Photo credit: Simon Fearn-Imagn Images
Kevin Lankinen is back in the crease, and Adam Foote is wearing the heat for it.
That’s the story in Vancouver before puck drop against Anaheim on Tuesday, March 24, not the standings and not the opponent. The decision itself became the headline.
Jeff Paterson laid it out in plain terms: why go back to Lankinen for a fourth straight start when Nikita Tolopilo is 2-0 against the Ducks this season and hasn’t played in 10 days?
That reaction lands because the Canucks don’t have much margin left. Vancouver came into the day at 21-39-8, while Anaheim was sitting at 38-27-4.
Foote isn’t making this call from a playoff spot or from a quiet market. He’s making it with losses piled up and every lineup decision getting picked apart.
Tolopilo also brings a fresh angle to this matchup. Paterson pointed to his last Ducks outing, when he was on track for a shutout before a brief absence changed the sheet.
That’s why this one is drawing real pushback. It’s not just about who starts. It’s about whether Foote is rewarding the right goalie at the right time.
The Canucks made the decision harder on themselves
If this had been a clean ride for Lankinen, the noise would be lower. Instead, Vancouver let the question hang there by keeping Tolopilo out of action for 10 days.
And once that happens, every save and every rebound gets judged through the coaching lens. Fans aren’t only watching Lankinen tonight. They’re watching Foote.
That’s the bigger issue for Vancouver right now. The Canucks are 8th in the Pacific, and a season like this turns routine crease management into a public debate.
Foote may simply believe the veteran gives his bench the steadier look. But when Tolopilo already has two wins against this opponent, that bet is going to get challenged fast.
If Lankinen starts well, the chatter cools off. If he doesn’t, this turns into another sharp example of a coach sticking with his guy while the room and the market are begging for a different read.
Previously on Vancouver Hockey Daily
POLL
47 MINUTES AGO|15 ANSWERS
Adam Foote goes back to Kevin Lankinen despite Nikita Tolopilo’s strong Ducks history
Did Adam Foote make the wrong call by not starting Nikita Tolopilo ?