The Abbotsford Canucks’ defence doesn’t have any star billing attached in the Calder Cup playoffs. They’re an ensemble cast, and they’re playing like it.

Just ask Akito Hirose.

Heading into Game 2 of the Western Conference Final against the Texas Stars, Hirose had been scratched for Christian Wolanin in each of the previous two games. But in the third period of a scoreless game, Hirose walked the blue line with the puck, shot for the low blocker side and got a deflection off the skate of the Stars’ Arttu Hyry that rolled past goaltender Remi Poirier outstretched glove instead.

Combined with a 26-save masterpiece by Arturs Silovs, Hirose’s goal stood as the game-winner, giving the Canucks a 2-0 series lead and a chance to close it out over the next three games in Texas.

For Hirose, being a healthy scratch didn’t matter when it came to calling his own number in a close game. He and the rest of the Canucks defencemen have the confidence to step up in big moments, knowing they’ll all get the baton the deeper they go.

“We’ve got a tight-knit group back there,” Hirose said after the win. “Whether you’re in or you’re out, I think we do a good job of supporting each other.

“Everybody’s got a role to play, and I think we do that very well.”

Regardless of which pair jumps over the boards, the blue line that head coach Manny Malhotra has at his disposal has embraced a well-balanced, next man up approach that’s made Abbotsford the AHL’s best defensive team in this postseason. Sure, this crop of defenders may not be graduates from the Quinn Hughes School of Offence; seven defencemen have more playoff points than Abbotsford’s top scoring D-man in that category (Mancini with five).

“The way our group has been built all year, we do things by committee,” Malhotra said Saturday. “We’ve had guys throughout the course of the season, and obviously in playoffs, coming in and out of the lineup with an understanding that when you come back in, you’ve got to do the job.”

Beyond scoring clutch goals, Hirose, Jett Woo and Kirill Kudryavtsev have emphasized setting up teammates, as evidenced by their combined nine assists. Mancini has been a menace for opposing teams in these playoffs, quickly becoming a fan favourite with his willingness to lead the attack at one side of the ice before throwing a big hit at the other.

Of course, scoring isn’t this group’s main focus. And as good as they’ve been at sharing the offensive load, they’ve been even better at working together to shut down opponents.

In Game 2, the defenders put their stamp on the game in the defensive zone, frustrating the Stars forwards with well-timed shot blocks and relentlessly boxing out shooters from the netfront to give their goaltender clear sightlines. Arturs Silovs rewarded their efforts with his fifth shutout of the postseason.

Perhaps nobody recognizes the efforts of the Canucks’ defencemen better than the goalie playing behind them. Amidst an MVP-calibre playoffs, Silovs has been able to put more focus on the puck carrier, knowing his defenders will fend off the guys looking for rebounds and screens.

“Everyone did a great job [doing] their part,” Silovs said. “[I’m] Talking more with the defencemen [about] how we want to play. I think we have pretty good structure.”

While talking about Hirose’s goal, Malhotra saw his defenceman’s efforts as a bigger part of Abbotsford’s win.

“Obviously we’re happy he scored, but he did a lot of other really good things throughout the course of the night,” Malhotra said. “Breaking pucks out well, some really good defensive stops. He played a sound game, and that’s what we expected.”

Hirose echoed his coach’s sentiments, seeing his game winner as the cherry on top of a well-rounded night.

“It was good to get a goal, but I think the the zero on our side is a lot more important.”

Hirose’s fellow defenders certainly share his outlook, and two wins away from a Calder Cup Final, that’s not changing anytime soon.