FIRST ROUND GAME 1: TUCSON ROADRUNNERS (3) @ ABBOTSFORD CANUCKS (4)
First Round Game 1: Tucson Roadrunners (3) at Abbotsford Canucks (4)
SOG: TUC (24) – ABB (23)
PP: TUC (0/3) – ABB (2/6)
ABBOTSFORD SCORING: Tristen Nielsen (1), Sammy Blais (1, 2), Linus Karlsson (1)
TUCSON SCORING: Hunter Drew (1), Travis Barron (1), Artem Duda (1)
Roadrunners’ Late Charge Falls Short in 4–3 Game 1 Loss to Canucks
Abbotsford, BC – The Tucson Roadrunners mounted a furious rally but fell just short, losing 4–3 to the Abbotsford Canucks on the road in Game 1 of the First Round of the Calder Cup Playoffs. Wednesday’s defeat at the Abbotsford Centre puts the Canucks in the driver’s seat with a 1–0 series lead. In the best‑of‑three series, Tucson must win Game 2 on Thursday to force a winner‑take‑all Game 3.
Tucson trailed 4–1 late in the second period before chipping away with a pair of unanswered goals from alternate captain Travis Barron and rookie defenseman Artem Duda. Barron’s shorthanded strike at 18:05 of the second pulled the Roadrunners within two, and Duda’s first career playoff goal in his first ever AHL playoff game at 7:29 of the third cut the deficit to 4–3.
Down to their last chance, Tucson defenseman Max Szuber was awarded a penalty shot with 35 seconds remaining in the game after Abbotsford was penalized for intentionally dislodging the net. Szuber, chosen by coach Steve Potvin, stickhandeled and deked, but his forehand attempt was denied by Canucks goaltender Artūrs Šilovs, who finished with 24 saves to secure Abbotsford’s series opening victory.
The Canucks opened the scoring in the first period on Tristen Nielsen’s tap‑in at 9:45, only to see Tucson’s Hunter Drew knot the game at 1–1 with 1:38 to play in the frame.
In the second, Abbotsford’s Sammy Blais tallied two power-play goals—his first at 3:42 and his second at 16:49—and Linus Karlsson added a breakaway goal at 14:36 to give Abbotsford a three-goal cushion.
Tucson netminder Matthew Villalta kept his team within striking distance, stopping 19 of 23 shots in his seventh career Calder Cup playoff start. Offensively, Barron led all skaters with three points (1g, 2a) to notch his first career playoff goal and multi-point playoff game. Roadrunners forward Cameron Hebig and defenseman Montana Onyebuchi each recorded an assist for their first career playoff point.
YA GOTTA SEE IT
Duda’s snipe from the blue line at 7:29 of the third put Tucson within one, marking his first career postseason goal in his Calder Cup Playoff debut. His partner on the backend, Robbie Russo, picked up the primary assist for his 23rd career playoff point (3 goals, 20 assists) in 48 postseason games. Barron added the secondary helper to cap a three‑point night—the first multi‑point outing in his fifth career playoff game.
DON’T OVERLOOK IT
Drew has built a reputation as a big‑game performer, and Wednesday was no exception. His first‑period equalizer marked his second straight playoff game with a goal, dating back to Game 2 against Calgary last spring. In five career Calder Cup playoff contests, Drew now has three goals and four points. He’s also been a thorn in Abbotsford’s side all season. Entering the series, he was tied with Hebig for the team lead against the Canucks with four goals, and his Game 1 marker extended that total to five when including the regular season. With a goal in the regular‑season finale, Drew has now scored in consecutive games.
THEY SAID IT
“Right back at it tomorrow. Just the wear down effect. Come tomorrow, play our physical game. Learn from some details tonight, staying out of the box, keep it simple, and play Roadrunner hockey and we’ll be fine.”
Roadrunners alternate captain Travis Barron on bouncing back ahead of Game 2
THE RUNDOWN
FIRST PERIOD
Tucson started strong and created the game’s first scoring chance three minutes in when Hebig deked his way to the slot. Linemates Austin Poganski and Kailer Yamamoto crashed the net for a rebound, but Šilovs stayed square to the puck and froze it to keep the game scoreless.
Just over a minute later, Karlsson drew a high‑sticking minor, handing Tucson its first power play. From the point, Szuber unleashed a low wrister that produced a juicy rebound for Sammy Walker, but the puck bounced just out of his reach.
Moments later, Tucson was whistled for too many men, wiping out the final 50 seconds of its advantage. The Roadrunners then killed Abbotsford’s abbreviated power play and frustrated the Canucks’ attack, holding them without a shot on goal for nearly seven minutes.
Abbotsford finally sprang to life on a 3‑on‑2 rush. Jonathan Lekkerimäki carried the puck into the slot and ripped a point‑blank chance, only to be denied by Villalta, who sprawled across the crease to keep the game scoreless.
