Abbotsford Posts a Big Third Period to Take a 4-1 Win Over the Coachella Valley Firebirds

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AHL Abbotsford Canucks

Abbotsford Posts a Big Third Period to Take a 4-1 Win Over the Coachella Valley Firebirds

April 18, 2025 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Abbotsford Canucks News Release


The regular season is winding down for the Abbotsford Canucks, who visited Coachella Valley to close out their season series against the Firebirds.

After making 32 saves on Wednesday against Bakersfield, Artūrs Šilovs earned his fourth consecutive start in net, facing off against Nikke Kokko.

Seven players rejoined the Abbotsford lineup following their recalls to Vancouver, immediately boosting the team's depth. But Coachella had reinforcements of their own from Seattle, setting the stage for a competitive battle. The two teams played a tight, evenly matched opening, with Abbotsford getting the first power play of the game. Though they couldn't convert on that opportunity, they got another chance shortly after-and this time they capitalized.

Max Sasson, making his return to the lineup, opened the scoring by cleaning up a rebound from Linus Karlsson's initial shot. The goal gave Abbotsford a 1-0 lead just past the halfway mark of the first period. They had to kill off a penalty of their own late in the frame, but no further goals were scored, and they carried the lead into the second.

The game had a playoff feel, with both teams minimizing risk and focusing on structured play. Shots were exchanged at both ends, but Kokko and Šilovs stood tall in their creases. The deadlock continued until the 16-minute mark, when Jacob Melanson tied it up with a laser of a wrist shot into the top corner, sending the game into the final period knotted at one.

The third period needed to be a difference-maker-and Abbotsford delivered. The first half of the frame mirrored the tight pace of the rest of the game, but with just under eight minutes to play, the Canucks flipped the script in a flash. Karlsson buried a rebound from Sasson's shot to give Abbotsford a 2-1 lead. Just 13 seconds later, Danila Klimovich added to the tally, weaving in front of the net and snapping a shot home to stretch the lead to 3-1.

Coachella pulled Kokko for the extra attacker in the final minutes, but Abbotsford sealed the win with an empty-netter from Max Sasson-his second goal and third point of the night-making it a 4-1 final.

The Canucks controlled the third period, proving to be the difference maker, and came away with a big win over a strong Firebirds squad.

Up next, Abbotsford heads to Ontario to wrap up the 2024-25 regular season with one final game against the Reign, before returning home to kick off the playoffs!

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