The Abbotsford Canucks can send the Tucson Roadrunners home for the summer with a second straight win in their opening round American Hockey League playoff series. The teams meet at 7:00 pm at the Abbotsford Centre.
The Canucks were 4-3 winners in the series opener last night.

What we know

With games on back-to-back nights, the Canucks are not holding a morning skate. So any changes to Manny Malhotra’s lineup won’t be revealed until much closer to game time. 
Malhotra has a decision to make in goal. Arturs Silovs got the start and delivered the win last night. His best stop came on a penalty shot in the final minute of regulation time with Abbotsford clinging to a 4-3 lead. Silovs allowed three goals on 24 shots. If Abbotsford believes goaltending depth is one of its biggest advantages, then Malhotra could opt to start Nikita Tolopilo tonight.
Tolopilo led Abbotsford with 20 wins during the regular season and added another victory in his NHL debut with Vancouver earlier this month.
This was Abbotsford’s winning lineup for Game 1:
Sammy Blais scored a pair of goals to lead the Canucks last night. Both of his markers came on second period power plays as Abbotsford went two for six on the night. However, the Canucks also surrendered their first short handed goal of the season. It came with Abbotsford seemingly in full control, leading 4-1. That gave Tucson a spark late in the second period.
Max Sasson led all skaters in the game with four shots on goal. Linus Karlsson and Victor Mancini each had three. Abbotsford’s lineup included nine skaters and Arturs Silovs, who all logged NHL games with the parent club this season.
Including a three-game win streak to close out the regular season, Abbotsford has now won four straight games and is an incredible 17-1-1 in its last 19 games. 
If there is an area the Canucks can improve on from last night it’s likely its play with the lead. Abbotsford opened the scoring on a Tristen Nielsen goal midway through the first period, only to see Tucson tie the game. The Canucks then jumped in front 4-1, but allowed the Roadrunners back in the game. Tucson outshot Abbotsford 9-6 in the third period and 24-23 on the night. Abbotsford had a power play at 4-3 midway through the third period but was far too passive and missed an opportunity to put the game away.
Top prospect Jonathan Lekkerimäki, playing with a full facial bubble, had a relatively quiet night. He did not figure in the scoring despite plenty of power play time. He finished with a pair of shots, including his best chance off the rush in the first period.

The opponent

Utah’s top farm club faces the reality that its season can end tonight, so suddenly, despite being the lower seed and the underdog, it is backed into a corner just 24 hours after its playoffs began.
The Roadrunners were led last night by Travis Barron, who figured in all three of their scoring plays with a shorthanded goal and a pair of assists. Kailer Yamamoto, who led Tucson in scoring during the regular season, did not have a point last night. And leading goalscorer Cameron Hebig was limited to just an assist.
The Roadrunners were not road warriors during the regular season, posting a 15-19-1-1 record away from home this season. And now with their season on the line, they will need two wins in Abbotsford. 
Former Vancouver Giants defenceman and one-time Canucks prospect Kevin Connauton plays for Tucson. The 35-year-old was a third round pick by the Canucks in the 2009 NHL Draft.
The Roadrunners went with Matt Villalta in goal last night. It’s possible they could come back with Jaxson Stauber tonight. Stauber was 2-1-1 in four starts for the Utah Hockey Club this season.
If Abbotsford wins tonight, this sprint of a series is over. However, if Tucson gets the desired result, a third and deciding game is scheduled for 7 pm Saturday.
Make sure to join the Rink Wide Vancouver postgame live stream immediately following tonight’s game. Rink Wide will provide a full breakdown and comprehensive coverage of the Abbotsford Canucks throughout the AHL Playoofs. When the final buzzer sounds, be sure to log onto Rink Wide and join the YouTube live chat to discuss the game with other Canucks fans. Subscribe to the Rink Wide YouTube channel and never miss an episode.
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