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Canucks prospect Danila Klimovich scores overtime beauty in Abbotsford

The Vancouver Canucks' second-round pick in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft brought the Abbotsford Canucks one win away from the Calder Cup Final.
Daniel Wagner
Daniel Wagner
Klimovich1
Danila Klimovich came through with a big goal for the Abbotsford Canucks after three games as a healthy scratch.Brendan Kergin / Vancouver Is Awesome

Development hasn't been a linear path for Danila Klimovich; it's been more of a roller coaster.

The Vancouver Canucks' second-round pick from 2021 took an unusual post-draft path, jumping to the AHL with the Abbotsford Canucks as an 18-year-old — the only one in the league. He's taken some bumps and bruises over the past four years, as he's tried to put together a consistent, well-rounded game, and he finally seemed to turn the corner this past season, scoring 25 goals in 65 games to lead the Abbotsford Canucks in goalscoring.

Klimovich hit another hurdle in the postseason, however. He managed just one goal in his first seven games in the Calder Cup Playoffs and was a healthy scratch for several games, including the first three games of the Western Conference Final against the Texas Stars.

After a 5-2 loss to the Stars on Monday, however, the Canucks put Klimovich back in the lineup in place of Jonathan Lekkerimäki, who has had his own consistency issues in the playoffs. 

The move paid off.

Up 2-1 in the series, the Canucks were aiming to hold onto home-ice advantage by stealing a game in Texas. The lead changed hands multiple times: the Stars scored first, then Linus Karlsson and Tristen Nielsen responded to take a 2-1 lead into the first intermission. Then the Stars scored twice in the second to re-take the lead, before Victor Mancini tied the game, and Nielsen again scored the go-ahead goal.

The Canucks nearly held the one-goal lead for the entire third period, limiting the Stars to just four shots on goal. One of those shots, however, took a wild double deflection to beat Arturs Silovs with just 19 seconds left in regulation.

Abbotsford poured on the pressure in the first overtime period, but couldn't find a goal. Just over three minutes into the second overtime, however, Klimovich came through with a brilliant individual effort.

Klimovich danced around defenceman Kyle Looft with a gorgeous toe-drag, patiently held off Looft's attempted stick check, then hoisted a backhand up over veteran goaltender Magnus Hellberg — the only goal Hellberg allowed after coming into the game in relief of Remi Poirier after the second period.

Scoring that kind of goal after multiple games as a healthy scratch seems like a statement. It's that kind of skill that keeps the Canucks hopeful that Klimovich can, at some point, put it all together to become an NHL player. First, of course, he'll have to prove he can be consistent enough to stay in the lineup in the AHL.

The goal gave the Abbotsford Canucks a 3-1 series lead over the Stars, putting them just one win away from the Calder Cup Final. The next game takes place on Friday, also in Texas, before the series returns to Abbotsford for Game 6 and Game 7, if necessary.

If the Canucks get that one more win, they'll face the Charlotte Checkers, who swept the Laval Rocket in the Eastern Conference Final.