Lankinen made 38 saves, and many of the spectacular variety, to keep the Canucks close in their bid to end seven-game losing streak.<\/p>\n
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Published Jan 13, 2026 \u00a0\u2022\u00a0 Last updated 3\u00a0hours ago \u00a0\u2022\u00a0 5 minute read<\/p>\n
<\/a><\/p>\n You can save this article by registering for free here<\/a>. Or sign-in<\/a> if you have an account.<\/p>\n Misery loves company.<\/p>\n Advertisement 2<\/p>\n This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY<\/p>\n Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.<\/p>\n Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. 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Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events.Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account.The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword.Support local journalism.<\/p>\n REGISTER \/ SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES<\/p>\n Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.<\/p>\n Access articles from across Canada with one account.Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments.Enjoy additional articles per month.Get email updates from your favourite authors.<\/p>\n THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK.<\/p>\n Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.<\/p>\n Access articles from across Canada with one accountShare your thoughts and join the conversation in the commentsEnjoy additional articles per monthGet email updates from your favourite authorsSign In or Create an Account<\/p>\n or<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n And who is more miserable of late than the Vancouver Canucks<\/a> and Ottawa Senators?<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n The injury-plagued and offensively challenged Canucks had lost seven-straight games heading into Tuesday\u2019s road tussle with the Senators, who have dropped four in a row, but have a more possible than laughable wild-card playoff position shot.<\/p>\n The Canucks were challenged to find their legs on the back end of back-to-back games and to remember what went wrong the night before in Montreal. Their poor response to giving up a goal resulted in subsequent strikes just 20 and 38 seconds apart respectively in a sobering 6-3 loss to the Canadiens.<\/p>\n The early response wasn\u2019t any better Tuesday.<\/p>\n The Senators struck for a pair of first-period goals in a 15-second span to set the early tone before hanging on for a 2-1 victory in which stellar stopper Kevin Lankinen kept it from becoming a blowout, Elias Pettersson<\/a> drew the Canucks to within a goal in the third period, and Brock Boeser<\/a> had three chances to end a 20-game goal drought.<\/p>\n Canucks Report<\/p>\n Thanks for signing up!<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n Advertisement 3<\/p>\n This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n The Canucks pressed hard in the final frame and had their looks but ultimately fell to 0-5 on their six-game road trip that concludes Thursday in Columbus.<\/p>\n \u201cI really liked our third period,\u201d said Pettersson. \u201cWe forechecked better and got some chances. This sucks. I hate losing. The message is to do whatever we can to get the next win.\u201d<\/p>\n His 198th career goal Tuesday moved the Swedish centre into 10th place in all-time franchise scoring, one goal ahead of countryman Thomas Gradin.<\/p>\n \u201cI didn\u2019t now that, or that I was close, but it\u2019s pretty cool to be a part of great names we\u2019ve had in this organization,\u201d said Pettersson.<\/p>\n However, the biggest story was Lankinen\u2019s resolve after allowing short side and far side goals that he would have like to have back. And instead of folding, he got more focused, and harder to beat in a 38-save effort.<\/p>\n Much like Nikita Tolopilo in Montreal, the Finnish stopper was in a firing squad of shots. He dove to get his blocker on a puck destined to slowly slide over the goal line. He swatted another chance out mid-air and constantly faced an array of grade A chances off the rush as the Senators had an early 9-1 shot advantage and period leads of 14-6, 18-5, and 40-19.<\/p>\n Advertisement 4<\/p>\n This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n And with starting goaltender Thatcher Demko<\/a> suffering a lower-body injury Saturday in Toronto, and being further evaluated in Vancouver, Lankinen is going to shoulder the bulk of the load for an unknown period. That has never bothered the unflappable Finn.<\/p>\n \u201cLanks made big saves and allowed us to generate offence and get in the game,\u201d said Canucks head coach Adam Foote. \u201cA two-goal lead is tough to come back on but we were resilient. We stuck with it.\u201d<\/p>\n What is bugging the Canucks is a short lapse Tuesday that proved the difference. They got better as the game went on and were at their best in the third period, but that 60-minute effort remains elusive and frustrating.<\/p>\n Zeev Buium played 42 regular-season NCAA games for the University of Denver in the 2023-24 season.<\/p>\n Between the Minnesota Wild and the Canucks this campaign, he logged his 45th on Tuesday. It didn\u2019t go unnoticed.