Calder Cup Finals Shifts To Abbotsford For Game Three After Abbotsford Loses Game Two In Overtime

For the second time in as many games, we got overtime in the Calder Cup Finals.

Though the Abbotsford Canucks hit three posts in a 2-2 game, the Charlotte Checkers ultimately found their first win of the series with a power play in overtime.

Let’s get into everything that happened in game two.

The Checkers opened the scoring 3:13 into the period when John Leonard scored his seventh goal of the playoffs.

Abbotsford punched back just 62 seconds later when Sammy Blais and Jujhar Khaira drove the net hard before Blais got the last touch on the puck to even up the score early in the first. It was Blais’ fourth goal of the playoffs, and the game was all square.

Wilmer Skoog notched Charlotte’s second goal of the period on the power play, as the Checkers picked up three separate opportunities on the man advantage in the opening frame.

Down by a goal, the Canucks began to generate momentum with continuous strong shifts in the offensive zone. Their pressure earned them a power play late in the period, and Linus Karlsson scored his team-leading fourth power play goal of the playoffs to make it a 2-2 game at the first intermission.

The physicality cranked up in the second period, and Blais was once again in the middle of the action. The play went to four-on-four with 15:35 remaining in the second period as Oliver Okuliar and Nate Smith took matching slashing penalties.

Ty Mueller drew the Canucks’ second power play of the game with 8:21 remaining in the period. He drove to the net and was hooked after putting his shoulder down and making a cut to the crease. The Canucks were unsuccessful on their power play but had some quality looks, including Arshdeep Bains right at the beginning of the power play.

Khaira took a cross-checking penalty with 5:11 remaining in the period, and it sent the Checkers to their fourth power play opportunity of the game. Chase Wouters and Mueller were disruptive during the penalty kill and the Canucks escaped the penalty unscathed.

Though there were chances for both sides in the second period, we didn’t see either goaltender beaten in the 20 minutes of play. Playing with physicality seemed to be a priority for both teams in the first 10 minutes of the second half, but the teams locked in during the second half of the period, setting up a crucial third period that would begin with a 2-2 score.

Christian Wolanin rang a wrist shot off the post just three minutes into the third, and Abbotsford was showing some good jump to begin the final stanza of regulation.

The Canucks put the pedal to the medal at the halfway point of the period and had a stretch of five minutes where they rolled their lines and put up a scoring chance on nearly every shift. Wolanin hit the post once again with eight minutes remaining in the period. Though the team was being heavily outshot, they were buzzing in the offensive zone throughout the third period.

For the second consecutive period, the goalies held firm, and for the second straight game, we were getting overtime hockey.

Just 16 seconds into the overtime frame, Karlsson drew a penalty and the Canucks on the man advantage early in overtime.

Max Sasson ripped a shot off the post to begin the power play, but the game continued. With four seconds remaining in the power play, Wouters took a tripping call in his own zone, and it sent Charlotte to the power play after a few seconds of four-on-four.

Michael Benning found space on the left half-wall and found the far side corner of the net with a wrist shot to win game two.

The series is now tied at 1-1 and returns home to the Abbotsford Centre for game three on Tuesday at 7:00 p.m. PT. The next three games will be played in Abbotsford, before Games