The Abbotsford Canucks are one win away from history. If they can defeat the Texas Stars on Sunday, they will punch their ticket to the 2025 Calder Cup Final. While Abbotsford has had a strong series so far, one area that needs improving is their penalty kill, which has been problematic over the past three games.
Entering into the Western Conference Final, the Canucks penalty kill was almost unbeatable. They allowed only one goal in the first three rounds and, at one point, killed off 30 straight power plays. Flash forward to this series, and Abbotsford has allowed four goals in five games while posting a kill percentage of just 75%.
The Canucks penalty kill issues started in Game 3 when the series shifted to Texas. All four goals against have come on the road, with Game 3 featuring not just two failed penalty kills, but also two shorthanded goals allowed. While it was unlikely that Abbotsford was going to keep operating at over 95% on the penalty kill through the entire post-season, their inability to stop the Stars' power play over the last three games has become an issue.
One factor that could be impacting the Canucks penalty kill is the amount of penalties they are taking. Through the five games, Abbotsford has been shorthanded 16 times, with 11 of those coming on the road. While it may seem like a simple statement, the Canucks need to find a way to stay out of the box, as they are giving Texas too many power play chances on a nightly basis.
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The good news for Abbotsford is that the final two games of this series are at home, where they are a perfect 28 for 28 on the penalty kill. That being said, they may need to switch up their strategy, as it is clear that the Stars have found ways to expose the Canucks penalty killers. In the end, if Abbotsford wants to punch their ticket to the Calder Cup Final, their penalty kill will need to come up big on Sunday in Game 6.
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