The Vancouver Canucks lost Leevi Merilainen in the first period Saturday afternoon in New Jersey, and an equipment failure forced the switch.
The blade on his skate came out of the boot, sending the young netminder to the room for repairs. Kevin Lankinen took over the crease on short notice.
The game was tied 1-1 late in the first, with shots even at 6-6. Not exactly the moment you want to swap goalies on the road.
And this swap carries weight. Merilainen has been the steadier option so far, sitting at a .940 save percentage.
His partner sits at .786. For a team giving up 5.0 goals per game, that gap is enormous.
Picture a driver pulling onto the shoulder to change a flat on the highway. Traffic doesn't slow down for you, and neither do Jack Hughes and the Devils.
The timing makes it worse. Vancouver arrived off a 7-2 loss in Carolina on Thursday, the second straight defeat in a 2-3-0 start.
Sunday's back-to-back against the Rangers raises the goalie stakes
Here's the part that should keep Manny Malhotra up tonight. The Canucks face the Rangers on Sunday, the back half of a back-to-back.
After that, the road trip rolls on to the Islanders, Panthers and Lightning. Five straight games away from home, with a crease that suddenly feels thin.
If the repair holds and Merilainen finishes this one, fine. If not, Lankinen could be staring at heavy minutes on both nights.
Leaning on the 31-year-old through a back-to-back right now would be a bad idea. Nothing in his early numbers says he can steal one night, let alone two.
The skaters haven't done either goalie many favours. Vancouver has allowed 25 goals in five games, sitting at a -4 goal differential.
Elias Pettersson has done his part with 8 points, and Paul Cotter already owns 4 goals. Scoring hasn't sunk this team.
New Jersey isn't exactly rolling either. Sheldon Keefe's group came in at 1-2-0 with just 6 goals scored, and Jonas Siegenthaler is listed day-to-day.
So why does it feel like Vancouver is the team on its heels? A wobbly opponent, a tied game, and now a goalie change nobody planned for.
This is also the first of two meetings between these clubs, with the rematch not coming until February 3 in Vancouver.
If Merilainen can't get back out there, who does Malhotra trust in New York on Sunday?
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Should the Canucks start Kevin Lankinen against the Rangers on Sunday?
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