Abbotsford Canucks Prepare for Tough Matchup against Coachella Valley in Second Round of AHL Playoffs

The Abbotsford Canucks punched their ticket into the second round of the AHL playoffs to face the Coachella Valley Firebirds with a commanding 5-0 victory in the deciding game three at the Abbotsford Centre, to finish off their series against the Tucson Roadrunners.

Head Coach Manny Malhotra wasn’t too pleased with his team following games one and two but spoke about liking his club’s performance in a do-or-die game three on Saturday.

“I was really happy with the response that we had, starting obviously in net. Arty [Šilovs] came to play. He didn’t get a whole lot of work early on, but the chances that they did have were quality looks, and he stood tall all night,” said Malhotra. “And just the overall competitive nature of our group; the guys were committed to our structure and didn’t give up a whole lot, but more just the intensity that we attack the game with, I was pleased to see it.”

Abbotsford outshot Tucson in the opening round by a 100-76 count. In game three, the Canucks were dominant, outshooting the Roadrunners 39-21, including a first period where the shots were 20-5 for the home team.

Max Sasson led the Canucks with 13 shots on goal through the three games. His baker’s dozen shots are second in the AHL playoffs, and his effort to get pucks on net helped him pick up a goal and two assists in the opening round series.

Sasson spoke about the impact the fans had on the opening round series.

“If fans are listening to this. We love having you here, and we feed off you all,” said Sasson to the fans at the Abbotsford Centre. “The second we stepped out on the ice, we saw everyone, and the bench was just so alive from seeing all the support we got. You all waving towels, some Artūrs Šilovs chants - it was all awesome. And we really appreciate everyone.”

Sammy Blais had a big opening round and now leads the AHL playoffs with three goals and four points. The 28-year-old former Stanley Cup Champion displayed his physicality and was all around the net throughout the opening round.

In net, Šilovs started all three games for Abbotsford and stopped 70 of the 76 shots he faced. He now takes a .921% playoff save percentage into round two and was big in the series-deciding game, picking up a 21-save shutout.

The Canucks’ opponent in round two, the Coachella Firebirds, have been one of the best teams in the AHL over the past three seasons. They have made it to the Calder Cup finals in each of the previous two seasons and finished this year with a 37-25-10 record.

Though the two teams are in the same division, they only matched up against each other four times during the regular season. This series is going to be tough, as Coachella Valley won three of the four meetings.

Firebirds forward Mitchell Stephens scored three goals, and John Hayden had a pair of assists in Coachella’s two wins in the opening round.

The Firebirds are strong up and down the lineup and have one of the top young goaltenders outside of the NHL in the 21-year-old Finn, Nikke Kokko.

Kokko was Finland’s starter at the 2024 World Junior Championships and posted a 20-10-2 record this season with a .913% save percentage and 2.26 goals-against average. He picked up a 23-save shutout in the opening round and was strong in a 4-3 triple overtime win in the Firebirds’ opening game of the playoffs.

Ben Meyers led his team with 51 points during the regular season. He is currently playing centre on the second line with Brandon Biro and 2022 second-round draft pick Jagger Firkus.

Cale Fleury will be one of the top defencemen for Coachella Valley. The 26-year-old played in 14 games for the Seattle Kraken this season and finished his AHL year with seven goals and 19 assists for 26 points in 39 AHL games.

The Firebirds’ penalty kill went a perfect six-for-six in their opening round. During the season, they ranked fifth in the AHL with an 85.2% kill rate.

Jani Nyman led the Firebirds with nine power play goals during the regular season.

Ian McKinnon will likely be trying to make some noise in the series and get under the Canucks’ skin as he was eighth in the AHL with 141 penalty minutes.

This second-round series gets underway in Coachella Valley on Thursday at 7:00 p.m., with game two going on Saturday at 6:00 p.m. The series then returns to Abbotsford for game three, and potentially games four and five.

Insider Extra: The Calder Cup Playoffs are Different for the Pacific Division Teams

The AHL playoffs are quite different from the NHL playoffs, and even more like chalk and cheese in the Pacific Division.

First, there are five rounds in the AHL playoffs.

Seven teams from the Pacific make the playoffs, including the top-seeded Colorado Eagles, who received a bye in the first round.

The three-game ‘play-in’ series is now complete and we have the Eagles facing the San Jose Barracuda while the Canucks play the Firebirds in the best-of-five semifinals.

From there, it stays in the division, and the two semifinal winners will play in a best-of-five series to determine the division champion.

Then, the Pacific Division winner will play the Central Division winner in a best-of-seven series to determine who will represent the Western Conference in the Calder Cup final.

The Calder Cup final is a best-of-seven series to determine the league’s postseason champion.

Tickets for games three, four and five at the Abbotsford Centre are now available and can be purchased HERE.