Tucson’s counterpunch came from the stick of Drew, whose one‑timer from the top of the right circle flashed off Šilovs’ pads.
On the ensuing shift, Abbotsford struck first with a perfectly executed tic‑tac‑toe play. From the high slot, Guillaume Brisebois fed partner Jett Woo along the boards; Woo then slid a pass across the crease to Nielsen, whose one‑timer beat Villalta at 9:45 for a 1–0 Canucks lead.
With 6:34 left in the period, Aatu Räty was sent off for slashing, giving Tucson a second power play. Yamamoto carved out space at the left circle and let go a sharp‑angle shot, but Šilovs steered it wide to kill the penalty.
Then, with just 1:38 remaining, Tucson tied the game. Onyebuchi fired a shot from the point that Drew redirected past Šilovs for his first of the playoffs.
Tucson kept its foot on the gas to close the period. Poganski carried the puck down the left wing, deked around Lekkerimäki and fired a wrister that Šilovs swallowed. After the whistle, Yamamoto and Abbotsford’s Arshdeep Bains received matching roughing minors, sending the game to four‑on‑four play that carried over into the second.
SECOND PERIOD
Seconds after four‑on‑four play ended, Drew took a hooking minor to prevent an Abbotsford odd‑man rush. Tucson’s penalty kill responded by chipping the puck up ice, where Poganski collected it and raced into the offensive zone for a 1‑on‑1 chance. With a Canucks defender ontop of him, Poganski had to settle a wrister from the right circle, which Šilovs swallowed.
Abbotsford’s power play regrouped. At 3:42, Blais walked the puck into the slot and ripped a slap shot from the left circle through traffic past Villalta to give the Canucks a 2–1 lead.
A minute later, Barron’s slashing penalty gave Abbotsford another early power-play chance in the middle frame. Villalta turned aside a pair of net-front chances from Ty Mueller to kill the penalty and keep the Roadrunners within striking distance.
Midway through the period, Ben McCartney drew a slashing penalty on Räty to give Tucson their first power play of the frame. Egor Sokolov’s one‑timer from the left circle was Tucson’s best look, but Šilovs denied Sokolov’s quick shot with his right pad to preserve Abbotsford’s one-goal lead with seven minutes to go.
Barely a minute later, Bains intercepted a clearing attempt at center ice and found Karlsson open for a breakaway. Karlsson walked in and snapped a quick wrister past Villalta at 14:36 to extend Abbotsford’s lead to 3–1.
On the very next shift, Poganski was assessed a five‑minute major for boarding, giving the Canucks their third power play of the period. Just 1:34 into the man advantage, Blais struck again—pouncing on a loose puck in the crease and roofing a backhander to make it 4–1 with 3:11 remaining.
Still shorthanded, Tucson responded on the next shift. Hebig carried the puck down the right wing and threaded a cross‑ice feed to Barron, who chipped it over Šilovs’ glove at 18:05 to cut the deficit to 4–2 right before the final intermission.
THIRD PERIOD
Seven minutes into the third, Villalta turned away a dangerous one‑timer from Abbotsford’s Phillip Di Giuseppe at the low slot, keeping Tucson within one. Fueled by that clutch stop, the Roadrunners raced back up ice and struck 30 seconds later. From the left point, Duda skated into space and unleashed a wrist shot that beat Šilovs cleanly at 7:29 to cut the deficit to 4–3.
Tucson carried the play for the next stretch, but Yamamoto was whistled for roughing with 8:34 to play, bringing Abbotsford back on the power play. On the kill, Villalta stoned Max Sasson’s net‑front backhander and smothered the rebound to keep Tucson’s comeback hopes alive.
Late in the frame, Drew intercepted an Abbotsford clearing attempt and ripped a hard wrist shot from above the left circle for a dangerous chance, but Šilovs made the save. Moments later, Poganski found Hebig open in the slot, but Hebig’s one‑timer was punched aside at 3:13.
Tucson pulled Villalta with 1:45 left for the extra attacker. With 50 seconds remaining, Yamamoto’s low shot from the left circle forced Abbotsford into an icing that gave Tucson an offensive‑zone face‑off with 47 seconds on the clock. Moments after the draw, Abbotsford was assessed a bench minor for intentionally dislodging the net, awarding Szuber a penalty shot with 35 seconds to play.
Szuber deked to his forehand on the breakaway, but Šilovs made a sprawling pad save to secure Abbotsford’s Game 1 victory.
UP NEXT
The Roadrunners will look to even the best‑of‑three series in a must‑win Game 2 on Thursday at 7 p.m. PT at the Abbotsford Centre. Fans can catch all the action live on AHLTV on FloHockey.
