In what turned into a 3rd period nail-biter, the Abbotsford Canucks prevailed 1-0 in Game-2 of the Calder Cup western conference finals against the visiting Texas Stars.
The Vancouver Canucks American Hockey League affiliate takes a 2-0 series lead into Game-3 on Monday in Texas.
Saturday night’s hero was 26-year-old lefty defenceman Akito Hirose, scoring his first goal of the postseason and the lone goal of the game at 7:39 of the 3rd period. Naturally, the hottest of AHL Canucks, Linus Karlsson, had one of the assists. The other went to Surrey native Arshdeep Bains.
Hirose’s goal was a bit of a fluke. He wristed a shot from the left point into heavy traffic in front of Stars goalie Remi Poirier. The puck appeared to hit the skate of Texas centre Arttu Hyry, changing directions abruptly, and trickling inside the far post past the diving goaltender. Poirier had slid well to his right, thinking he was tracking the puck. He couldn’t get back in time.
Euphoria erupted at the Abbotsford Centre.
Poirier stopped the other 28 shots he faced, picking up 2nd-star honours on the night. First star distinction went to Abbotsford goalie Arturs Silovs for his 26 save shut-out.
Silovs leads the Calder Cup playoffs with a 1.61 goals against average, a .941 save percentage, and a whopping total of five shut-outs in 14 games played.
Karlsson has five points over the last three Abby playoff games and nine points in the last eight.
A melee broke out at the final horn as Stars forward Kole Lind got into Silovs’s face, sparking a strong reaction from the Abbotsford teammates. It doesn’t appear any supplemental discipline will affect the line-ups for Game-3.
