The Vancouver Canucks finally won a game. Fans can salivate at finally being back in the win column after a demoralizing loss to the New Jersey Devils at home on Wednesday (Oct. 30). Though Saturday’s win against the San Jose Sharks was against a team near the bottom of the league’s standings, they were in the midst of a three-game winning streak before their loss to the Canucks. The win will have most people praising Puis Suter for his two goals with the second coming with less than a minute left in a tie game, but the praise should be going to goaltender Kevin Lankinen for giving the Canucks a chance to win not just in Saturday’s game but for the entire season.
Lankinen Has Helped Save the Canucks’ Season
Before Lankinen’s late signing, the Canucks were at a crossroads with their goaltending situation. The club was given bad news about starter Thatcher Demko as he could not play at full speed once training camp began due to an injury sustained in the playoffs. Many thought the Canucks would be fine with having Arturs Silovs as the club’s starting goaltender as he was a capable goalie during his starts in the playoffs.
But general manager Patrik Allvin decided to get some depth at the goaltending position and signed Lankinen to a one-year deal. Since joining the Canucks, the Finnish goalie has played seven games and has posted a .919 save percentage (SV%) and a 2.25 goals-against average (GAA). Compare that to Silovs’ .797 SV% and 5.00 GAA in three games. Although Silovs’ stats are a small sample size, you need a goaltender that gives your team confidence and right now, he is not giving the Canucks players confidence.
Without the Lankinen signing, the Canucks would be near the bottom of the NHL standings with the likes of the Chicago Blackhawks and the Sharks because the team would not have a capable starting goaltender. Thanks to Lankinen’s play this season, the Canucks are holding strong in the Pacific Division in third place and they are playing this way without Demko. With Lankinen playing as well as he has been, things are looking good for the Canucks in net moving forward.
What Happens When Demko Comes Back?
Canucks fans are still waiting with bated breath for when Demko comes back ready and healthy. The Canucks goaltender currently has a timeline of 2-3 weeks as reported by the Donnie and Dhali show on Oct. 30, 2024. So if Demko can return either the third or fourth week of November, it will probably take him some time to get acclimated since he hasn’t played a full game since Game 1 of Round 1 in last season’s playoffs. With Demko needing to get back into the swing of things once he returns, the hope is that Lankinen keeps playing as well as he has been so the Canucks can keep traction in the Western Conference.
Related: Thatcher Demko’s Injury Clouds Canucks’ Playoff Hopes
But once Demko gets into a groove and starts playing the way he can, the Canucks will be set for the rest of the season. The team will have a top goaltending tandem and will have the ability to be a feared team once the New Year begins and the club looks to ramp up their play heading into the playoffs. The best teams in the league have a tandem goaltending duo so that the team’s starter is not worn out by the time the playoffs begin. Last season, the Florida Panthers had Anthony Stolarz as their backup goalie and he helped take some pressure off of Sergei Bobrovsky so that he wasn’t tired for the playoffs. If the Canucks can do that heading into the postseason, they could do some serious damage.
Lankinen has been a saviour for the Canucks as he is the reason they have been able to stay afloat without Demko. But once Demko comes back and starts to play the way fans are accustomed to, and Lankinen keeps playing the way he is, the Canucks will be a great team in the playoffs.
