The Abbotsford Canucks have chosen an ideal time to get red-hot.
With the playoffs just a few weeks away, the Canucks have now won five straight and completed a two-game sweep of the Manitoba Moose with a 5-2 win inside the Abbotsford Centre on Wednesday (April 3).
Dries with a shorthanded goal opens the scoring pic.twitter.com/HrUINBSmqM
— Ben Lypka (@BenLypka) April 4, 2024
Sheldon Dries set the tone early by scoring on a shorthanded breakaway at 4:26 of the first and Tristen Nielsen wired a shot at 13:34 to put Abbotsford up 2-0.
Nielsen’s goal was significant as he was set-up by rookie defenceman Elias Pettersson and that assist marked the first point in the 2022 third round pick’s AHL career.
EPD with his first @TheAHL point as he sets up Tristen Nielsen pic.twitter.com/drl0QSFEv2
— Ben Lypka (@BenLypka) April 4, 2024
Manitoba’s Tyrel Bauer got the Moose to within one at 18:21 to close out the first.
Dries again connected on a special teams play early in the second and he deflected an Aatu Räty just 99 seconds into the second on the power play to put the Canucks up 3-1.
Dries on the power play, nice set-up by Raty. He has 27 goals now this season pic.twitter.com/CelGGzmMY9
— Ben Lypka (@BenLypka) April 4, 2024
Controversy erupted at 13:17 of the second when Jeffrey Viel was credited with a goal that saw the Moose bowl into Canucks goalie Zach Sawchenko. Fans were unhappy with that decision, but just 29 seconds later Räty put Abbotsford up for good.
Apparently this is a goal pic.twitter.com/Ro85D8U8ri
— Ben Lypka (@BenLypka) April 4, 2024
Linus Karlsson then batted a high pass out of the air to beat Moose goalie Collin Delia for the fifth time and give the Canucks a little bit more breathing room at 15:57.
Ok that is a sweet little bunt by Karlsson. 5-2 Abbotsford pic.twitter.com/x9yDLuQe0r
— Ben Lypka (@BenLypka) April 4, 2024
Sawchenko had another solid game in goal and made 24 saves for his third win on the season. Abbotsford outshot Manitoba 27-26 on the night.
Dries now has a team-high 27 goals and he’s tied for fifth in the AHL in that category. Räty continues to collect points and he now has 51 points, good for second on the team. Karlsson leads Abbotsford with 56 points in 54 games and had another two-point night. Those 56 points rank him tied for ninth in AHL scoring.
Rookie forward Jonathan Lekkerimaki recorded one shot in his fourth AHL game.
THIS IS NOT A MOOSE-TAKE, CANUCKS WIN AGAIN🤩 pic.twitter.com/sjw4D1Lcyl
— X - Abbotsford Canucks (@abbycanucks) April 4, 2024
Abbotsford leapfrogged the Calgary Wranglers and now sit in sixth place in the Pacific Division. However, they are just one point out of fourth and home ice in round one.
The Canucks next host the Coachella Valley Firebirds for games on Saturday (April 6) and Sunday (April 7).