Fresh Off a Shutout, Lankinen Enjoying Historic Streak with Predators: 'It's a Good Time to Be a Hockey Player'

In hockey, things can change in the blink of an eye. Take Kevin Lankinen, for example.

A division rival and a target of Smashville’s infamous goalie chants just a few short years ago, the Predators netminder on Thursday proved a franchise hero, shutting out one of the best teams in the NHL to hand his club an historic 16-game point streak.

“It feels great,” Lankinen said on Friday after participating in an optional team practice. “There are some things over your career that you’re probably going to remember, and I think this run we've had so far is one of those. And you kind of want to celebrate it a little bit, but at the same time, we’ve still got lots of work to do.

“But I'm a big believer in hitting milestones and looking back and reflecting, because things happen so fast, and it's a short career. If there's something to be proud of, you definitely should bring it with you and gain confidence from that.”

His role as a backup netminder and the accompanying ice time notwithstanding, Lankinen has been oozing confidence in his second season with the Predators.

Thursday’s 33-save performance earned the Finnish goaltender both his first shutout and his first 10-win campaign in three years and saw Lankinen surpass his win total from last season in four fewer starts.

The shutout also followed 11 days of rest, a length of off-time that hasn’t been uncommon for Lankinen this season. Six of his 14 starts this season have come with more than 10 days of rest between them, while two have come after more than 20 days of separation.

All but one of those starts saw Lankinen record wins.

So, how does he stay sharp?

“For me, I think it's treating practice like it's a game,” Lankinen said. “Because then when you go into a game, you don't have to change anything. That's been kind of my mindset the past few years, just working as hard in practice as you do in a game. When it's game time, you don't have to turn on a switch or anything like that. You just strap the pads on and go do your best. So, I think that's pretty simple.”

It makes things simple for the Predators decision makers too, knowing that whoever goes in net will give the team a more than decent chance of winning.

“You sleep a lot better at night,” Predators Head Coach Andrew Brunette said. “We’re obviously very lucky here to have two great goaltenders, and for [Lankinen], he's gone into some really hard places and some big games this year… So, we’re really fortunate.”

Lankinen has indeed been a road warrior this season, earning nine of his 10 wins and posting a reliable .912 save percentage and a 2.68 goals-against average in enemy territory.

The opponents are no joke either, but all the same, Lankinen has pulled out big wins against Dallas, Edmonton, Carolina, Vegas, St. Louis, and of course, Florida.

“He’s been outstanding,” teammate Ryan O’Reilly said. “Every time he's come in, he's just made unbelievable saves. That last game too, we did a lot of good things and played hard, but we did have some lapses and gave up some Grade-A chances and he was right there to make those saves… He was just a massive reason why we won that game.”

Being the selfless person that he is, Lankinen was quick to redirect a good share of the credit toward his teammates on Friday.

“We've been really confident for the last few weeks and we're building something and we're feeling the connection,” Lankinen said. “We're feeling the trust that's building in this locker room, and it's really cool to see guys coming in and out of the lineup and contributing at the level they do. So, I think it just tells about the group and how comfortable everybody is, and myself included. It's fun to be part of this group and it's a good time to be a hockey player.”

The Predators can record the longest point streak of the 2023-24 NHL season on Saturday as they face the Detroit Red Wings at Bridgestone Arena. Puck drop is at 4 p.m. CT; click here to get tickets.