NEW YORK – Neighbours and off-season training partners in Oulu, Finland, Aatu Raty said he’s not sure he scored even one goal this summer on Leevi Merilainen.

“Live in the same area, practise together, train at the same gym, do everything,” Raty said Sunday. “I feel like I didn't score on him the whole summer. I think he was just really focused on his work and getting better every day. He just worked his ass off. I mean, he made some saves.”

The Vancouver Canucks could use some of those.

With the worst defensive record in the National Hockey League, and floundering amid a losing streak that has seen them outscored 17-5 in the first half of their six-game eastern road trip, Vancouver’s goaltending has become an early-season flashpoint.

Stalked all summer by the Canucks and acquired on waivers from the Ottawa Senators four days before the regular season, Merilainen has played exceptionally well so far. Veteran Kevin Lankinen, uh, has not.

After the 31-year-old allowed six goals on 25 shots in Vancouver’s 6-2 loss Sunday against the New York Rangers, Lankinen’s save rate of .786 ranks 36th among 37 NHL goalies who have appeared in at least three games so far. Merilainen is eighth at .929.

These percentages are from minuscule sample sizes and subject to dramatic up- or downticks this early in the season.

But with a game Tuesday against the New York Islanders, the Canucks appear to have a much better chance right now to be competitive with Merilainen, who has started only two of Vancouver’s seven games but was also sharp in a pair of extended relief appearances for the struggling........

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