Abbotsford Canucks Drop Game 3 In A 5-2 Loss Against The Texas Stars
The Abbotsford Canucks flew south of the border to Austin, Texas for the first time in franchise history to take on the Texas Stars in Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals.
Goaltenders Artūrs Šilovs and Remi Poirier continued their battle between the pipes as the Canucks looked to secure their third win of the series.
The pace of this game differed significantly from the first two in Abbotsford. Just over six minutes in, the Stars took a penalty for hooking, and the Canucks capitalized. Christian Wolanin fired a shot from the left circle that hit the back bar, giving Abbotsford an early 1–0 lead.
Shortly after returning to even strength, Jett Woo was sent to the box, and the Stars responded quickly. Kole Lind tied the game at one with a power-play goal from the right circle. Both teams continued to trade penalties, but while the Canucks couldn’t convert, the Stars made the most of their opportunities. Matej Blümel scored to give Texas a 2–1 lead.
Minutes later, with the Canucks on the power play, Blümel and Arttu Hyry broke out on a 2-on-1. Šilovs couldn’t get across in time, and the Stars extended their lead to 3–1 with just over a minute to go in the period. However, the Canucks weren’t done. Still on the man advantage, Arshdeep Bains fired a shot from the right point that Linus Karlsson deflected in front to bring Abbotsford back within one. After a flurry of five goals, the period ended with the Canucks trailing 3–2.
Looking to build on their late momentum, Abbotsford came out strong in the second period, staying disciplined and generating quality chances. But Poirier stood tall in net. At the 11-minute mark, Antonio Stranges broke free on a breakaway and buried the lone goal of the period, giving Texas a 4–2 lead.
In the third, the Canucks pressed to close the gap and force overtime. They were granted an early power play but couldn’t convert. Midway through the period, they got another opportunity with the man advantage, but the Stars struck again—shorthanded again—as Michael Karow scored Texas’ second shorty of the night to make it 5–2.
Abbotsford continued to battle, generating more chances, but Poirier was rock-solid through the final 40 minutes.
The Canucks dropped Game 3 but still hold a 2–1 series lead, with a chance to bounce back on Wednesday. Games 4 and 5 will be played on June 4th and 6th in Texas, with a return to Abbotsford if necessary.
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