There was nothing that the Abbotsford Canucks could do but pack up, rest up and get ready for Game 6 tonight.
“No other choice,” defenseman Christian Wolanin said following Saturday’s 4-3 overtime loss.
Abbotsford made the trip back to Charlotte on Sunday after being denied a Calder Cup celebration on home ice. The Canucks chose to not dissect the setback all that much, with head coach Manny Malhotra continuing to emphasize a look-forward mentality, win or lose.
“That’s been the make-up of our group the whole playoffs,” Malhotra said.
As the Canucks prepare for Game 6 at Bojangles Coliseum, Malhotra will be stressing the need for a better start. He felt that it took time for the Canucks to find their game Saturday. Another slow start, especially in Charlotte, could push the Canucks to the brink themselves.
“At this time of the year, you can’t wade into a game or dip your toe in,” Malhotra said. “We have to establish our game much earlier and be ready to start.”
Going into what will be a hot, humid and intense environment in Charlotte will test the Canucks again. Malhotra will be relying on his team’s leadership group headed by captain Chase Wouters to help guide the team through that atmosphere.
“If I’m honest, the room is kind of running itself,” Malhotra said. “I think that a large part of why we are where we are right now is our leaders’ ability to manage the emotions of the room.”
The Charlotte Checkers have leaned on roster depth all season, and they are not stopping now.
A team beset by several long-term injuries to key players early in the regular season, the Checkers depended on a deep roster to take them to a second-place finish in the Atlantic Division and then through three rounds of the Calder Cup Playoffs. Aidan McDonough, Ryan McAllister, Mitchell Vande Sompel and captain Zac Dalpe are among the skaters who have missed most of the season for Charlotte.
Twenty-three skaters have been penciled into Geordie Kinnear’s lineup this postseason, and all of them have seen action during the Finals. Defenseman Eamon Powell and forwards Jack Devine and Brett Chorske were all Game 1 scratches against Abbotsford; they all recorded points in Game 5.
“Not high draft picks or highly touted, but they’ve come in and been major contributors to our group,” Kinnear said of his reserves. “What makes our group special are those guys that have stepped up all year. They deserve a lot of credit.”
― with files from Patrick Williams
