Canucks go to Kevin Lankinen for 3rd consecutive game in net, but is it the right choice?
The Vancouver Canucks are doubling down on who they think their starter should be, as they turn to Kevin Lankinen for his third consecutive start as they face Connor Bedard and Chicago Blackhawks. But is this the right decision?
As it stands right now, when you look at it at face value, of course going back to Kevin Lankinen for the third consecutive game makes sense as he is off to a hot start to the season. Lankinen is the goalie behind the Canucks' only wins this season and even played great in the only game he lost in extra time.
Since being singed over the offseason for an absolute bargain by General Manager Patrik Allvin, Lankinen has achieved a .953 save percentage to go along with a 2-0-1 record.
Is goin back to Kevin Lankinen the right call?
So yes, it is clear that the Canucks would go back to him and play the hot goalie, but is this the right call for the development and performance of Artur Silovs down the line?
At 23-years-old, Silovs has had minimal NHL experience, but his performance in the playoffs last season made him somewhat of a hero with management and Canucks fans, but his game has not translated well over into this season.
The main question to ask is, with Lankinen starting again this evening against the Blackhawks (October 22nd), the next time that Silovs could start will be Saturday, which will be 10 full days until he last saw NHL action.
I agree with going with the hot hand in net, but if you have any hopes of developing and having Artur Silovs being a competent full time goalie of the teams future, then you need to keep these long periods of rest in mind.
But, at the end of the day, winning is always the most important result and trumps everything else.
