With the AHL playoffs looming next month, the Abbotsford Canucks seem to be peaking at the right time.
They've now won five straight after a 5-4 shootout win over the Calgary Wranglers on Saturday (March 15) and a 1-0 blanking of Calgary on Sunday (March 16).
Those two wins have leapfrogged the Canucks over Calgary into fourth place in the AHL's Pacific Division.
As a reminder, the first place team in the division receives a first round playoff bye, while the teams in second, third and fourth get home ice advantage in round one of the playoffs.
Puck has been dropped for today’s big divisional game between @abbycanucks and @AHLWranglers. Feels like a big crowd for St. Paddy’s day ☘️ #canucks pic.twitter.com/Do80Kc05jp
— Ben Lypka (@BenLypka) March 16, 2025
Saturday's game continued the recent trend of the Canucks refusing to go away after falling behind. Abbotsford was down 1-0 just 1:07 into the game and trailed 3-2 after one. That 3-2 lead held for the entire second period, but the Canucks roared back in the third.
Forward Aatu Räty tied the game up at 5:08 of the third and a few minutes later Linus Karlsson made it 4-3 Abbotsford. The Wranglers continued to press in the game's final 10 minutes and eventually broke through when Tyson Barrie tied the game with six seconds remaining.
KARLY IN FRONT 🤩 pic.twitter.com/nG9CkrbjDc
— Abbotsford Canucks (@abbycanucks) March 16, 2025
Tristen Nielsen undressed Calgary goalie Devin Cooley to open the shootout and Canucks goalie Ty Young stopped Calgary's Rory Kerins. Abbotsford's Danila Klimovich went for an Evgeny Kuznetsov-style slow attempt and that was unsuccessful, but Young made another stop on Jeremie Poirier. Sammy Blais then iced the game and earned the extra point for Abbotsford.
Nielsen scores pic.twitter.com/Al8mlgtT2y
— Ben Lypka (@BenLypka) March 16, 2025
Blais scores, Abbotsford wins 5-4 pic.twitter.com/Zgl6cPlm4z
— Ben Lypka (@BenLypka) March 16, 2025
Abbotsford got goals from Arshdeep Bains and Räty in the first, while Bains, Räty, Blais and Max Sasson all had two point nights. The Wranglers out shot the Canucks 30-27 and Young made 26 saves. He's now won three straight starts and four of his last five. The rookie sports a 6-3 record, a goals against average of 2.65 and a save percentage of ,908.
Räty, who was named the first star of the game, now leads the Canucks with 38 points in 38 games. He said he and his new line mates Sammy Blais and recently-acquired Jujhar Khaira have been clicking.
"I love playing with those guys," he said. "I've been getting some lucky bumps – I feel like I can't score on a two-on-one, but every time I go to the net something hits off my shin guard or something and it goes in – we will take those."
"The new line with Blazer and Jujhar has been really good, I love playing with those two guys."
— Abbotsford Canucks (@abbycanucks) March 16, 2025
Aatu Räty addressed the media following tonight's multi-point performance in a 5-4 shootout victory over the Calgary Wranglers.
FULL MEDIA | https://t.co/06fwTpGLTw pic.twitter.com/vmIF6hPRa6
He said the addition of Khaira gives the Canucks an experienced player who knows how to produce and create space.
"It's so great to get a veteran physical guy who plays both ways," he said of Khaira. "His strength and checking opens things up for players like me and Blais. And he's a great locker room guy too."
The win helped improve what was already a very memorable week for Canucks defenceman Cole McWard. Earlier this week the Missouri product popped the question to his longtime girlfriend – she said yes. He explained that he took her on a walk down to the Kitsilano Beach area and worked up the courage there.
"I think it's good on our team to persevere through that. They end up scoring with 6 seconds left and we're not pouting about it, we just came back and did the job."
— Abbotsford Canucks (@abbycanucks) March 16, 2025
Cole McWard addressed the media following tonight's 5-4 shootout victory over the Calgary Wranglers.
FULL… pic.twitter.com/0sS4STVlWz
"It was raining all day and then about five minutes beforehand it cleared up and there was a rainbow," he said. "It was beautiful. It's been a great week and we are excited – we couldn't be happier."
He added that his fiance's family was in town from Ohio and it was a special week. On the ice, McWard said he has found a reliable defensive partner in Guillaume Brisebois.
"He plays such a solid and mature game," he said, of the veteran rearguard. "He communicates well and I think we can both skate, move the puck and be physical when we have to."
Reported attendance for Saturday's game was 5,418.
Sunday saw the Canucks shut down Calgary offensively and goalie Nikita Tolopilo made 30 saves for his fourth shutout on the season in a 1-0 win.
Karlsson's second period goal was the difference and he is now tied for the team lead at 21 goals with Klimovich. Abbotsford's penalty kill was also a perfect six for six on Sunday.
Abbotsford fired 21 shots at Calgary goalie Waltteri Ignatjew and Blais led all Canucks with four shots on goal. Reported attendance on Sunday was 4,166.
The Canucks now hit the road for the rest of the month and head to Winnipeg for games against the Manitoba Moose on Friday (March 21) and Saturday (March 22). The team's next home game sees them welcome the Laval Rocket on April 5.
