The Abbotsford Canucks are kicking off their Calder Cup aspirations in style, grabbing a nail-biting 3-2 overtime win against the Texas Stars in Game 1 of the AHL Western Conference Final. Thursday night turned into a showcase of resilience and skill, setting the tone for what promises to be an electrifying series.
In what's typically a tightly-knit defensive clash, both teams came out firing, surpassing 10 shots on goal in the opening two periods. The Canucks, displaying a relentless offensive push, edged the Stars in the third period with a 15-9 shot advantage, yet neither side could find the back of the net, pushing the game into overtime.
The back-and-forth battle began with Stars forward Kole Lind and Canucks defenseman Guillaume Brisebois exchanging first-period goals. Brisebois benefited from the sharpshooting setup by Linus Karlsson and Ty Mueller. Not to be overshadowed, Mueller found the net himself in the second period, pushing the Canucks to a 2-1 lead with assists from Karlsson, who was racking up his second for the night, and forward Arshdeep Bains earning an impressive eighth assist of the Calder Cup run.
The Stars didn’t wilt under pressure. Antonio Stranges netted his first goal of the Calder Cup journey midway through the second, locking the score at 2-2. From there, netminders Arturs Silovs and Remi Poirier took center stage, turning away every attack to maintain the deadlock through regulation.
The real drama unfolded in overtime, where Christian Wolanin emerged as the unanticipated hero for the Canucks. His audacious long-range one-timer sneaked past Poirier, marking Wolanin's maiden goal of the playoffs and sealing a pivotal Game 1 triumph.
Linus Karlsson and Christian Wolanin shone brightly, earning well-deserved recognition as the first and second stars of the night, thanks to Karlsson's playmaking magic and Wolanin's clutch finish. Remi Poirier, despite being on the losing side, delivered an outstanding performance with 43 saves across 46 shots, meriting the third-star honors. Not to be outdone, Silovs wrapped up the game with an impressive 36 saves on 38 shots, ensuring the Canucks grabbed that crucial opener in the series.
