CV Firebirds vs. Abbotsford Canucks Divisional Semifinal Playoff Preview

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AHL Coachella Valley Firebirds

CV Firebirds vs. Abbotsford Canucks Divisional Semifinal Playoff Preview

April 28, 2025 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Coachella Valley Firebirds News Release


Questions which both lingered and dogged the third season of Firebirds' hockey were answered with aplomb in CV's opening round of the playoffs, as the 'Birds (fast) dispatched the rival Wranglers for the third time in as many postseasons.

Following a duel with a foe familiar, the Firebirds now turn beaks toward an opponent (somewhat) opaque in Abbotsford. The Canucks needed three strikes to advance past a game Tucson bunch in the opening round, and are seeking a debut appearance in the Division Final since relocating to their current city in 2021; the 'Birds, of course are aiming to return to the Calder Cup Championship Final for the third consecutive season.

The Division Semifinal, best-of-five series gets underway on the 'Birds' home sheet of Acrisure Arena and is scheduled as follows:

Thursday May 1, Abbotsford at CV (7:00 p.m. Pacific)

Saturday, May 3, Abbotsford at CV (6:00 p.m. Pac)

Wednesday, May 7, CV at Abbotsford (7:00 p.m. Pac)

Friday, May 9, (*if necessary) CV at Abbotsford (7:00 p.m. Pac)

Sunday, May 11, (*if necessary) CV at Abbotsford (7:00 p.m. Pac)

Coachella and Abbotsford have never-before met in the postseason, and the pair of Pacific Division squads faced-off just four times this year, with CV winning the first three match-ups and the Canucks taking the finale. Of the 'Birds' trio over wins, a pair took place in back-to-back road fashion at the season's outset, on November 15 and 16, respectively.

Abbot/Costello

Abbotsford, affiliate eponymous of the NHL's Vancouver Canucks, finished the season second in the Pac, boasting a 92-point standing campaign which stood as second-best in the Western Conference.

On the heels of six consecutive losses and a mere 14-15-2 mark as of January 6, the Abbots found some serious alter ego heading into the All-Star Break. From January 10 - January 25, the Canucks won eight straight games (all in regulation); following a see-saw February, the month ensuing saw Abbotsford find rare form, capturing 13 consecutive wins from March 8 - April 6. Though back-to-back defeats followed the stellar streak, the Canucks finished the season with wins in their last three contests.

Presenting an impressive balance of scoring and defense, the Canucks finished the AHL season with 241 Goals Scored (4th in the league) and 204 Goals Against (10th in the AHL). And while neither Special Teams unit wowed (16th-best Power Play; 17th-best Penalty Kill) and the team gathered 860 Penalty Minutes (21st), Abbotsford's depth proved paramount to the squad's success.

Though nary a Canuck reached the 50-point threshold this year, Abbotsford had 15 different players with at least 26 points; in concert, the team saw 11 different players score double-digit goals.

With Vancouver, per the 'Birds' parent club, having missed the postseason, Abbotsford's roster is now fleshed in full for Calder Cup Playoffs, seeing a deep cache of reinforcements across the AHL roster. To wit:

Center Linus Karlsson's solid split season between the two levels resulted in 23 NHL games (six points) and 32 AHL contests (23 goals and 16 assists). Fellow centerman Aatu Raty played 33 games for the big club this year (11 points), coupled with 43 games for Abbotsford (17 goals and 23 assists). Frontliner Max Sasson saw 29 games of NHL action matched with 41 games (32 points) for the affiliate.

Abbotsford's leading scorer, winger Arshdeep Bains, tallied 43 points in the AHL and accrued 13 games of NHL service time, while veteran frontliner Sammy Blais (284 NHL games; none this season) paired 14 goals with 26 assists across his 51-game AHL season. In the Tucson series, Blais scored thrice and tallied at least a point in each game.

Right winger Danila Klimovich finished his fourth season in Abbotsford as the team-leading goal scorer (25) and, at just 22-years-old, already sports 89 career points on his AHL resume.

