canucks sweep the season series over the Manitoba Moose in a thrilling 5-4 victory.
The Abbotsford Canucks looked to secure the season series as they faced the Manitoba Moose for the final time this season.
Ty Young got the start in net for Abbotsford, going up against Domenic DiVincentis at the other end.
The Canucks wasted no time getting on the board. After a clean zone entry, Jett Woo fired a shot from the blue line, sending the puck deep into the offensive zone. Aatu Räty then fed a perfect pass in front to Sammy Blais, who roofed it into the back of the net, giving Abbotsford an early 1-0 lead. However, the advantage was short-lived—just a minute and a half later, Ben King capitalized on a rebound after Axel Jonsson-Fjällby’s initial shot rang off the post, tucking it home to even the score.
The pace slowed for a stretch, with Ty Young making some key saves to keep Abbotsford in it. But around the 12-minute mark, the Canucks found themselves shorthanded. The Moose made them pay, as Elias Salomonsson ripped a shot from the slot to put Manitoba ahead for the first time. As the period wound down, Cole McWard changed the game’s momentum, firing a shot from the slot that found the back of the net, tying things up at 2-2 just before intermission.
The second period saw a shift in momentum, but neither team could find the back of the net. Both had power play opportunities, but DiVincentis and Young stood tall, keeping the game locked at 2-2 heading into the final frame.
The pace picked up quickly in the third. Just 47 seconds in, Sammy Blais jumped off the bench, intercepted a turnover, and broke in alone, finishing his chance to put Abbotsford ahead. The action didn’t stop there—less than 45 seconds later, Chase Wouters sent a cross-ice feed to Guillaume Brisebois, who came streaking down the right side and fired a blocker-side shot to extend the Canucks' lead to 4-2.
But Manitoba didn't give up. Just over two minutes later, Simon Lundmark responded, beating Young to bring the Moose back within one. Then, an untimely Abbotsford penalty gave the Moose another chance, and they made it count—Mason Shaw ripped a seeing-eye shot from the blue line, finding the back of the net to tie the game at 4-4. In a span of less than five minutes, four goals had been exchanged, but defense tightened up for the remainder of regulation, sending the game to overtime.
Overtime was short-lived. Just 30 seconds in, Max Sasson turned on the jets, went end to end, and tucked the puck past DiVincentis to seal Abbotsford’s seventh straight win. The Canucks clinched the season series with a thrilling 5-4 victory over Manitoba.
Abbotsford will now return home for a few practice days before heading back out on the road to visit the San Jose Barracuda.