<\/p>\n Foote knows a lot of about the position as a hard-rock NHL defender, who logged 1,154 games and won two Stanley Cups. He was a 20-year-old rookie with the\u00a0 Quebec Nordiques and played 46 games. He watched, he listened, he learned.<\/p>\n Advertisement 5<\/p>\n This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n He knows how rest and recovery for young blueliners in today\u2019s fast-paced game are as vital as teaching and measured minutes of repetition. It\u2019s why Buium, 20, sat out Monday in Montreal and why Tom Willander, 20, did the same Tuesday in Ottawa. He logged his 36th game of this season and the most he\u2019s played was 39 games at Boston University in 2024-25.<\/p>\n It\u2019s not a knock, it\u2019s understanding that the frenetic pace of NHL games, a crazy condensed schedule to allow Winter Olympics participation to invite fatigue and injury, plus minimal practice time, was going to take a physical and mental toll. Foote acknowledge that Buium was good Tuesday against a good forechecking team.<\/p>\n \u201cHe handled himself well in his own end and was skating,\u201d lauded Foote. \u201cI thought he had a good game and closed a lot of plays in the neutral zone. Gapping up a lot quicker and closing and getting into guys\u2019 faces. He\u2019s going to get it.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve got young defencemen in a position where they\u2019re not used to playing this many games and that\u2019s why we\u2019re rotating them now. There are things they have to learn but they\u2019re handling it well.\u201d<\/p>\n Advertisement 6<\/p>\n This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n Same goes for blueliner Elias Pettersson<\/a>, 21, who has played 38 games this season, four short of a career high with Orebro HK in the Swedish elite league. He\u2019s now back with the AHL affiliate in Abbotsford to log minutes and learn. And Victor Mancini, 23, played his second-straight game Tuesday after 20 with Abbotsford to see where his growing game is at.<\/p>\n Jake DeBrusk (B-)<\/p>\n Great redirect chance. Three shots, seven attempts, two blocks.<\/p>\n Elias Pettersson (C+)<\/p>\n Quick snapper goal on Karlsson feed, good defensively. Two shots.<\/p>\n Linus Karlsson (B-)<\/p>\n Picked pocket for scoring chance, sweet feeds set up DeBrusk, EP40.<\/p>\n Conor Garland<\/a> (B-)<\/p>\n Hustle stopped SH break, worked wall to feed Boeser, backhand chance.<\/p>\n David K\u00e4mpf (C-)<\/p>\n Some wall presence in O-zone, struggled in faceoffs at just 38 per cent.<\/p>\n Brock Boeser<\/a> (C)<\/p>\n Slid one chance just wide, nearly picked short side, but funk at 21 games.<\/p>\n Liam \u00d6hgren (B-)<\/p>\n Good wheels, great forecheck, chances. Three shots. Seven attempts.<\/p>\n Advertisement 7<\/p>\n This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n Max Sasson (C)<\/p>\n Speed is always there to be responsible in all zones. But not one shot.<\/p>\n Drew O\u2019Connor (C)<\/p>\n Jumped on turnover, had net presence, but could\u2019t get shots through.<\/p>\n Evander Kane (C+)<\/p>\n Moving better. Early wraparound attempt and set up another chance.<\/p>\n Aatu R\u00e4ty (B-)<\/p>\n Much better in all zones. Moved pucks, 60 per cent on draws, four shots.<\/p>\n Nils H\u00f6glander (C+)<\/p>\n Strong on pucks in O-zone, made better decisions, four good hits.<\/p>\n Marcus Pettersson (C)<\/p>\n In top pairing with Hronek was wary when partner decided to pinch.<\/p>\n Filip Hronek<\/a> (C+)<\/p>\n Couple of hits, couple of blocks, couple of rushes, and one minor.<\/p>\n Zeev Buium (C+)<\/p>\n Fresh. Fast. Jumped up. O-zone presence. Five shot attempts.<\/p>\n Tyler Myers<\/a> (C)<\/p>\n Worked well to help mentor rookie Buium, Four shot attempts.<\/p>\n Pierre-Olivier Joseph (C)<\/p>\n Nearly scored first goal of season on rebound. Three blocks.<\/p>\n Victor Mancini (C)<\/p>\n Met challenge for quick reads, physical down-low positioning.<\/p>\n Kevin Lankinen (A)<\/p>\n Like to have those goals back, but monster effort kept it close.<\/p>\n bkuzma@postmedia.com<\/a><\/p>\n Read More<\/p>\n Canucks: Ottawa needs a right-shot defenceman, so …<\/p>\n![\"canucks\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/2255581443_300736760-e1768356956533.jpg\")
Goaltender Kevin Lankinen of the Vancouver Canucks pokes the puck away from Tim St\u00fctzle of the Ottawa Senators during the game Jan. 13, 2026 in Ottawa. Photo by Minas Panagiotakis \/Getty ImagesArticle content<\/p>\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/dcs-static.gprod.postmedia.digital\/20.3.0\/websites\/images\/identity\/logo-identity-vp.svg\"){kind=logo}
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Michael Amadio of the Ottawa Senators and P.O. Joseph of the Vancouver Canucks battle for the puck during the game Jan. 2026 in Ottawa. Photo by Minas Panagiotakis \/Getty ImagesYoung defence rests, by design<\/p>\n![\"canucks\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/2255579426_300735952.jpg\")
Nils Hoglander of the Vancouver Canucks handles the puck against Tim St\u00fctzle of the Ottawa Senators during the game Jan. 13, 2026 in Ottawa. Photo by Minas Panagiotakis \/Getty ImagesREPORT CARDS<\/p>\n![\"Vancouver](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/cp175202955_300622404.jpg\")
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