Oh, how quickly things can change.

What began as a potent offensive performance for the Abbotsford Canucks, en route to a potential sweep in their weekend doubleheader against the San Diego Gulls, turned into complete and utter disaster in the final 10 minutes.

Jonathan Lekkerimäki was on fire early, netting two first-period goals for his first multi-point AHL game, and the Canucks looked set to dismantle their last-place Pacific Division rivals.

But in a shocking turn of events, Abbotsford had a defensive breakdown for the ages, allowing five goals in the last 10 minutes to let the game slip away in stunning fashion.

Let’s break down how it all unravelled.

With the Canucks taking part in their fourth game in six nights, their lineup endured yet another shake-up. The big news was Nils Åman, who cleared waivers from Vancouver and slotted in on the top line in his AHL debut. Ty Glover also dressed on the fourth line for his second game of the season.

On defence, rookie Kirill Kudryavtsev sat for the first time in his pro career as Abbotsford returned to a 12-forward, 6-defenceman setup.

Jiri Patera got the nod in net on consecutive nights. Considering he’d allowed just two goals over his previous eight periods and was 53 seconds away from a shutout on Saturday, the decision was justifiable.

The game kicked off with Patera doing what he’s done so well over his last eight periods: stopping the puck. Layton Ahac faced immediate pressure in the corner, which led to turning the puck over while receiving huge contact.

The Gulls would carry some momentum for the first few moments, but it wouldn’t last long.

Making his AHL debut, Nils Åman did not take his time making an impact. Just moments later, he found himself on a clear 2-on-1 with Aatu Räty, electing to shoot and forcing Oskar Dansk to flash the glove for an early save.

Just over five minutes in, Räty was called for holding, putting San Diego on their first powerplay.

Once again, Patera held firm.

With chaos ensuing in the corner, the puck squirted out to an uncontested Gull, who found an activating defender. Patera slid over to make the incredible glove save and make it look easy.

Hey, when you’re hot, you’re hot.

The Canucks killed off the penalty, and a slick stretch pass from Jett Woo set up Tristen Nielsen for a break. Though Nielsen managed only a trickling shot, it was just the beginning of what would be a very strong finish to the period for Abbotsford.

Finally, after killing a second penalty themselves, the Canucks went to work on a powerplay of their own—and made the most of it.

Their cycle game was in full swing, with Christian Wolanin firing a wicked one-timer that narrowly missed.

Soon after, a second penalty against the Gulls gave the Canucks nearly a minute of 5-on-3 powerplay time. This setup was right in Lekkerimaki’s wheelhouse, and he didn’t disappoint.

Thanks to Räty’s quick thinking, he delivered a one-touch pass toward Lekkerimäki at the half-wall, and the Swedish sniper buried his third of the season, unleashing his signature shot past Dansk.

Just moments later, Räty’s aggressive forecheck knocked a Gulls defender off the puck. He quickly found Åman, who fed Lekkerimäki at the side of the net for a gorgeous under-the-bar finish, giving Lekkerimäki his first multi-goal game in the AHL.

And just like that, we were on Lekkerimäki hat-trick watch.

Thanks to some late-period penalty trouble, and solid work from the team’s top unit, the Canucks took a 2-0.

The second period started with more of the same: Abbotsford on the attack. Just after the opening faceoff, Elias Pettersson fired the puck into a scramble in front, where Max Sasson cleaned up the garbage to extend the lead to 3-0.

With Lekkerimäki on hat-trick watch, the Canucks drew a couple of early-period powerplays but couldn’t convert.

The momentum shifted slightly, with the Gulls gaining traction and getting more zone time.

Midway through the period, a scramble in Abbotsford’s zone led to their first major defensive breakdown. Dino Kambeitz, attempting to turn the play up ice, fell at the blueline – attempting to draw the call, perhaps? – leading to a very unfortunate turnover. Harkins, who had himself quite the second half, found Nesterenko, who put the puck past Patera for San Diego’s first goal of the night.

From there, the Canucks began to unravel, taking multiple penalties and spending the remaining ten hemmed into their own end. Fortunately, Patera was there to bail them out with several key saves, preserving the 3-1 lead heading into the final period.

The third period began with Abbotsford seemingly back in control. After some strong in-zone pressure, Cole McWard ripped a point shot that Dansk couldn’t handle, giving the Canucks a 4-1 lead. This goal was so quick that even the AHL camera missed it entirely.

With a three-goal cushion, things were on track and as a strong shutdown team, this one felt all wrapped up.

Following the goal, the Gulls pulled Dansk for Calle Clang, who had taken the loss the night before. This change unexpectedly shifted the game’s momentum.

An offensive-zone penalty against Abbotsford didn’t lead directly to a Gulls goal, but it shifted play to the Canucks’ end, where San Diego began to press.

Ty Mueller had one last golden chance to restore order, nearly jamming in his first AHL goal from close range, but Clang shut the door.

Then, the unravelling began.

One by one, the Gulls chipped away. Suddenly, what felt like a comfortable lead turned into a defensive nightmare as Abbotsford’s play became increasingly disorganized. Sometimes, in hockey, you can sense that something bad is about to take place. Whether that’s a goal or a penalty, you just know it’s not going to be going to be good.

And it wasn’t.

San Diego’s relentless push culminated in five unanswered goals in the final 10 minutes, flipping a 4-1 Abbotsford lead into a 6-4 defeat. The Canucks left the ice stunned, having let what looked like an easy win slip away.

Enjoy the breakdown.

What can be said? The Canucks were 10 minutes away from their first series sweep of the season, only to crumble in the final moments to drop this one by a 6-4 decision to sit with a 5-4-0-1 record. Despite consistently showing strong play in the opening games of each series, Abbotsford has struggled to maintain momentum through the second, and tonight was no exception.

Third Star: Jiri Patera – Although the final stat line doesn’t reflect it, Patera was exceptional for much of the series, especially in Saturday’s game, where he stopped 26 of 27 shots. Through 50 minutes of Sunday’s game, he was solid and made 27 saves, and the late collapse wasn’t fully on him. His stats may have taken a hit, but he kept Abbotsford in both games for most of the series.

Second Star: Aatu Räty – Räty had five points over the two games and was a consistent force on the ice. His shorthanded goal on Saturday proved to be the game-winning goal, and his playmaking was key in setting up each of Lekkerimaki’s goals in game two. Räty continues to develop into a dominant AHL presence.

First Star: Jonathan Lekkerimäki – The Swedish rookie was as advertised this weekend, registering 12 shots (six per game) while scoring three points. His first multi-goal AHL game is a strong example of the confidence instilled in his game on a game-by-game basis. He’s a lethal offensive weapon and feels near-ready for potential promotion talks.

The Abbotsford Canucks continue their California road trip, heading to Ontario to face the Reign on Wednesday. This marks their first meeting since the Reign knocked them out of the Calder Cup playoffs last season. Puck drop is set for 7:00 pm Pacific Time at Toyota Arena.