Montreal
A Toronto man says the Airbnb he was staying at in Montreal last week was robbed and learned that his losses are not covered by the short-rental company.
Canada Post presents latest contract offer to Canadian Union of Postal Workers
Canada Post has presented its latest contract offer to the Canadian Union of Postal Workers in a bid to reach a new deal without a labour disruption.
'Mysterious' four-legged creature spotted at night in Bristol Zoo
In a surprising discovery, Bristol Zoo's conservation team captured night vision footage of a 'mysterious' creature on zoo grounds.