CEDAR PARK, Texas. – Wednesday night, the visiting Abbotsford Canucks defeated the Texas Stars 5-4 in Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals, which required double overtime to decide. With the victory, Abbotsford takes a 3-1 series lead.
Early in the first period, Matej Blümel picked up where he left off on Monday night with his third powerplay goal of the week, with his signature one-timer from the right-wing circle. Linus Karlsson tied the game for Abbotsford with his league-leading 9th goal of the playoffs when he broke free from a Stars defender in the low slot and hammered a one-timer past Remi Poirier. Tristen Nielsen put the Canucks in the lead with a one-timer from the right circle just as their power play expired. Despite Texas outshooting Abbotsford 12-4 in the period, the Canucks would take a 2-1 lead into the first intermission.
Jack Becker tied the game for the Stars 7:51 into the second period when he chased down a rebound in the slot and, with a spinaround wrist shot, beat Artūrs Šilovs high blocker side. Cameron Hughes put the Stars up 3-2 midway through the second period when he had the puck redirected off his leg while sliding toward the net. Victor Mancini evened the game 3-3 with a quick wrist shot that seemed to stun Poirier. Nielsen put Abbotsford up 4-3 with his second goal of the night when he stole the puck at center ice, skated into the Stars zone, and beat Poirier with a backhand shot high glove side. Texas once again outshot Abbotsford in the period but found themselves down a goal entering the third period.
Magnus Hellberg would replace Poirer in net for the Stars at the start of the third period after allowing 4 goals on 11 shots. After an evenly matched nineteen minutes and forty-one seconds of play, Justin Hryckowian would tie the game with just 19 seconds remaining when he deflected a shot from Kole Lind past Šilovs, sending the game to overtime.
After a scoreless first period of overtime, Danila Klimovich would score the game-winning goal 3:21 into the second overtime when he skated the puck into the Stars zone, dangled one defender, and roofed a backhand shot past the left shoulder of Hellberg.
Check out this photo gallery from Inside The Rink’s Rick Crossman for highlights from the game.
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