An inability to find the finishing touch did the Coachella Valley Firebirds in again as they outshot Abbotsford but wound up on the wrong end of the scoreboard, falling 3-1 in Game 3 of the Pacific Division semifinal Wednesday night in Abbotsford.
The win gives the Canucks a 2-1 lead in the best-of-five series. The Firebirds will face an elimination game on Friday with another 7 p.m. start at Abbotsford. It will be the eighth playoff elimination game in franchise history, and the Firebirds are 5-2 in the previous seven.
The first period was a microcosm of this game and really the series as the Firebirds controlled most of the period. After 13 minutes, the Firebirds had outshot the Canucks 8-0, but the Firebirds couldn’t get one in the back of the net, and, sure enough, Abbotsford broke through with a goal on its first shot on net.
Technically, it was Abbotsford’s second shot as Nate Smith lost his defenseman and took a close-range shot on Nikke Kokko which Kokko blocked in the air only to have Smith bat it in for the first goal of the game. The Canucks then added a back-breaker as a blue-line shot went through traffic and past Kokko with just 24 seconds left in the period.
It was a period the Firebirds mostly dominated, only to be down 2-0 when it ended.
“I thought we started really well, we liked our first period,” coach Derek Laxdal said in a phone interview after the game. “Unfortunately, they capitalized on two breakdowns in our zone. We pushed the rest of the game, but that’s the strength of their team. They have good depth with four lines who all play excellent defense, so when they get a lead they are tough.”
Neither team scored in the second period as the Canucks handcuffed the Firebirds in the middle 20 minutes, but in the third period the Firebirds came out with the energy of a team that knew its backs were against the wall.
Finally, the Firebirds got a breakthrough as Ryan Winterton took a nice cross-ice feed from Logan Morrison and ripped it past Arturs Silovs to make it 2-1 with 13 minutes left.
The Firebirds continued to apply pressure, but couldn’t find the equalizer. A Firebirds penalty with four minutes left cost them two minutes of attack time, and when they finally got control of the puck and pulled Kokko to go on the 6-on-5, they never got set up before the Canucks gained control and scored into the empty net.
“Give them credit, but we had some looks that we didn’t hit the net on, and we’re just going to take away the positives and get ready for Friday night,” Laxdal said. “Our backs are against the wall being an elimination game, and I’d expect nothing but the best from our group.”
Prior to Wednesday’s game, the Firebirds had been 7-1 in their franchise history at Abbotsford, including a 2-0 record this year.
The Canucks added an empty-net goal late much to the delight of the 5,322 fans at the Abbotsford Centre.
Nikke Kokko stopped 20 shots in net and Silvos had 25 saves. As has been the case all series, neither team scored on the power play, both going 0-for-3.
For Firebirds’ fans looking for a positive precedent, Coachella Valley has already won a best-of-5 series that they trailed 2-1 in their short history. In 2023 they won the final two games of the Pacific Division semifinals, to advance past Colorado 3-2 on their path to the Calder Cup final.
If the Firebirds do win Game 4, the decisive Game 5 is set for 7 p.m. on Sunday at Abbotsford.
Of note, the other Pacific Division semifinal ended Wednesday night as Colorado eliminated San Jose 3-1. That means that if the Firebirds were to rally and win the series they would face the top-seeded Eagles in a series that would start with two home games, followed by three games in Colorado.
Series schedule
The goals
FIRST PERIOD
Abbotsford 1-0: After having no shots on goal for the first 13 minutes, Nate Smith scored for the Canucks, batting his own rebound past Nikke Kokko.
Abbotsford 2-0: A backbreaker as a long shot from the point with 24 seconds left went through traffic into the back of the net. The goal went to Kirill Kidryavtsev.
SECOND PERIOD
No goals
THIRD PERIOD
Abbotsford 2-1: Ryan Winterton scored on a nice feed from Logan Morrison to cut the lead in half and give the Firebirds hope.
Abbostford 3-1: An empty-netter by Phillip Di Giuseppe finished the scoring.
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Firebirds on brink of elimination after Game 3 loss to Abbotsford
Reporting by Shad Powers, Palm Springs Desert Sun / Palm Springs Desert Sun
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
