In his second NHL start, Lankinen played like a savvy veteran on Friday night at the United Center. Making 30 saves on the night to capture his first victory, the 24 year old was one Dylan Larkin show of skill away from his first shutout as well.
Regardless, he stood tall when called upon as Chicago snapped a streak of allowing five goals in each of their first four games.
"I thought he was really good," Colliton said. "Very controlled. Made some big saves for us, certainly in the first period when we needed one, when we weren't quite going yet. Penalty kill, he was a big part of. We did a good job killing, but you still need some saves and he was solid for us. You felt confident with him there."
"Made some huge saves for us, especially early on to keep us in the game," Patrick Kane said. "He was great tonight. He's a confident kid. He wants to to well and I think he believes in himself. Nice to see him get his first win and play that well doing it."
For the well-spoken Lankinen, the night was truly a dream come true.
"For me, it was a big night just being able to start the home opener," he said. "I always wanted to play here. I've seen the crowd, I've seen the history that goes in this building. I've been around for a couple years learning, getting to know the boys, getting to know the organization. I think they have done a really good job brining me in and making me feel comfortable.
"This night has been on my mind for a long time. Every time we've played a scrimmage or whatever, I've always imagined myself beign here in an NHL game. You wanted to have the home fans, it would've been great just to get that support, but we'll get there. I think all in all, it was a good night."
