Lankinen Sets Rockford’s AHL Save Record with 55 Saves

ROCKFORD, Ill. – Rockford IceHogs netminder Kevin Lankinen set the IceHogs’ AHL goaltending record for most saves in a single game by turning aside 55 of 56 shots in Rockford’s 2-1 overtime victory against the AHL’s top-ranked team in the Milwaukee Admirals Tuesday night at the BMO Harris Bank Center.

Lankinen topped the IceHogs’ previous AHL record of 49 saves originally set by Kent Simpson on Oct. 5, 2013 at San Antonio (49 saves on 51 shots) and matched by Michael Leighton on Dec. 8, 2015 at Texas (49 saves on 52 shots) and Anton Forsberg on Dec. 15, 2018 vs. Texas (49 saves on 52 shots in OT).

Lankinen’s record-setting performance including stopping each of Milwaukee’s first 50 shots and helping kill six power plays from the AHL’s best PP unit. Overall, the netminder turned aside 19 shots in the first period, 12 in the second period and 24 of 25 shots on goal in the third frame.

The 56 total shots faced also matched the team’s previous AHL mark (Oct. 5, 2013 at San Antonio), while the 25 shots faced in the third period were one shy of Rockford's record set last season in the first period at Chicago on Dec. 29.

Lankinen is now 6-3-1 with a 2.58 GAA and .927 save percentage in 10 games with Rockford this season.