The Calder Cup Finals are all about adjustments, and Canucks head coach Manny Malhotra had a few of his own for Game 3 on Tuesday night.
After missing five games, forward Jonathan Lekkerimäki re-entered the Abbotsford lineup, replacing Ty Glover. Lekkerimäki, selected 15th overall in the 2022 NHL Draft by the Vancouver Canucks, played 24 NHL games this season and also had 19 goals in 36 regular-season games with Abbotsford.
Lekkerimäki went on the right side of a line with Ty Mueller and Phil Di Giuseppe. Arshdeep Bains took Di Giuseppe’s spot on the left side of Abbotsford’s top line with Max Sasson and Calder Cup Playoff scoring leader Linus Karlsson. Danila Klimovich slid to a line with captain Chase Wouters and Tristen Nielsen.
One line that stayed intact was the trio of Sammy Blais, Jujhar Khaira and Nate Smith. Those three had caused Charlotte considerable trouble in Games 1 and 2.
Charlotte head coach Geordie Kinnear had his own changes to make as well.
Up front, Riley Bezeau and C.J. Smith re-entered the lineup. Kyle Criscuolo and Brett Chorske did not dress, so Oliver Okuliar and MacKenzie Entwistle each centered a line. Will Lockwood also moved from the left side of Charlotte’s fourth line to the right side of a line with Smith and Justin Sourdif.
On the back end, Tobias Bjornfot could not go after departing Game 2 following a heavy hit. Bjornfot’s absence brought Dennis Cesana back into action. Matt Kiersted and Mikulas Hovorka remained together, but Cesana paired with Trevor Carrick while Marek Alscher and Mike Benning were put together.
― with files from Patrick Williams
