It would be a dream come true for most hockey players.

Everyone playing hockey on the streets as a kid dreams of winning the Stanley Cup. You also daydream about having your name chanted by fans in the crowd.

That’s what happened to Vancouver Canucks goaltender Nikita Tolopilo on Tuesday night.

He was the sole reason why the Canucks hung around in a game they had no business winning. By the time Vegas Golden Knights forward Cole Smith scored the game-winning goal in the 53rd minute, the Canucks had just seven shots on net.

It was a pitiful performance in a season chock full of them, but one beacon of light was a strong showing from Tolopilo.

With the Belarusian goaltender stymying the Golden Knights in the third period, chants of “To-lo-pi-lo” began to audibly spring up around Rogers Arena.

And you have to give it to Canucks fans. With no more J.T. Miller, Kiefer Sherwood, or Conor Garland, they’ve found another four-syllable name worth cheering on.

But when Tolopilo was asked about how the chants made him feel, he didn’t give the answer you’d expect.

“Nothing, actually,” he said.

So much for a dream moment.

But Canucks fans, don’t hold it against him, as he did clarify his comments.

“We didn’t get a win,” he said. “So, it’s hard to be happy about something. But I’m glad [the fans cheered]. It was good.”

In fairness, Tolopilo’s honest, deadpan response was refreshingly different from your typical answer about being touched by fans.

But the bigger story in this one was that the 6-foot-6 goaltender seems to be finding his footing again after the Canucks inexplicably made him ride the bench.

Coming out of the Olympic break, Tolopilo started five of nine games for the Canucks, posting a respectable 2-2-1 record.

In a completely lost season, seeing what you have in Tolopilo as an NHL goaltender seems like a prudent thing to do, especially since relying on Thatcher Demko to be healthy has proven to be a fool’s errand.

But, from March 17 onward, the Canucks started Lankinen in seven of eight games. Tolopilo was pulled during his only start in that window, meaning Lankinen played in all eight of those contests.

Now? Lankinen is out with an injury, meaning the Belarusian netminder is back as the team’s de facto starter.

And wouldn’t you know, now that he’s back in a rhythm, he seems to be playing as he did earlier in the year. Solid, promising, albeit unspectacular.

But on Tuesday night, he was the only reason why the Canucks had a chance to win.

“Without Tolo, I don’t know how close it would be,” Max Sasson said following a franchise-record 32nd loss on home ice, including overtime.

“I thought everyone, including myself, can probably give a better effort in front of our home fans.”

As you saw on Tuesday, Canucks fans are ready to cheer this team on, despite their place in the standings.

At this point, any Canucks player who can punch above this team’s pitiful average might hear their name chanted by the Rogers Arena faithful.