Kevin Lankinen needs to show off his record-breaking NHL road show last season.
And right winger Jonathan Lekkerimaki must make the most of his latest opportunities with Vancouver Canucks.
Lankinen returns to goal Saturday night in Los Angeles after missing two games due to personal reasons. The veteran goalkeeper is having a tough season and his inflated numbers suggest he's struggling to be “the guy” in the face of yet another injury-plagued absence from the starting XI. Thatcher Demko.
Demko is skating in Vancouver as he continues to recover from a groin injury suffered on Nov. 11, while Jiri Patera returned to the AHL's Abbotsford affiliate on Saturday. Winger injured Nils Hoglander training with the Canucks.
Lankinen has had his moments this campaign with 31 and 36 save wins, but his below-par 4-7-2 record includes a 3.63 goals-against average and .880 save percentage. In the 2024–25 season, he won his first 10 road tests, surpassing the league record shared by Glenn Hall (1965–66) and Cam Talbot (2022–23).
Jonathan Lekkerimaki reacts with the first shot after scoring the winning goal in a penalty shootout in Newark, New Jersey, on March 24.
For 21-year-old Lekkerimaki, the challenge at the NHL level is finding a defenseman.
The 15th overall pick in the 2022 draft has one goal in four games this season and four in 28 career games. Speed ​​and accuracy are not an issue at the NHL level because his quick attack is a gift that comes naturally. His game awareness and positioning have improved along with his deceptive speed.
However, it is a competitive level to get into the areas with the best performance that needs to be improved. Lekkerimaki has been given a waiver so he will watch the games here, but it shouldn't just be because of injuries. He's still young, but he needs to get going.
AFTER A SOME TIME – Canucks head coach Adam Foote said in his pregame address that the winger Conor Garland was absent this evening but gave no explanation. Aati Rathi returns to take Lukas Reichel's place.
