The play of Vancouver Canucks goalie Kevin Lankinen and star center Elias Pettersson in Saturday's 4 Nations Face-Off game was cause for excitement and concern.
The Vancouver Canucks have been an up-and-down squad this season.
It should surprise no one that Canucks players Kevin Lankinen and Elias Pettersson are keeping that theme going at the 4 Nations Face-Off.
The good news for the Canucks was the play of goaltender Lankinen on Saturday.
Team Finland called Lankinen into action against Sweden – a bold choice by Finland coach Antti Pennanen to start him over star veteran Juuse Saros after the latter played in Thursday's 6-1 loss to Team USA.
Lankinen responded by being a game-saver.
After Sweden scored three goals in the first two periods, Lankinen stopped seven shots in the third period to help Finland tie the game and two more in overtime to give the Finns the crucial 4-3 victory.
Finland’s hopes of winning the 4 Nations Face-Off are still alive thanks to Lankinen, who deserves to play when his team takes on Canada on Monday in Boston.
Lankinen’s performance has to be heartening to Canucks fans as they focus on Vancouver pushing for a playoff spot. After signing a contract to join the Canucks last September, Lankinen was strong in net for Vancouver while Thatcher Demko recovered from injury.
Goaltending depth is key for any team, and Lankinen’s ability to be a big-time needle-mover should inspire positive feelings among Vancouver supporters, no matter how Demko plays.
The bad news for Canucks fans, however, was the almost-invisible performance of Pettersson.
Pettersson had a decent first period against the Finns, but he was a non-factor in the final two periods. His stats, which show zero points on one shot in just 14:10 of ice time, don't spark much confidence after getting one shot, no points and 16:32 of ice time against Canada last Wednesday.
In an ideal world, Pettersson would’ve been a force for the Swedes. Now, he and the rest of Team Sweden have to hope a lot goes their way to qualify for the tournament final. For Sweden to advance, they need to beat the United States in regulation. They would also need Canada to lose to the USA in regulation and the Canada/Finland game to go to overtime.
It's a disappointing situation for Sweden after two difficult overtime losses. And Pettersson did himself no favors with Canucks fans watching.
Pettersson had so much to gain at this tournament. It was supposed to boost his confidence and show he could produce in important moments with elite teammates by his side. While he's not the only player on Team Sweden who hasn't stood out, it's been more important for Pettersson to be a star on this stage.
The Pettersson trade speculation that was somewhat muted after the Canucks traded star center J.T. Miller may start up again if he doesn't get on a hot streak right away after the tournament. The 26-year-old's no-movement clause kicks in on July 1 for the seven years left in his massive contract. It seems unlikely the Canucks would take the gamble of trading him, but 34 points in 49 games for a center with an $11.6-million cap hit is not enough, and this tournament is supposed to boost his confidence.
All things considered, it will be fascinating to see what Vancouver does regarding Pettersson and Lankinen. The netminder is a pending UFA, so the Canucks must find a way to keep him as an understudy for Demko. But Pettersson should do whatever he can to get on the board against the United States on Monday and recharge for his return to the Canucks, because the team needs players who shine bright in high-stakes situations.
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