Nikita Tolopilo was not the talk of the Vancouver Canucks ’ training camp in Penticton.
And that’s just fine, because the undrafted last line of defence prefers to lurk in the shadows, kind of like a dark knight who suddenly springs into action to have his way.
On Sunday in Seattle, the 6-foot-6 stopper made a series of sensational first-period saves to keep the Canucks in their opening pre-season test against the Kraken before giving way midway through the second period to Ty Young. Tolopilo finished with 13 stops, many of highlight-reel quality, to keep the Canucks within striking range trailing 1-0.
Young then became the talk for the wrong reasons.
The Kraken struck for three goals in less than four minutes in the second period to build a 4-1 cushion en route to a 5-3 victory. You