The <a href="https://canucksarmy.com/combinations">Abbotsford Canuck</a>s have put themselves in position to come home with a 2-0 lead in the Calder Cup Finals if they can pick up a <a href="https://canucksarmy.com/news/charlotte-coach-struggling-special-teams-not-disallowed-goal-cost-charlotte-checkers-calder-cup-final-game-1-loss-abbotsford-canucks">second straight win over the Charlotte Checkers</a> when the two teams meet again in a 1pm start at Bojangles Arena.
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The Canucks rallied from a 3-1 deficit on Friday night to prevail 4-3 in double overtime to take the best of seven opener in dramatic fashion.
<h1>What we know</h1>
<a href="https://canucksarmy.com/news/farmies-klimovich-plays-hero-abby-canucks-wild-double-ot-game-1-calder-cup-final-victory">Danila Klimovich scored his second double overtime goal</a> of the playoffs on Friday to give Abbotsford the win. The goal came at the 10:25 mark of the second OT period and was scored on a Canucks power play. 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
🚨ABBOTSFORD GOAL🚨
DANILA KLIMOVICH SCORES THE OT WINNER! ABBOTSFORD TAKES A 1-0 SERIES LEAD! 
🎥: FloHockey <a href="https://t.co/5ZX4KpDmeu">pic.twitter.com/5ZX4KpDmeu</a>
&mdash; CanucksArmy (@CanucksArmy) <a href="https://twitter.com/CanucksArmy/status/1933726653974523994?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 14, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Max Sasson, Nate Smith and Ty Mueller also scored for Abbotsford which won the opening game in all five series it played this spring. The Canucks have never trailed after any game in any of their series.
Sasson had a goal and an assist while Sammy Blais had a pair of helpers to lead the Canucks attack. Abbotsford went 2 for 7 on the power play while killing off all five Charlotte opportunities with the man advantage including a pair in the first overtime. Abbotsford is now killing penalties at 91.4% in the postseason.
With Friday&#8217;s win, the Canucks improved to 4-2 in overtime in these playoffs (Klimovich with a pair of winners while Linus Karlsson and Christian Wolanin have also scored in OT).
Arturs Silovs stopped 51 of 54 shots including the final 34 he faced on the night. That total also included all 21 shots sent his way in overtime. Today, Silovs will make his 20th straight playoff start. He’s 13-5 with a 1.94 GAA, a .931 save percentage and five shutouts.
Abbotsford has now erased multi-goal deficits to win each of its last two games after trailing Texas 2-0 in Game 6 in the previous round.
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<h1>The opponent</h1>
The Checkers will look to rebound after seeing their eight game playoff win streak snapped on Friday. They had swept their previous two rounds over Hershey and Laval. They had not lost a game since a May 9th defeat against Providence.
MacKenzie Entwistle, Oliver Okuliar and Justin Sourdif scored for Charlotte. Sourdif, the former Vancouver Giant, led the team with eight shots on goal. Matt Kiersted had a pair of assists on the night.
Kaapo Kakhonen surrendered four goals for the first time in the playoffs. He stopped 26 of 30 shots on the night. 
The Checkers thought they had won the game early in double overtime after a bizarre sequence saw the Canucks put the puck in their own net off a face off. However, after a brief consultation, the on-ice officials ruled that Arturs Silovs was not set and ready when the puck was dropped and the apparent game winner was waved off.
Charlotte’s playoff power play dropped to 6.3% after failing to score on five opportunities in the opener. The Checkers are now just three for 48 with the man advantage in the playoffs. Remarkably, they have twice as many shorthanded goals as power play goals through 13 postseason outings.
Ice conditions in Charlotte were an issue for Game 1. That comes with the territory of hockey in mid-June in the US south. However, it will be interesting to see how the ice stands up for a 4pm local face off with game time temperatures expected to be 30 degrees celsius.
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<h1>The series at a glance</h1>
Game 1: Abbotsford wins 4-3 in 2OT
After today’s Game 2, the series will shift to Abbotsford for Game 3 on Tuesday, Game 3 on Thursday and, if necessary, Game 5 next Saturday.
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<h1>What was said</h1>
Abbotsford head coach Manny Malhotra on what he liked most about his team’s Game 1 victory: ‘Can’t say enough about our group how resilient they are in terms of finding a way to get things done.”
Malhotra on giving up 54 shots in extended Game 1: “That’s a part of their game. We understand they’re a volume shooting team. So it’s not shocking with their shot totals. Obviously, it’s something we need to look at and limit the number of quality chances they’re getting. But for the most part, we felt Arty did a good job of making the saves we needed him to and he came up with some huge ones there late in the game to keep us in it.”
Make sure to join the Rink Wide postgame live stream immediately following tonight’s game. Rink Wide will provide a full breakdown and comprehensive coverage of the Abbotsford Canucks through the AHL playoffs. When the final buzzer sounds, be sure to log onto Rink Wide and join the YouTube live chat to discuss the game with other Canucks fans. Subscribe to the Rink Wide YouTube channel and never miss an episode.
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The <a href="https://canucksarmy.com/combinations">Abbotsford Canuck</a>s have put themselves in position to come home with a 2-0 lead in the Calder Cup Finals if they can pick up a <a href="https://canucksarmy.com/news/charlotte-coach-struggling-special-teams-not-disallowed-goal-cost-charlotte-checkers-calder-cup-final-game-1-loss-abbotsford-canucks">second straight win over the Charlotte Checkers</a> when the two teams meet again in a 1pm start at Bojangles Arena.
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The Canucks rallied from a 3-1 deficit on Friday night to prevail 4-3 in double overtime to take the best of seven opener in dramatic fashion.
<h1>What we know</h1>
<a href="https://canucksarmy.com/news/farmies-klimovich-plays-hero-abby-canucks-wild-double-ot-game-1-calder-cup-final-victory">Danila Klimovich scored his second double overtime goal</a> of the playoffs on Friday to give Abbotsford the win. The goal came at the 10:25 mark of the second OT period and was scored on a Canucks power play. 

