Lankinen underwhelming, blown leads, and more: 3 reasons why Vancouver Canucks lost 7-6 to Columbus Blue Jackets in SO

The Vancouver Canucks lost a wild 7-6 decision in the shootout against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Friday night at Nationwide Arena. The Canucks blew a 3-0 lead and then a 5-3 edge before rallying to tie the game at six late in the third period. In the shootout, Kent Johnson got the lone goal to lift the Blue Jackets past the Canucks.

Aatu Raty scored twice for the Vancouver Canucks, with Linus Karlsson (PPG), Brock Boeser, Jake DeBrusk, and Tyler Myers (SHG) netting the other goals for the Canucks.

Blue Jackets captain Boone Jenner scored twice, with Kirill Marchenko, Dante Fabbro, Denton Mateychuk, and Mathieu Olivier getting the other goals for the Blue Jackets.

So, let’s take a closer look at the three reasons why the Vancouver Canucks lost to the Columbus Blue Jackets on Friday night.

3 reasons why Vancouver Canucks lost to Columbus Blue Jackets

#3 Mental lapses

The Vancouver Canucks had a terrific first period, building a 3-0 lead. The opening frame included two power play goals. It seemed the Canucks were in control. But then, they took their foot off the gas, allowing the Blue Jackets back into the game.

The Jackets scored three unanswered goals to tie the game. While the Canucks would recover, the mental lapses reemerged, leading to another blown lead. For instance, Boone Jenner’s first goal of the night occurred as a result of leaving him open in front of the net.

Jenner was able to deflect the puck past Kevin Lankinen to tie the game. Those lapses were frequent throughout the night, ultimately costing the Canucks.

#2 Lankinen underwhelming

Kevin Lankinen started in goal, giving starter Thatcher Demko a break. However, Lankinen had a shaky outing as he allowed six goals on 38 shots.

While Lankinen can’t be blamed for every goal, a stronger performance from the Vancouver Canucks goalie could have made a significant difference. For example, Dante Fabbro’s tying goal happened because Lankinen was out of position.

Lankinen momentarily lost track of the puck, leaving him out of position. Once he spotted the puck, the point shot from Fabbro sailed past Lankinen. Had the Canucks goaltender been in position, he could have made a positional save.

Instead, he was out of position, allowing the Blue Jackets to tie the game at three midway through the second period.

#1 Blown leads

The Canucks blew two leads on Friday night. In particular, blowing a three-goal lead in the second period stung. While the Canucks recovered, the team’s lack of focus led to another blown two-goal.

In short, had the Canucks played a tighter game, they could have easily blown out the Blue Jackets. After all, how often is it that a team scores six goals and still loses the game? The Canucks must play tighter hockey if they have any hopes of making the playoffs this season.

The Canucks will take on the Winnipeg Jets on Sunday afternoon at the Canada Life Centre, hoping to close the gap on the final playoff spot in the Western Conference.