ABBOTSFORD, British Columbia -- Jonathan Lekkerimaki scored twice for Abbotsford in a 3-2 win against Charlotte in Game 4 of the Calder Cup Finals at Abbotsford Centre on Thursday.
Arturs Silovs made 30 saves, Ty Mueller had two assists, and Arshdeep Bains also scored for Abbotsford, the top affiliate of the Vancouver Canucks.
Abbotsford leads the best-of-7 series 3-1 and can clinch the first American Hockey League championship in team history in Game 5 in Abbotsford on Saturday (9 p.m. ET).
Kyle Criscuolo and Jack Devine scored in the third period and Kaapo Kahkonen made 20 saves for Charlotte, the top affiliate of the two-time Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers.
Lekkerimaki put Abbotsford ahead 1-0 at 1:15 of the first period, finishing off 2-on-1 started by a Christian Wolanin stretch pass by one-timing a cross-ice feed from Mueller past the outstretched blocker of Kahkonen from the left hash mark. It was the first goal of the series for Lekkerimaki, who was selected by Vancouver with the No. 15 pick in the 2022 NHL Draft, after being a healthy scratch the first two games in Charlotte and the final two games of the Western Conference Final against Texas (Dallas Stars).
Bains, who had two goals and two assists in Game 3, put Abbotsford ahead 2-0 with a nice solo effort at 11:30 of the second period. He took a pass in the neutral zone and challenged Charlotte defenseman Matt Kierstad 1-on-1 off the rush, making a nice inside-out move that got Kahkonen moving before snapping a quick shot between his legs.
Silovs made his best saves off Charlotte’s top-line forwards, stopping Rasmus Asplund on a one-timer in the slot on an early first period power play and John Leonard with the glove on another one-timer from the left hash mark at 16:13 of the second period. He also lunged up to get his left shoulder on an in-tight chance for former Abbotsford forward Will Lockwood 11 minutes into the second period, 30 seconds before Bains extended the lead.
Silovs made another tough save off Asplund on a one-timer from just above the left face-off dot at 3:40 of the third period and Lekkerimaki scored his second goal off the resulting rush with a breakaway deke and quick five-hole shot to make it 3-0 at 3:47. It was the third goal and seventh point in 14 playoff goals for the 20-year-old Sweden-born forward.
Criscuolo scored his second goal of the playoffs on a power play one-timer from inside the left face-off dot to make it 3-1 at 3:47 of the third period after a nice cross-ice pass from Devine off the rush.
Devine scored on a rebound scramble from just above the crease with 25.4 seconds left and Kahkonen pulled for an extra attacker to make it 3-2.
Charlotte dominated the shot clock 96-43 splitting the first two games in overtime at home and hadn’t lost a road game this postseason (7-0) before dropping two straight in Abbotsford.