Abbotsford Canucks: Resilience is name of game amid heat to capture Calder Cup on road
Article content
The Abbotsford Canucks lead the best-of-seven Calder Cup championship series 3-2 after a heartbreaking 4-3 overtime loss Saturday at the Abbotsford Centre. A pass by mercurial winger Jesse Puljujarvi deflected off the skates of Ty Mueller and Guillaume Brisebois and trickled in. A bizarre finale in a series where three games have required extra time.
While the Canucks have wiggle room to return home with the league trophy, they don't want to be forced into a Game 7 Wednesday where anything can — and probable would occur — on that slab of suspect ice.
Abbotsford hasn't won two straight in the post-season, and it's been more than two months since the Canucks dropped two in a row during the regular season.
Canucks rookie head coach Manny Malhotra knows his club's mantra for Game 6 could provide the parent Vancouver Canucks with their first AHL affiliate title. The Utica Comets advanced to the Calder Cup final series in 2015, but fell in five games to the Manchester Monarchs.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Vancouver Sun
an hour ago
- Vancouver Sun
Abbotsford Canucks: Resilience is name of game in heat of Calder Cup chase
The heat will be on in more ways that one Monday in Charlotte, N.C. The sizzling weather forecast is 37 degrees Celsius, which is 98.6 Fahrenheit, and any home-ice advantage for the Checkers in Game 6 of the Calder Cup Finals could be nullified by a soft, sloppy and rutted surface at the Bojangles Coliseum. Even if they're familiar how heat can contribute to bad bounces or getting an edge caught in a divot at the wrong time. The Abbotsford Canucks lead the best-of-seven Calder Cup championship series 3-2 after a heartbreaking 4-3 overtime loss Saturday at the Abbotsford Centre. A pass by mercurial winger Jesse Puljujarvi deflected off the skates of Ty Mueller and Guillaume Brisebois and trickled in. A bizarre finale in a series where three games have required extra time. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. While the Canucks have wiggle room to return home with the league trophy, they don't want to be forced into a Game 7 Wednesday where anything can — and probable would occur — on that slab of suspect ice. Abbotsford hasn't lost two straight in the post-season, and it's been more than two months since the Canucks dropped two in a row during the regular season. Canucks rookie head coach Manny Malhotra knows his club's mantra for Game 6 could provide the parent Vancouver Canucks with their first AHL affiliate title. The Utica Comets advanced to the Calder Cup final series in 2015, but fell in five games to the Manchester Monarchs. Malhotra's club has been resilient throughout this season. First to pull themselves out of the muck of a 14-15-1-1 struggle in January before a franchise-record 13-game win streak and finishing on a 16-1-1 run. 'That's been the makeup of our group the whole playoffs,' stressed Malhtora. 'We're looking forward to the next one. When we decide to play like ourselves and advance play or forecheck, it works. We've proven it. And the fact we were able to bounce back and find our game was a positive. That said, Malhotra wasn't letting his team off the hook in Game 5. 'We didn't establish our game early enough,' he admitted. 'You can't wade into a game. You have to give Charlotte credit. Their backs were to the wall and they came out ready and threw everything at us. They're a volume-shooting team and get pucks to the net from every angle. 'We didn't do ourselves any favours in the second period with puck turnovers, and they were able to transition and capitalize. Ultimately, that is what this time of year is all about, limiting mistakes and capitalizing when force turnovers. There were a lot of instances where we didn't look like ourselves. 'We got on a roll in overtime, had some quality looks, and (Max) Sasson hits a post. The guys are ticked off. It would have been an incredible evening for the fans. It would have been a storybook ending, but we're not a storybook team. 'We grind. We work for what we get.' There's reason for optimism Monday. Arturs Silovs , 24, is capable of being a difference-maker with sparkling post-season numbers. He's 15-7-0 with a 2.01 goals-against average, .931 saves percentage and five shutouts, one short of the league record. Linus Karlsson, 25, scored twice Saturday, had eight shots, and leads AHL playoff scoring with 25 points (13-12). He's also second in shots (64) behind linemate the 24-year-old Sasson (72), who had 14 post-season points (5-9). Arshdeep Bains , 24, rounds out the line. He also scored in Game 5 and had five shots. Karlsson accepted a challenge to be more of a leader in his third AHL season, and in recalls to the parent Canucks, his willingness to establish a net presence bodes well for next NHL season. He had 39 points (23-16) in 32 AHL regular-season games this season. 'It's just what he does — it's just the kind of player he is,' lauded Malhotra. 'The offensive numbers stand out, but we look at the number of puck battles he wins and coming out of the corner. He got to the dirty areas and gets to the net front. 'He's not a fancy player, but extremely effective in doing little things well and gets rewarded for it.' LINUS KARLSSON WITH SOME MOVES FOR THE LEAD 🚨 He has two tonight and it's 3-2 Canucks @abbycanucks | @Canucks | @CanucksArmy #AHL #CalderCup #ProudlyAbbotsford #Canucks It's also imperative for the leadership group to be prominent Monday. Captain Chase Wouters has but four playoff points (2-2) but is adept at shot blocking and the tough stuff that doesn't show up on highlight reels. 