Abbotsford Canucks Live: Abby aims to win Game 6 — and first Calder Cup — in steamy Charlotte
One shot to win it all.
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Amid the sweat and strain in steamy Charlotte, N.C., where it's 35 degrees Celsius or 95 Fahrenheit, the Abbotsford Canucks know one Game 6 shot on a sloppy and suspect Bojangles Coliseum ice surface could cap their remarkable season.
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It would secure the Calder Cup championship, the first for an AHL affiliate of the parent NHL Canucks, and avoid being dragged into Game 7 on Wednesday against the Checkers. They shoot pucks from any angle at any time and a 199-126 series advantage, including 54, 42, and 40-shot efforts, have the Canucks on alert to force the forechecking issue and not play on their heels.
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Three series games have required overtime, including a pair of double-overtimes, and it could come down to somebody playing hero when it matters most. Abbotsford hasn't lost two-straight games in the post-season and it's been more than two months since they lost two in a row.
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Mercurial Abbotsford winger Danila Klimovich, who had been in and out of the lineup, played double-overtime hero in Game 1. He also scored in double overtime against the Texas Stars in the Western Conference final. They might name a street after him in Abbotsford if he strikes tonight, should there be an extra session.
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However, the telling blow is more likely to be landed by the Canucks' top line, or the day could be saved by the guy between the pipes.
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Linus Karlsson, Arshdeep Bains and Max Sasson have combined for 61 points (25-36) through these playoffs. Karlsson leads playoff scoring with 25 points (13-12), Bains is second with 22 points (7-15), and Sasson eighth with 14 points (5-9). Sasson leads in shots with 72, while Karlsson has 64 and Bains 42.
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Then again, the struggling Jonathan Lekkerimaki scored twice in Game 4, so who knows would could play Game 6 hero? Might even be burly Sammy Blais.
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As for Silovs, he has 51, 28 and 32-save wins in the series and his five playoff shutouts are one shy of the league record. Former Canucks goaltender Mika Noronen established the mark by backstopping the Rochester Americans to the 2000 Calder Cup title.
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If you aren't able to watch the game in person, scroll down for the play-by-play updates from tonight's game. Be sure to hit the refresh button for the latest update.
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