Erasing two deficits in a road playoff game is a sure way to earn praise from the head coach.
Down 1-0 and 3-2 on Wednesday night, the Canucks scratched out a 5-4 double-overtime win to take a 3-1 series lead over the Stars. Abbotsford also survived a Texas tying goal with 18.7 seconds to go in regulation. Outshooting the Stars 17-5 in overtime play and unleashing multiple grade A chances, the Canucks finally put away the win on Danila Klimovich’s goal 3:21 into the fifth period.
“The word we continue to use with our group is ‘resilient,’” head coach Manny Malhotra said. “Our overall game was much sharper. There was much more tenacity to our game. We were much harder on pucks. Much more physical. Our intensity was elevated.”
Stars head coach Neil Graham made a goaltending change in the second intermission of Game 4 after starter Remi Poirier had allowed four goals on 11 shots.
Graham turned to Magnus Hellberg with his team trailing 4-3. Hellberg, who had not played since May 18 when he allowed six goals to Milwaukee in Game 2 of the Central Division Finals, came on and stopped the first 22 shots he faced before Abbotsford finally beat him early in the second OT period.
“I thought it was a good time for a little spark,” Graham explained. “We were trailing at the end of the period, and I thought, ‘Hey, at this point we have fresh legs, we love both our goalies, we trust both of them.’
“It was more of a moment of, ‘Let’s see if we can get a little spark and get back on our toes.’”
― with files from Patrick Williams
