Canucks Advance
In the deciding 5th game of the pacific division finals, Abbotsford shut out the Colorado Eagles 5-0 on a Memorial Day afternoon in Loveland.
Red hot forward Linus Karlsson scored the series winning goal late in the 1st period, added another back-breaking tally early in the 3rd period, and Canucks goalie Arturs Silovs made 32 saves as the Abbotsford Canucks advanced to the Calder Cup playoffs western conference finals for the first time in team history.
In a previous incarnation, the Vancouver affiliate Utica Comets made it to the Calder Cup Final in 2015.
Karlsson shares the AHL postseason lead in goals with seven, including two game winners in the series against the top-seeded division rival.
Silovs posted his fourth shut-out of the playoffs and his third in elimination games. He’s blanked Tucson, Coachella Valley and now Colorado in 2025 series clinchers.
Sammy Blais, a 2019 Stanley Cup winner with the St. Louis Blues, leads Abby with 11 playoff points, one ahead of Karlsson, but the 28-year-old winger was tossed from this game after earning a major interference penalty for a hit at the end of the 2nd period.
Abbotsford hosts the Texas Stars, the second seed from the AHL’s central division, in Game-1 on Thursday night at 7 pm. Game-2 is Saturday. Abby finished the regular season with 92 points to 89 for Texas. It’s a 2-3-2 series format with the Stars hosting the middle three games.
