Saturday night on home ice the Abbotsford Canucks will look to go up two-games-to-none in the Calder Cup playoffs western conference finals against the Texas Stars. It’s an opportunity that comes on the heels of Thursday night’s thrilling 3-2 overtime victory in Game-1 at Abbotsford Centre.
Christian Wolanin, a left-shot defenceman, scored the OT winner for the Canucks at 5:51 of the extra session. His one-timer point shot leaked through Stars goalie Remi Poirier, who afterwards slammed his stick on the ice in disgust. There was no screen or traffic in front. The goal came on the Canucks 46th shot on net.
Abby forward Linus Karlsson, on a hot streak in recent games, earned first star honours with two assists. Goalie Arturs Silovs made 36 saves in the win, four of the stops in overtime.
The last time a Vancouver AHL affiliate made it this far in the playoffs, Travis Green was the head coach of the Utica Comets. They went on to lose the Calder Cup Final to the Manchester Monarchs in 2015.
After Saturday night, the series shifts for the next three games, if necessary, to Texas starting on Monday night.
— The Charlotte Checkers lead the Laval Rocket 2-0 in the eastern conference finals.
— Christian’s father Craig Wolanin, like his son a lefty D-man, won a Stanley Cup with the Colorado Avalanche in 1996.