'If I'm honest, the room is kind of running itself,' admitted Malhotra. 'That's a large part of where we are right now. It's the ability to manage the emotions of the room and turning the page. We'll be ready to go.' Wouters, 25, is an undrafted grinder and his 28 regular-season points (10-28) in 72 outings don't tell the whole story. 'We left it all out there and it's unfortunate,' he said of the Game 5 setback. 'We'll look at film an regroup. Even after wins, it's the next day and it's like nothing happened and that's been our mindset all year. We're looking forward to the challenge. They (Checkers) are a great team and they're not going to go away. 'Ice conditions aside, we can find ways to create more and get back to playing our game. We're going to be good. I'm confident in our group.' bkuzma@
CTV News
3 hours ago
- CTV News
Checkers beat Canucks 4-3 in OT to force Game 6 in Calder Cup final
Abbotsford Canucks' Linus Karlsson (94) celebrates his goal against the Charlotte Checkers during the first period in Game 5 of the AHL Calder Cup Final, in Abbotsford, B.C., on Saturday, June 21, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck ABBOTSFORD — Jesse Puljujarvi spoiled the party in Abbotsford on Saturday night when he scored at 15:22 of overtime to lift the visiting Charlotte Checkers to a 4-3 victory over the Canucks. A sold-out crowd at Abbotsford Centre was hoping to see the Canucks — who entered the game leading 3-1 in the best-of-seven championship series — hoist the Calder Cup on home ice, but the best the American Hockey League squad can do now is win the title at Bojangles Coliseum in North Carolina. Ben Steeves, Brett Chorske and Rasmus Asplund also scored for the Checkers, who outshot the hosts 40-32. Linus Karlsson scored twice for the Canucks, while Arshdeep Bains had a goal and assist. The teams were tied 1-1 after the first period and 3-3 heading into the third. Each team went 1-for-2 on the power play. The first two games of the series were played in Charlotte, with the Canucks winning Game 1 4-3 in double overtime. The Checkers bounced back in Game 2 with a 3-2 win in overtime. The series shifted to Abbotsford, B.C., for Games 3, 4 and 5. Abbotsford won Game 3 6-1 and took Game 4 3-2. Only one Canadian team has won the Calder Cup in the previous 11 A-H-L seasons — the 2017-18 Toronto Marlies. The Checkers, the AHL affiliate for the Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers, swept the Laval Rocket in the Eastern Conference final, while the Canucks bounced the Texas Stars in six games in the Western Conference final. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 21, 2025.
National Post
6 hours ago
- National Post
Abbotsford Canucks: Resilience is name of game amid heat to capture Calder Cup on road
Article content 'We got on a roll in overtime, had some quality looks, and (Max) Sasson hits a post. The guys are ticked off. It would have been an incredible evening for the fans. It would have been a storybook ending, but we're not a storybook team. Article content 'We grind. We work for what we get.' Article content There's reason for optimism Monday. Article content Article content Arturs Silovs, 24, is capable of being a difference-maker with sparkling post-season numbers. He's 15-7-0 with a 2.01 goals-against average, .931 saves percentage and five shutouts, one short of the league record. Article content Linus Karlsson, 25, scored twice Saturday, had eight shots, and leads AHL playoff scoring with 25 points (13-12). He's also second in shots (64) behind linemate the 24-year-old Sasson (72), who had 14 post-season points (5-9). Arshdeep Bains, 24, rounds out the line. He also scored in Game 5 and had five shots. Article content Karlsson accepted a challenge to be more of a leader in his third AHL season, and in recalls to the parent Canucks, his willingness to establish a net presence bodes well for next NHL season. He had 39 points (23-16) in 32 AHL regular-season games this season. Article content 'It's just what he does — it's just the kind of player he is,' lauded Malhotra. 'The offensive numbers stand out, but we look at the number of puck battles he wins and coming out of the corner. He got to the dirty areas and gets to the net front. Article content 'He's not a fancy player, but extremely effective in doing little things well and gets rewarded for it.' Article content LINUS KARLSSON WITH SOME MOVES FOR THE LEAD 🚨 He has two tonight and it's 3-2 Canucks @abbycanucks | @Canucks | @CanucksArmy #AHL #CalderCup #ProudlyAbbotsford #Canucks — FloHockey (@FloHockey) June 22, 2025 Article content It's also imperative for the leadership group to be prominent Monday. Captain Chase Wouters has but four playoff points (2-2) but is adept at shot blocking and the tough stuff that doesn't show up on highlight reels. Article content 'If I'm honest, the room is kind of running itself,' admitted Malhotra. 'That's a large part of where we are right now. It's the ability to manage the emotions of the room and turning the page. We'll be ready to go.' Article content Wouters, 25, is an undrafted grinder and his 28 regular-season points (10-28) in 72 outings don't tell the whole story. Article content 'We left it all out there and it's unfortunate,' he said of the Game 5 setback. 'We'll look at film an regroup. Even after wins, it's the next day and it's like nothing happened and that's been our mindset all year. We're looking forward to the challenge. They (Checkers) are a great team and they're not going to go away. Article content
