CANUCKS FALL 3-2 TO CALGARY, SETTING UP PLAYOFF REMATCH WITH THE BAKERSFIELD CONDORS
For the 72nd and final time this regular season, the Abbotsford Canucks took to the ice on Saturday night to do battle with the Calgary Wranglers, concluding a 12 game season series.
Linus Karlsson became the second player in team history to play in every game in the regular season, joining John Stevens from 2021/22. Justin Dowling and Andy Carroll returned to the lineup, while Arturs Silovs returned to the Canucks’ crease. Dustin Wolf once again took to the Wranglers net on Saturday night.
In similar fashion to Friday’s game, the first period was feisty and closely matched, with neither goaltender budging in the opening 20 minutes. A scrap between Tristen Nielsen and Kevin Rooney highlighted the frame, with Abbotsford outshooting the Wranglers 11-6, with no one finding the back of the net.
That wouldn’t be the same for the second period, as just minutes after Calgary had a goal overturned due to the net coming off behind Silovs, Abbotsford broke the other way with Aatu Räty. Räty squared the puck to Klimovich on the fast break, who was able to beat Dustin Wolf’s glove and put the Canucks on the board first with six minutes gone in the second.
Calgary would answer eight minutes later, as Nick DeSimone took a shot from the right faceoff circle. Through traffic in front, the puck squeezed past Silovs for the Wranglers first full-strength goal of the series. DeSimone’s eighth of the season would be enough to send the teams to the locker room tied at 1-1 after 40 minutes. The Canucks lead the shot count 25-18 through two periods.
Abbotsford made sure to grab the lead back when Zach Giuttari let the puck fly from the point with traffic in front. Part of that traffic was Max Sasson, who got a stick on the shot and deflected the puck past Wolf. The tally would be Sasson’s first career AHL goal, and gave the Canucks a 2-1 lead.
The Wranglers rallied back with a powerplay goal from Dryden Hunt, before Adam Klapka gave Calgary their first lead of the night with 12 minutes remaining in the contest.
Despite a late surge on the man advantage from Abbotsford, the Wranglers held on to that 3-2 lead, taking the full two points and were crowned the AHL regular season champions with the win.
Danila Klimovich made it goals in four consecutive games with his first period tally, while Nils Höglander made it a three game point streak (0G, 3A) with his secondary helper on the Sasson goal. Wolf stopped 28 of the 30 Canucks efforts he faced, while Silovs turned aside 28 of the 31 Calgary shots against him.
To view the full AHL box score, please click HERE.
Following the results in both Abbotsford as well as the Colorado Eagles game, Abbotsford have secured fourth place in the Pacific Division. They will face the fifth-place Bakersfield Condors in the first round of the 2022/23 Calder Cup Playoffs, with games taking place at the Abbotsford Centre on April 19th, 21st and 23rd. The series is a best of three and is a rematch of last season’s playoff matchup which saw the Condors take the series in straight games down in Bakersfield.
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