(Credit: Logan Foust/Texas Stars)
The Texas Stars tied the game with 18 seconds remaining in regulation to force overtime for the second time in the series. However, the comeback came up just short. In double overtime, Canucks forward Danila Klimovich made a strong move to get around Kyle Looft and roofed a backhand shot into the top of the net. The loss pushes the Stars to the brink of elimination. They now trail in the series 3-1 and need to win the next three games in a row to advance to the Calder Cup Final.
With Texas down 4-3 late, Justin Hryckowian forced overtime with a deflection off a point shot from Kole Lind. This was just another spotlight moment in what has been an outstanding rookie campaign for Hryckowian. He won the AHL Rookie of the Year, is second on the team in playoff points, and continues to make enormous plays when his team needs it the most.
“He’s a big-time hockey player. He understands the moment,” coach Neil Graham said of his talented rookie. "He competes on every puck like it means the world to him. He's easy to follow. He means the world to our group, and we love him.”
Kole Lind received a vicious cross-check in the lower back while jumping for a puck in the first overtime. The penalty went uncalled, and the officials heard about it from fans, players, and coaches alike. “I thought that was a missed call,” Coach Graham said. “...I thought it was a bit of a cheap shot, and I thought that one warranted [a penalty call] too.” After the game concluded, Lind was still hot about the non-call; he was screaming at the officials as he left the ice.
Remi Poirier was pulled during the second intermission after giving up four goals on just 11 shots. There were a few goals that Poirier would probably like to have back. “No, not in a tie game," Coach Graham said when asked if he thought about pulling Poirier after the third goal. "Maybe if that goes straight in, but it went off our defenseman ... once the fourth one went in, I had some time to think about the decision, and make a calculated choice. And we did it before in playoffs, and we have trust in both [goalies], so it really wasn't that tough of a call.”
The Stars had several quality shifts to start the game, building momentum and leading to Matěj Blümel unleashing his seemingly unstoppable one-timer on the power play for the night's first tally. It was his third goal in two games using the one-timer.
The Stars continued to control the majority of the play, outshooting their opponent 12-4, but Abbotsford executed on their few chances flawlessly. First, Max Sasson whipped a pass from the corner to the Canucks leading scorer, Linus Karlsson, who laid waiting in the slot. Karlsson made quick work of the opportunity, snapping the puck past Poirier to tie the game.
With five minutes remaining in the period, Tristen Nielsen gave Abbotsford the 2-1 lead just seconds after a Stars penalty expired. Poirier was still reeling after a scrambly play in his crease and never got reset.
Texas responded well in the second. About eight minutes into the period, Jack Becker collected a rebound with his back to the Abbotsford netminder. Without missing a beat, Becker did a quick 180-degree turn and ripped a wrister in the top corner past the goalie's blocker.
Just over a minute later, Michael Karow banked a shot off Cameron Hughes, who was knocked down in the crease, and into the goal to regain the lead, 3-2. It was a strong play by Hughes to drive the net, but Karow deserves a lot of credit for recognizing that he had a backboard going to the net.
The lead was short-lived however, as the Canucks found a way to get two pucks past Poirier before the intermission. The game-tying goal came from an unassuming wrister from Victor Mancini that deflected off a defenseman and snuck through the Stars' goaltender. Abbotsford’s fourth goal came after Emilio Pettersen tried to make a risky play in the neutral zone. It turned into a scoring chance for Nielsen, who put backhander past Poirier to give the Canucks the lead again. It was Nielsen’s second of the game.
Hellberg came in relief of Poirier in the third period and gave the Stars exactly what they needed. He shut the door on the Canucks despite the visitors having several odd-man rushes in the third. Likewise, Abbotsford’s defense was stifling the Stars. Texas struggled mightily to get through the neutral zone and only managed to muster four shots on goal the entire period.
The Stars pulled their goalie with two minutes remaining in regulation. They controlled the puck well in the offensive zone and forced several icings from the Canucks but couldn’t quite find an open shot. Finally, with 18 seconds remaining in regulation, Kole Lind released a floaty shot from the point that was deflected into the net by both Kyle Capobianco and the tying goal scorer, Justin Hryckowian. Despite a well played, defensive period from the Canucks, the game stunningly continued into overtime for the second time in the series.
Texas was outplayed in the first overtime period, getting outshot 13-5. The Stars did push back at the end of the frame, though, getting a few grade A chances from Trey Taylor and Artu Hyry. However, Hellberg was the savior. Abbotsford had numerous high-danger scoring chances that the Swede was able to stifle, including a three-shot flurry at the end of the frame while the Canucks had a 6-on-5 due to a delayed penalty. Hellberg was lauded as he made his way to the dressing room with chants of “Hellberg, … Hellberg, …”.
The Stars started the second overtime on the penalty kill due to a goalie interference call on Curtis McKenzie. The Canucks power play was dangerous, but once again Hellberg was able to stand tall with very little help from his exhausted penalty killers.
Texas survived the penalty, but the relief was short-lived. Klimovich made a strong move from his forehand to his backhand, totally turning around Kyle Looft and blowing by him. Klimovich was then able to elevate the puck off his backhand, and it found the top of the net behind Hellberg, giving the Canucks the 5-4 win.
The defeat puts the Stars down 3-1 in the series, creating a seemingly insurmountable challenge for Texas. They will need to win three straight games, a feat they have not accomplished in the playoffs this year. Game 5, an elimination game, will be Friday at 7 PM at the H-E-B Center at Cedar Park.
Tonight’s lines
McKenzie-Hryckowian-Lind
Hughes-Hyry-Blümel
Stranges-Becker-Pettersen
Wheatcroft-Scott-Romano
Capobianco-Petrovic
Taylor-Karow
Looft-White
Poirier
Injuries, scratches and notes
Bertucci, Krys, Bergsland, Ertel, Seminoff, Arcuri, Kyrou, Chisholm, Martino, Punnett, Shlaine, Hemming
McDonald (lower-body injury)
Tonight’s attendance was 6,518.
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