Patrick Williams, TheAHL.com Options Author
An enormous problem looms this weekend for the Abbotsford Canucks, whose 11-game profitable streak is the longest within the AHL this season.
The Laval Rocket come to Abbotsford Centre tonight and Sunday, giving the Canucks an opportunity to match themselves in opposition to the first-overall workforce within the league.
Abbotsford sliced by means of their competitors on a just-completed six-game street journey by means of Manitoba, San Jose, Bakersfield and San Diego, outscoring their hosts 27-12. The primary of their 11 consecutive wins got here again on Mar. 8, and so they haven’t slowed down since. Tied for sixth within the Pacific Division earlier than the streak started, the Canucks head into the weekend with a playoff berth clinched and simply 5 factors behind the first-place Colorado Eagles.
Furthermore, first-year head coach Manny Malhotra and his gamers have been in a position to go on this run with a succession of remembers to the mum or dad Vancouver Canucks. Main scorer Aatu Räty is with Vancouver, as are fellow forwards Nils Åman, Linus Karlsson and Jonathan Lekkerimäki. Defensemen Elias Pettersson and Victor Mancini are on recall as effectively.
However some assist has returned to the roster. Goaltender Artūrs Šilovs rejoined the workforce from his recall to Vancouver, stepping again into the Abbotsford web this week for a team-wide masterpiece through which the Canucks held Bakersfield to only 13 photographs on aim in a 2-1 win keyed by a third-period comeback. An evening later in San Diego, they piled on 4 third-period objectives for a 6-3 victory. Ahead Max Sasson, again from Vancouver as effectively, registered a aim within the win over the Gulls.
Regardless of all the expertise nonetheless on NHL recall, the Canucks have continued to generate offensively. They’ve 46 objectives of their 11-game profitable streak and are averaging 3.35 objectives per recreation this season, sixth-most within the league. They usually can bounce on groups early. Final Saturday at San Jose, a Sammy Blais aim 31 seconds into the sport arrange a four-goal first interval. An evening earlier, the Canucks delivered three objectives within the opening 11:08 of the sport. Abbotsford is a formidable 29-6-0-0 when scoring first this season.
Particular-teams play can take a workforce far, too, and the Canucks have accomplished effectively there additionally. Their penalty kill has burned off 83.0 % of opposing power-play alternatives, and their energy play is clicking at 19.0 % and has but to permit a shorthanded aim this season.
Now it’s again residence to face Laval, a workforce that has by no means gained in six visits to Abbotsford. The Rocket are on a 12-2-1-0 run and have gained 5 straight on the street, together with two wins at Manitoba earlier this week. Then the arch-rival Calgary Wranglers come to city subsequent weekend; these groups staged two intense video games on Abbotsford ice final month and might be on observe for a possible postseason match-up.
With their fourth consecutive journey to the Calder Cup Playoffs locked up within the win at San Diego, this weekend is another check for the AHL’s hottest workforce.
On the American Hockey League beat for 20 years, TheAHL.com options author Patrick Williams additionally presently covers the league for NHL.com and FloSports and is a daily contributor on SiriusXM NHL Community Radio. He was the recipient of the AHL’s James H. Ellery Memorial Award for his excellent protection of the league in 2016.
