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Linus Karlsson. Tristen Nielsen. Chase Wouters. Max Sasson. Sammy Blais. Phil Di Giuseppe. Jett Woo. Danila Klimovich. Guillaume Brisebois.
Nine different players have scored the last nine goals for the Abbotsford Canucks.
Not only is the balanced attack serving the Canucks well early in the American Hockey League playoffs, it’s also notable that names like Arshdeep Bains, Aaty Räty, Ty Mueller and Jonathan Lekkerimäki aren’t on that list. And that’s not a knock on any of those players or the way they’ve performed to this point in the playoffs. It’s more an idea of the firepower this team possesses and the way that it’s going about the business of winning these days.
The score by committee approach has served Abbotsford well with the Canucks posting victories in three of their four postseason games so far.
The Canucks spread their scoring around in Wednesday’s 3-1 win over Coachella Valley to open the second round of the Pacific Division playoffs. Woo, Klimovich and Brisebois all scored first period goals to help erase an early deficit to give Abbotsford a leg up in this best-of-five series that resumes on Saturday night in the desert.
Guillaume Brisebois!
The veteran defenceman redirects the PDG dish to pick up his first career AHL playoff goal to double the Abby #Canucks lead.
That's three first-time goalscorers for the Canucks! pic.twitter.com/N4Mo0foOHT
— Dave Hall (@davehall1289) May 2, 2025
Manny Malhotra is getting buy-in across the board, and that is reflected on the scoresheet. With so many players contributing to the team’s early playoff success, the Canucks aren’t relying on one or two guys to do the bulk of the heavy lifting.
Veteran Sammy Blais leads the team with three goals in the playoffs while Linus Karlsson and Tristen Nielsen have two apiece. Otherwise, it’s been a goal here and a goal there from throughout the lineup, and last night included a pair from defencemen that combined for four goals between them during the regular season.
At some point, it stands to reason the likes of Bains, Räty and Mueller – a group that accounted for 40 AHL goals this season – will find their goal-scoring touch. So Abbotsford knows it still has weapons in reserve. And the hope has to be that Lekkerimäki, who has missed the past two games as a result of the aftereffects of dental surgery, will get a clean bill of health and rediscover the form that led to 19 goals in just 36 minor league games this season.
This is all a way of saying that it’s likely the Canucks can – and should – get better in the days and weeks ahead. And that’s a lot to process when you consider this team has won 11 straight road games as part of an 18-2-1 roll down the stretch and now into the postseason.
By grabbing Wednesday’s opener, Abbotsford has foisted all of the pressure on Coachella Valley. The Canucks have secured at least a split in their two games in Palm Springs and will now have a chance to bring a commanding two-game lead home with them when the series shifts to the Fraser Valley next Wednesday.
If the Canucks continue to get contributions from throughout the lineup, their firepower may simply be too much for the Firebirds.
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Packers Could Replace Jaire Alexander With Player You Wouldn’t Believe
The Green Bay Packers released star cornerback Jaire Alexander earlier this offseason, which frustrated the fan base because they did so without an obvious solution. Packers fans have been clamoring for the team to sign veteran and former Defensive Player of the Year Stephon Gilmore, but Green Bay does not appear all that interested in doing so. But you know who could represent a possible replacement for Alexander? Wide receiver Bo Melton. Yes, you read that right: wide receiver Bo Melton. Melton has started Packers training camp as a cornerback, which could ultimately lead to the 26-year-old assuming a major role in Green Bay’s secondary. Why the position switch? Well, Melton was struggling finding playing time in the Packers’ receiving corps as it was. Now, Green Bay added Matthew Golden and Savon Williams into the equation, so the chances of him actually getting on the field as a receiver in 2025 are slim to none. Melton logged just eight catches for 91 yards last season, and in 2024, he finished with 16 receptions for 218 yards and a touchdown. The funny thing is, he actually has shown promise in very limited action, but there is simply no room for him. The Rutgers product seems to want to stay in Green Bay, hence his decision to flip to the other side of the ball. He knows he has no chance to play as a wide out. Why not utilize his athleticism as a cornerback? Of course, this does not necessarily mean that Melton will serve as Alexander’s primary replacement. In fact, it would be pretty concerning if the Packers choose not to bring in another corner between now and the start of the regular season. But hey, maybe Melton will be so impressive in camp that Green Bay will actually give him a look.
New Third Base Trade Options For Yankees Emerge
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