FIRST ROUND GAME 3: TUCSON ROADRUNNERS (0) @ ABBOTSFORD CANUCKS (5)
First Round Game 3: Tucson Roadrunners (0) at Abbotsford Canucks (5)
SOG: TUC (21) – ABB (39)
PP: TUC (0/5) – ABB (2/5)
ABBOTSFORD SCORING: Tristen Nielsen (2), Chase Wouters (1), Max Sasson (1), Sammy Blais (3), Phillip Di Giuseppe (1)
TUCSON SCORING:
Roadrunners’ Season Ends With Game 3 Loss To Canucks
Abbotsford, BC – The Tucson Roadrunners’ season came to an end Saturday night with a 5-0 loss to the Abbotsford Canucks in Game 3 of their best-of-three First Round series at Abbotsford Centre.
After rallying from a 1-0 series deficit with a dominant Game 2 win on Thursday, the Roadrunners carried the momentum into Saturday’s decisive matchup. However, the Canucks capitalized on home ice and led the game from start to finish to take the series.
Tristen Nielsen opened the scoring late in the first period to give Abbotsford a 1-0 lead through 20 minutes. The Canucks then struck twice on special teams in the second period to build a 3-0 advantage. Chase Wouters tallied a shorthanded goal just 46 seconds into the frame, followed by Max Sasson’s power-play strike at 6:20.
Abbotsford added two more goals in the third. Sammy Blais made it 4-0 with the Canucks’ second power-play goal of the night, and Phillip Di Giuseppe sealed the win with an empty-netter in the final minutes.
DON’T OVERLOOK IT
Jaxson Stauber was a standout for the Roadrunners once again. After posting a playoff career-high 38 saves in Game 2 to push the series to a decisive Game 3, the Minnesota native turned in another stellar performance on Saturday. He stopped 34 shots, including 19 in the first period alone. Over the final two games of the series, Stauber stopped 72 of 77 shots to keep Tucson’s upset bid alive. In his three career playoff starts, he has made over 30 saves in each, and finished this series with a 2.66 goals-against average and a .935 save percentage.
THE RUNDOWN
FIRST PERIOD
The Roadrunners defense smothered the Canucks attack early and did not allow a shot on goal until 6:25 into the game.
Moments before Abbotsford’s first shot, Tucson nearly had the game’s first grade-A scoring chance. Rookie defenseman Maveric Lamoureux chipped a lead pass to Hunter Drew, who broke free behind the Canucks defense for a potential breakaway, but the play was whistled offside.
Shortly after, it was the Canucks’ turn to be denied by an early whistle. Abbotsford nearly struck first nine minutes in when Jujhar Khaira circled behind the net for a wraparound attempt. After picking up his own rebound, Khaira jammed away at the puck, and it eventually trickled past Stauber. However, officials ruled the play dead before the puck crossed the goal line, keeping the game scoreless.
Tucson answered with a dangerous chance on the next shift. Andrew Agozzino ripped a shot from the slot with Ben McCartney battling at the top of the crease for the rebound, but Canucks goaltender Artūrs Šilovs made the save to hold the Roadrunners off the board.
Abbotsford countered quickly, and Sasson cut to the net and fired a point-blank wrister on Stauber. Tucson’s netminder turned aside the initial shot and sprawled to deny two more rebound attempts, keeping the game deadlocked with eight minutes left in the period.
The Canucks tilted the ice in the second half of the frame, and outshot Tucson 20-2 over the final 12:35. Despite the barrage, Stauber stood tall with 19 saves in the period to keep the Roadrunners within striking distance.
Abbotsford finally broke through with 3:46 remaining. Sasson carried the puck into the zone on an odd-man rush and fed Arshdeep Bains along the left wing. Bains quickly threaded a pass across the slot to Nielsen, whose one-timer beat Stauber glove-side for a 1-0 Canucks lead.
Tucson’s penalty kill stepped up late in the period after Curtis Douglas was called for interference with 1:33 left. The Roadrunners killed off the penalty and even drew a hooking call against Nielsen to set up a brief power play after intermission.
SECOND PERIOD
The Roadrunners opened the second period on the power play but quickly found themselves in a deeper hole. Just 46 seconds in, Abbotsford struck for their first shorthanded goal of the series. Ty Mueller won a puck battle behind the net and found Wouters as he cut towards the crease. Wouters deked to his backhand and lifted a shot into the top corner to double the Canucks’ lead to 2-0.
Tucson nearly answered late in the man advantage, as Sammy Walker deflected McCartney’s perimeter shot toward the net, but the puck trickled just wide.
Abbotsford went back on the attack moments later when Agozzino was given a major for interference near the Roadrunners blue line, handing the Canucks a five-minute power play. They capitalized midway through the advantage as Sasson hammered a one-timer from the low slot past Stauber at 6:20 to make it 3-0.
Moments after the ensuing faceoff, Nielsen crashed hard into Stauber while driving across the crease, drawing a goaltender interference penalty. During the four-on-four stretch, McCartney found open ice above the left circle and ripped a heavy wrist shot, Šilovs snagged it with the glove to keep Tucson off the board.
The Roadrunners continued to push and earned another power play with 6:50 left after Bains was whistled for cross-checking Max Szuber. However, Tucson couldn’t convert as the Canucks’ penalty kill stood strong once again.
Tucson kept battling and went back on the power play with 2:05 to go after Walker drew a cross-check from Akito Hirose. This time, the Roadrunners generated sustained pressure, highlighted by an Agozzino one-timer that produced a juicy rebound, but Abbotsford cleared the danger.
Tucson kept pushing late, including a close call on Szuber’s setup to Austin Poganski near the crease. Poganski’s deflection just missed wide, and Abbotsford carried their 3-0 advantage into the second intermission.
THIRD PERIOD
McCartney continued to be Tucson’s engine in the third period. Four minutes in, the Roadrunners alternate captain carried the puck into the zone and dropped it back to Yamamoto. However, while battling for position in front of the net, McCartney was called for roughing Wouters.
Tucson’s penalty kill stood tall once again, not allowing a single shot on goal during the kill to keep their comeback hopes alive with 14 minutes left.
The Roadrunners’ resilience was tested again midway through the frame when Yamamoto was called for cross-checking. This time, Abbotsford made Tucson pay. Blais wired a wrist shot from the slot past Stauber to extend the Canucks’ lead to 4-0 with 8:44 remaining.
Despite the uphill climb, Tucson kept pressing until the final horn. However, Abbotsford sealed the win with 2:51 left when Di Giuseppe scored an empty netter to clinch a 5-0 victory and the series win for the Canucks.