https://twitter.com/CanucksArmy/status/1933726653974523994

Max Sasson, Nate Smith and Ty Mueller also scored for Abbotsford which won the opening game in all five series it played this spring. The Canucks have never trailed after any game in any of their series.

Sasson had a goal and an assist while Sammy Blais had a pair of helpers to lead the Canucks attack. Abbotsford went 2 for 7 on the power play while killing off all five Charlotte opportunities with the man advantage including a pair in the first overtime. Abbotsford is now killing penalties at 91.4% in the postseason.

With Friday's win, the Canucks improved to 4-2 in overtime in these playoffs (Klimovich with a pair of winners while Linus Karlsson and Christian Wolanin have also scored in OT).

Arturs Silovs stopped 51 of 54 shots including the final 34 he faced on the night. That total also included all 21 shots sent his way in overtime. Today, Silovs will make his 20th straight playoff start. He’s 13-5 with a 1.94 GAA, a .931 save percentage and five shutouts.

Abbotsford has now erased multi-goal deficits to win each of its last two games after trailing Texas 2-0 in Game 6 in the previous round.

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<h1>The opponent</h1>
The Checkers will look to rebound after seeing their eight game playoff win streak snapped on Friday. They had swept their previous two rounds over Hershey and Laval. They had not lost a game since a May 9th defeat against Providence.

MacKenzie Entwistle, Oliver Okuliar and Justin Sourdif scored for Charlotte. Sourdif, the former Vancouver Giant, led the team with eight shots on goal. Matt Kiersted had a pair of assists on the night.

Kaapo Kakhonen surrendered four goals for the first time in the playoffs. He stopped 26 of 30 shots on the night. 

The Checkers thought they had won the game early in double overtime after a bizarre sequence saw the Canucks put the puck in their own net off a face off. However, after a brief consultation, the on-ice officials ruled that Arturs Silovs was not set and ready when the puck was dropped and the apparent game winner was waved off.

Charlotte’s playoff power play dropped to 6.3% after failing to score on five opportunities in the opener. The Checkers are now just three for 48 with the man advantage in the playoffs. Remarkably, they have twice as many shorthanded goals as power play goals through 13 postseason outings.

Ice conditions in Charlotte were an issue for Game 1. That comes with the territory of hockey in mid-June in the US south. However, it will be interesting to see how the ice stands up for a 4pm local face off with game time temperatures expected to be 30 degrees celsius.

&nbsp;
<h1>The series at a glance</h1>
Game 1: Abbotsford wins 4-3 in 2OT

After today’s Game 2, the series will shift to Abbotsford for Game 3 on Tuesday, Game 3 on Thursday and, if necessary, Game 5 next Saturday.

&nbsp;
<h1>What was said</h1>
Abbotsford head coach Manny Malhotra on what he liked most about his team’s Game 1 victory: ‘Can’t say enough about our group how resilient they are in terms of finding a way to get things done.”

Malhotra on giving up 54 shots in extended Game 1: “That’s a part of their game. We understand they’re a volume shooting team. So it’s not shocking with their shot totals. Obviously, it’s something we need to look at and limit the number of quality chances they’re getting. But for the most part, we felt Arty did a good job of making the saves we needed him to and he came up with some huge ones there late in the game to keep us in it.”

Make sure to join the Rink Wide postgame live stream immediately following tonight’s game. Rink Wide will provide a full breakdown and comprehensive coverage of the Abbotsford Canucks through the AHL playoffs. When the final buzzer sounds, be sure to log onto Rink Wide and join the YouTube live chat to discuss the game with other Canucks fans. Subscribe to the Rink Wide YouTube channel and never miss an episode.

Sponsored by bet365
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