The Vancouver Canucks lost 3-1 to the Calgary Flames on Tuesday night, falling to 0-2 in the 2026 pre-season, with Kevin Lankinen, Aatu Räty and Adam Novotný among Vancouver’s standouts.
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The Vancouver Canucks lost 3-1 to the Calgary Flames on Tuesday night, falling to 0-2 in the 2026 pre-season. Calgary dressed a lineup described as close to its likely opening-night group, while Vancouver iced a roster heavy on younger players.
Kevin Lankinen helped keep the game close despite a lopsided shot count. Calgary outshot Vancouver 31-9, and Lankinen stopped 28 shots. All three Flames goals came in the second period, when he made 15 saves on 18 shots after Vancouver spent much of the opening period under pressure.
Aatu Räty was Vancouver’s most effective offensive forward. He led the Canucks with two shots on goal, added three more shot attempts and went 15-for-20 in the faceoff circle.
Adam Novotný, an 18-year-old playing in his second career pre-season game, also stood out. He was credited with four shots, tying him for second on the team, and recorded a blocked shot while providing steady forechecking pressure.
The game underscored how difficult it was for Vancouver to generate offence against a stronger Calgary lineup. Individual efforts from Lankinen and Räty helped prevent the score from getting further out of hand.
Novotný will most likely return to the OHL, but his camp and pre-season play have shown he may be closer to NHL readiness than initially expected.
Räty’s outing was also identified as his final game of the 2026 pre-season.
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