Canucks HC Rick Tocchet defends ‘fighter’ Kevin Lankinen despite suffering disappointing 7-3 loss to Oilers

By Ankit Kumar

Modified Nov 10, 2024 14:52 GMT

Vancouver Canucks coach Rick Tocchet backed up Kevin Lankinen after a rough 7-3 loss to the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday. Despite the result, Tocchet praised Lankinen for his effort, making it clear he didn’t see Lankinen as the problem.

After the game, Tocchet was asked about his performance. He acknowledged that not all seven goals could be blamed on the goaltender.

“Well, he’s a competitor," Tocchet said per NHL.com. "He hung in there. You know, it was 3-2. He made a couple of—I don’t know, there was an empty net, somehow he got a stick on it. So this guy’s a fighter. He’s the least of our problems.”

Tocchet’s response showed he values Kevin Lankinen’s fighting spirit and believes in his role on the team.

Saturday’s game was Lankinen’s first regulation loss of the season. Lankinen, who had a strong start with a 7-1-2 record, stopped 20 of 27 shots before being pulled in the third period. The Oilers managed to score four times in just under five minutes, which sealed the game. Despite this, Lankinen’s season stats are solid with a 2.61 goals-against average and a .905 save percentage.

With an upcoming game against the Calgary Flames, Lankinen could get the chance to shake off this loss. His strong start makes him a likely candidate to rebound and keep contributing to the Canucks’ efforts.

Kevin Lankinen and Canucks faced the Oilers' offensive assault

The Vancouver Canucks lost 7-3 to the Edmonton Oilers at Rogers Arena. Edmonton scored first when Leon Draisaitl put in a loose puck just after a power play ended. Early in the second period, Corey Perry made it 2-0, and soon after, Viktor Arvidsson’s shot made it 3-0.

The Canucks responded quickly with two goals. Elias Pettersson tipped in a shot from Jake DeBrusk and Filip Hronek added another to bring the score to 3-2.

In the third period, the Oilers pulled away. Connor Brown scored, followed by a power-play goal from Connor McDavid to make it 5-2. McDavid then set up Brett Kulak for another, and Brown scored his second goal. Arturs Silovs took over in net but Pius Suter scored a late power-play goal, making the final score 7-3.

Tocchet said the team looked “tired” as the Oilers dominated in the third period. The loss ended Vancouver’s three-game winning streak.