Vancouver Canucks goaltender Kevin Lankinen discusses how he prepares for when games go to a shootout.

While they don't occur often, shootouts have become an important part of the NHL. They have even decided playoff spots, like in 2022-23, when the Carolina Hurricanes clinched the top spot in the Metropolitan Division thanks to their four shootout wins. Despite their rare occurrence, skaters and goaltenders need to be ready as one goal or save could have a significant impact on the season.

Over his career, Vancouver Canucks goaltender Kevin Lankinen has participated in seven shootouts. He holds a record of 4-3 and has stopped 23 of the 27 shots he has faced. While Lankinen knows that shootouts are a rarity, with only 6.03% of his regular-season games going past 65 minutes, he likes to be prepared, which means requesting shootouts in practice from time to time. As for the player that scores on him the most, that would be Elias Pettersson, who Lankien said has some tricks up his sleeve. Ultimately, requesting shootouts is not new for Lankien, who revealed that it's a practice habit he has had for years.

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"I think, for me, the preparation is just daily habits," said Lankinen. "Basically, throughout my career, I always liked taking shootouts, so I try to do as much as I can in practice and ask for the guys to take some shots after the practice and get some reps in."

Shootouts are complicated for goaltenders as there isn't really any indication of what moves a player will pull off. They could come in with speed and try to crash the net or enter the zone slowly, trying to outwait a goaltender. As Lankinen explains, it's best not to overthink during a shootout and react rather than try and guess what the shooter is going to do. 

"I think over the years, you kind of develop a base of trying to remember what guys might have done before. At the same time, it's just about living in the moment. I think, reacting to what's coming ahead. You can't have too many thoughts going on because the guys are so good. So it's more about just being present and winning that one-on-one battle."

Goaltenders are under a lot of pressure during a shootout. Not only do they have to face some of the best players in a row, but they also need to decide whether to be aggressive and attack the skater or sit back and wait until the first move is made. As Lankien explains, he often elects the first option, choosing to challenge skaters as they approach the crease. 

"I think that's always the challenge. Everybody is so good in this league. They've got their tricks in their pocket. You've got to keep your cards to yourself and just see what they throw at you, and then go from there. I always like to challenge. I feel like it's an opportunity where you can kind of go unorthodox a little bit and not think about technique too much. It's all about stopping the puck mentality, which is the reason why I started playing the position in the first place."

Shootouts don't only present a mental challenge for goaltenders but also a physical one. After playing the first 65 minutes of a game, they are being asked to face an unknown number of shots with very little recovery time between attempts. According to Lankinen, this is one of the reasons why practice habits are so important, as they allow him to maintain his stamina for when the game heads to a shootout. 

"Staying sharp and keeping focused because that's the deciding factor of who wins the game and who doesn't. I think it's all about the daily habits. Everything, for me, comes back to the process and what you do on a daily basis to make sure that you are prepared for when the real situation happens."

Lankien's willingness to prepare is why he is one of the best in the league at shootouts. Since the 29-year-old made his NHL debut in 2020-21, his save percentage of .852% ranks first in the league among goaltenders who have participated in at least five shootouts, which is just ahead of Thatcher Demko, who sits second with a save percentage of .839. As mentioned, while shootouts do not happen often, having a goaltender like Lankinen who is prepared is a massive advantage for the Canucks.