Chris Wagner deflected home a Brad Hunt shot 3:06 into overtime on Friday night as the Colorado Eagles staved off elimination with a 5-4 victory over the Abbotsford Canucks at Blue Arena.
With the teams’ Pacific Division first-round series tied at a game apiece, the deciding Game 3 will take place on Sunday afternoon in Loveland.
Wagner got a piece of Hunt’s wrist shot from the center point, sending it past Zach Sawchenko and giving the Eagles a win in a game in which they saw a three-goal lead slip away.
Nikolai Kovalenko, Tanner Kero, Cal Burke and Spencer Smallman all scored to stake Colorado to a 4-1 lead before the midway point of the second period.
But the Canucks got goals from Christian Wolanin and Linus Karlsson before the end of the second, and Akito Hirose made it 4-4 with 9:13 to go in regulation.
Ivan Prosvetov (1-1) stopped 20 shots for Colorado. Sawchenko (1-1) finished with 24 saves for Abbotsford.
(Series tied, 1-1)
Game 1 – Wed., Apr. 24 – Abbotsford 4, COLORADO 2
Game 2 – Fri., Apr. 26 – COLORADO 5, Abbotsford 4 (OT)
Game 3 – Sun., Apr. 28 – Abbotsford at Colorado, 5:05
*if necessary… All times Eastern
