Darren Francis Photography
Artūrs Šilovs made 29 saves for his second shutout of the postseason, sending Abbotsford into the division finals with a 2-0 win over Coachella Valley on Friday night.
The Canucks eliminated the two-time defending Western Conference champion Firebirds, three games to one, and will face Colorado in the next round.
Šilovs’ two shutouts have come in both of Abbotsford’s series-clinching wins. He is now 5-1 with a 1.74 goals-against average and a .935 save percentage in seven appearances this postseason.
Max Sasson scored 9:53 into the first period and the Canucks nursed that 1-0 lead until Linus Karlsson hit an empty net with 1:31 left in regulation.
Nikke Kokko (3-3) stopped 22 of 23 shots for the Firebirds.
(Abbotsford wins series, 3-1)
Game 1 – Thu., May 1 – Abbotsford 3, COACHELLA VALLEY 1
Game 2 – Sat., May 3 – COACHELLA VALLEY 5, Abbotsford 4 (OT)
Game 3 – Wed., May 7 – ABBOTSFORD 3, Coachella Valley 1
Game 4 – Fri., May 9 – ABBOTSFORD 2, Coachella Valley 0
