The Abbotsford Canucks Shutout The Coachella Valley Firebirds 2-0, To Advance To The Pacific Division Finals

The Abbotsford Canucks looked to clinch their spot in the Pacific Division Finals as they faced off against the Coachella Valley Firebirds in Game 4.

Artūrs Šilovs made his seventh consecutive postseason start, continuing his strong run between the pipes. At the other end, the Canucks were up against a familiar netminder in Nikke Kokko.

The game began at an even pace, with both teams playing strong 200-foot hockey. Coachella managed to get a few early shots on goal and blocked several Abbotsford attempts in their do-or-die matchup. Just under nine minutes into the first period, John Hayden was called for interference, putting the Firebirds down a man. Abbotsford capitalized on the power play about a minute in, when Max Sasson buried a rebound off a shot from Kirill Kudryavtsev, giving the Canucks a 1-0 lead midway through the period.

A few minutes later, Chase Wouters took a penalty, but Abbotsford’s penalty kill stayed sharp, keeping the Firebirds off the board. The Canucks carried their one-goal lead into the intermission, though a penalty at the buzzer meant they would begin the second period short-handed.

Abbotsford successfully killed off the early penalty and continued to frustrate Coachella’s attack. The Firebirds kept the pressure on, blocking shots and creating chances, but Šilovs stood tall. Despite a couple of 4-on-4 stretches, neither team could find the back of the net, and the score remained 1-0 heading into the third period.

With 20 minutes between them and the third round, the Canucks buckled down. The Firebirds, desperate to stay alive, battled hard and both teams earned a power play opportunity, but again, neither could convert. As the clock ticked down, Coachella pulled their goalie for an extra attacker. It backfired when Phil Di Giuseppe found Linus Karlsson wide open, and Karlsson fired the puck into the empty net, sealing a 2-0 lead with under two minutes remaining.

The Canucks held on to complete the shutout and eliminate the Firebirds — the Calder Cup finalists in back-to-back seasons — advancing to the Pacific Division Finals.

Abbotsford will now host the Colorado Eagles for Games 1 and 2 of Round 3 on May 16th and 18th.

To purchase tickets to an upcoming playoff game, click HERE.