A FLOURISHING FRIENDSHIP
Hawks’ goaltending duo of vet Fleury, Lankinen clicking on and off the ice
The Blackhawks brought in goalie MarcAndre Fleury partly to mentor Kevin Lankinen, and mentor Lankinen, he has.
But it turns out Lankinen also has taught Fleury a thing or two.
“We actually did a couple of things on-ice with me, [goaltending coach] Jimmy Waite and ‘Flower’ working on a couple of things technically in the crease,” Lankinen said. “And he’s asking questions, ‘How do you do this?’
“Obviously, he’s played a long time, but he’s still learning. As a goalie, you’re always learning. You want to stay on top of the game and see what’s working for other guys.”
After a rough first few weeks, the Hawks’ veteran-and-youngster duo has started delivering the expected results in the last month. Their team save percentage since Oct. 30 — .926 — was fourth-best in the NHL.
And from intermissions to practices to nights off to road trips, the 36-year-old Hall of Fame-bound French Canadian and the 26-year-old up-and-coming Finn also have developed a strong friendship, beyond anything the Hawks could’ve hoped for when choosing them this summer as their somewhat unusual goaltending pair.
“It’s been great,” Fleury said. “[He’s an] awesome kid — very polite, respectful. On the ice, [he’s a] very hard worker. I really like his work ethic and his attention to detail. He’s very good technically, and he works hard every day. Between periods, we can talk to each other, talk about goals and stuff like that or just life in general. He’s been fun to play with.”
Added Lankinen: “He’s seen places and he’s been in situations that I’ve only watched on TV. I’m trying to catch up and see what brought him to the places where he’s been, just reflecting on his career and what his path has been like.”
On the Hawks’ recent western road trip, Fleury and Lankinen enjoyed their lunches together at hotel restaurants most days.
They’ve discovered they’re both interested in cars, and that became a frequent topic when their conversations drifted from hockey.
And in Chicago, Fleury and Lankinen already
have held several get-togethers with their whole families present.
Both families are relatively new in the city, after all. Fleury’s decision to move his wife, Veronique, and three kids from Las Vegas dominated a week of the Hawks’ summer news cycle. Lankinen, meanwhile, was joined midway through last season