Hawks goalie Lankinen continues on-the-job training in hopes of becoming a true No. 1

It's been quite a year for Blackhawks goalie Kevin Lankinen.

Arriving in Chicago with nary an NHL start under his belt last January, Lankinen went from No. 3 on the goalie depth chart to No. 1 with a bullet after a few sizzling performances for then-coach Jeremy Colliton.

His fun-loving nature endeared himself to fans and was always on display after being named one of the game's three stars at the empty United Center.

Instead of just taking a small lap, Lankinen hammed it up for the cameras, clapping and pointing so everyone could see how much it means to him to play for the Hawks.

One year later, Lankinen finds himself in a backup role behind Marc-Andre Fleury, who is currently in COVID protocol.

"Lot of things been going on (since last year)," said Lankinen, who may be in line to start the Hawks' next game at Nashville on Sunday. "Most important, I'm more mature (and) I'm a better athlete where I know what it takes to be in the NHL and be there every single night at a top level."

When last season began, Lankinen was a complete unknown, and he entered training camp fighting for playing time with Collin Delia and Malcolm Subban. After allowing 5 goals in his debut, Lankinen went 5-1-2 with a .944 save percentage in his next eight starts.

Suddenly, the job was his.

And boy did he relish every opportunity.

He first impressed during a 30-save performance in the Hawks' 4-1 victory over Detroit during last season's home opener.

Afterward, he wore an ear-to-ear smile during the postgame Zoo interview with the media.

"For me it was a big night - just being able to start the home opener," Lankinen said. "I always wanted to play here."

Lankinen ended up going 17-14-5 with a .909 save percentage and 3.01 goals against average. Not bad for a rookie, especially on a mediocre team playing in such a difficult division.

The hope was to improve upon those numbers this season, but Lankinen's hold on the No. 1 spot vanished the moment GM Stan Bowman traded for Fleury.

Publicly, Lankinen has said all the right things, but his numbers (2-5-3, .884, 3.43) have suffered.

Of course, this isn't unusual for a backup as they often start only once a week. (Lankinen has just 6 starts since October 30).

Goalie coach Jimmy Waite has really used the recent downtime to the Hawks' advantage, and Lankinen is hoping it pays off.

"(We're) working on playing the puck behind the net, making good plays, helping the 'D' out," Lankinen said. "Whenever there's pressure on the forecheck, you want to be able to help the guys and create offense from that. At the same time (we're) working on a couple technical things just around the net - scrums and finding pucks, making right decisions when to stay down and (when to) be active."

While Lankinen's numbers don't pop off the page, the Finn seems to meet the eye test. He doesn't allow many soft goals, he's quick to react, he's very athletic and - most importantly - he truly believes he's destined to have a solid career.

"I'm happy about the progress," he said, "but I still know there's much more to improve on."

Seeing a true pro like Fleury at work can definitely help, and Lankinen is taking advantage of having the three-time Stanley Cup winner on the same team.

"You probably don't have a better guy to learn from, knowing what he's done and what kind of a guy he is," Lankinen said. "Just seeing him outside of the rink and knowing how relaxed (he is) and how he loves the game - he loves to be around and do things right. He enjoys the grind, in a way.

"On the ice, he's probably the most competitive goalie I've ever seen. ... He he tries to find pucks every single time, never gives up on a single shot or a single situation. You see his work habits in practice and how it (translates) to his game.

"That's a big learning lesson for me as well."

Slap shots:

Interim coach Derek King said Brett Connolly's suspension will remain at four games until he is back on the active roster. Connolly, who was suspended for a hit on Dallas' Tanner Kero on Dec. 18, is currently on the taxi squad. ... Forward Tyler Johnson returned to practice Tuesday for the first time since injuring his neck at Carolina on October 29. There is no timetable for his return. ... Jujhar Khaira skated on the fourth line for the second straight day during practice at Fifth Third Arena. Khaira, who was knocked unconscious by the Rangers' Jacob Trouba on Dec. 7, will likely play when the Hawks resume their season at Nashville on Sunday.