Colorado Eagles captain Brad Hunt has been given a second crack at a playoff run.
The veteran defenseman returned to the Eagles this week after the parent Colorado Avalanche were eliminated in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs by Seattle. He played 47 regular-season games and one playoff contest for the Avalanche this season.
Hunt went into the lineup for Eagles coach Greg Cronin on Wednesday and picked up an assist in this first AHL game since Feb. 19. He logged 21 points (seven goals, 21 assists) in 24 regular-season games with the Eagles.
“I’m fortunate that I get another chance to win the Calder Cup now,” Hunt told the Eagles website. “These guys have done a fantastic job. I just want to come and help what they’ve built.”
“Tonight is all that we control.”
Those were Abbotsford Canucks defenseman Christian Wolanin’s words to the team’s website after Wednesday’s Game 3 victory.
They will apply tonight as well, as the Canucks again try to extend their season against Calgary.
The Canucks bounced back in Game 3 after suffering two overtime losses in Calgary, despite outplaying the regular-season champion Wranglers at points.
“It helps to have [head coach Jeremy Colliton], who is a pretty even-keeled guy,” Wolanin said. “Our captain Chase [Wouters] is the same kind of personality. When the leaders in the locker room are like that, it’s easy to follow their lead.”
Wolanin won the Eddie Shore Award as the AHL’s top defenseman with 55 points (six goals, 49 assists) in 49 games before spending the final two months of the season on NHL recall with Vancouver. After going without a goal in his first four playoff games, he scored on Wednesday night.
“I look at wins and losses,” Wolanin stressed. “The statistics — the only ones we care about at this time of the year are wins and losses.”
― Patrick Williams