In net, Arturs Silovs appeared in 10 games for Vancouver this season (2-6-1) and 21 more for Abbotsford; per the AHL service, the 24-year-old Latvian amassed a fine 14-5-1 mark, matched with a Goals Against of 2.41; though the latter doesn't chart among the league's "qualified" goalies, said mark would track as 11th best in the AHL. As for his postseason play, Silvos started all three games versus Tucson, authoring a shutout victory in Game 3's series-deciding win.

'Birds Bearing Down

Evidencing a committed physicality and game-finishing polish which oft-evaded Coachella Valley across the 72-game campaign, CV's back-to-back first-round victories over Calgary no doubt put the league on notice that the 'Birds appear to be flocking at just the right time.

Veteran John Hayden was an absolute monster in the Calgary series, combing a deep cache of minutes (especially considering CV's triple-overtime win in Game 1) with a pair of goals and a formidable combination of muscle and leadership. In tandem, Stanley Cup champion Mitchell Stephens provided added frontline experience for the 'Birds, scoring a trio of goals across the two wins, including what proved the eventual series-winner in Game 2.

Between the pipes, Nikke Kokko's superb rookie campaign earned even further accolade in the first-round, going 36/39 across 102 minutes of play in CV's 4-3 opening win, followed by a 23-save shutout in Game 2 in what was the 21-year-old Finn's first shutout of the season.

Special Teams proved polar in the series, with the Firebirds' stellar Penalty Kill unit only extending the shine of its regular season play, holding the Wranglers' Power Play man advantage scoreless across six chances. Inversely, CV's own Power Play found ample struggle in the series win, going (gulp) 0-for-7 in Game 1 before playing sans score in the lone opportunity presented in Game 2.

Analysis and Prediction

Save for the Firebirds pair of Calder Cup defeats to Hershey and CV's five-game Division Finals series win over Calgary in 2023, the Abbotsford battle ahead appears to present the toughest playoff advance task in the 'Birds' brief but decorated history.

As offered, the Canucks have basically been on a heater for the three straight months, having lost back-to-back regulation/OT games just twice since January 10. The team's balance across front and back lines, along with their scoring depth and solid netminding was all in full view in their 4-1 road win over the Firebirds on April 18, and CV staffers are undoubtedly studying said game tape close in the four days between Rounds 1 and 2.

The Firebirds' attention to detail in the Calgary sweep merits ample attention. Along with Kokko's inspired play, the team's ability to match and fend-off the Wranglers' check-finishing style answers a massive question about CV's ability to hang in the trenches; wrecking crew forechecking from the likes of Hayden, Jacob Melanson, Luke Henman and Nathan Villeneuve coalesced to show that the 'Birds can play postseason-style hockey with some serious teeth.

Defensively, Cale Fleury's skate and stick skills were on full display across the Round 1 win, just as Ty Nelson's confidence continues to soar, as the rookie has now exceeded expectations; while fellow blue-liners Gustav Olofsson, Max Lajoie and Nik Brouillard may not get the ink of Fleury and Nelson, said bunch has done yeoman's work all season long and their collective veteran presence (93 cumulative Calder Cup Playoff games) truly showed in the opening-round. All told, this unit is better than opponents will anticipate.

For the 'Birds to fly further, however, the Power Play simply can't keep losing opportunities; in turn, neither of the team's leading scorers, Jani Nyman and Ben Meyers, netted a goal against Calgary, and that too will need to change if CV is to advance to a third consecutive Division Final (and beyond). Depth of scoring will need to come from somewhere for a little added punch, meaning somebody amid Logan Morrison, Brandon Biro, Jagger Firkus and/or David Goyette need find some heat against the Canucks.

Head coach Derek Laxdal's savvy in-game line changes against the Wranglers offered evidence of his decorated playoff past, and such bench experience will be further needed to counter Abbotsford's latter line scoring talent. If the 'Birds can add some scoring variety to their frontman's wisdom and hinder the Canuck's depth, CV's compelling combo of veterans and youngsters should fly onward.Prediction: Firebirds in five.

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