With the AHL regular season winding down and less than a quarter of the schedule remaining, the battle for playoff berths is only intensifying.
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And with so many division clashes on the docket, every point earned, every goal scored, could carry the weight of a potential postseason appearance.
Heading into this weekend&#8217;s series against the Tucson Roadrunners, <a href="https://canucksarmy.com/combinations">the Canucks</a> held a healthy eight-point cushion over their rivals, who occupied the eighth and final playoff position.
The Roadrunners were hungry to close the gap and disrupt the Canucks&#8217; playoff aspirations on home ice.
And that they did.
Unfortunately for Abbotsford, the results from the weekend only tightened the playoff race considerably. A disheartening sweep by the Roadrunners slashed the Canucks&#8217; lead to a mere five points.
Luckily, Tucson no longer represents the bottom of the division. The Bakersfield Condors now occupy that spot, sitting eight points back of the Canucks.
The issue is that they have three games in hand. All this to say that points carry their weight in gold right now.
As mentioned, the weekend did not help the case of the Canucks. While they did manage to snag a point for their efforts, it was a forgettable weekend.
<blockquote>Game One: Too little, too late</blockquote>
As we saw from earlier in the week, the Abbotsford Canucks lacked its typical firepower, with most of their calvary enjoying time with Vancouver.
This included <a href="https://canucksarmy.com/news/victor-mancini-vancouver-canucks-debut-vs-utah-carson-soucy-scratched">Victor Mancini</a>, who we later learned was recalled to join Vancouver in Salt Lake City on Sunday. They were also with Jonathan Lekkerimäki for the second consecutive match.
Back from the emergency stunt, however, was Nikita Tolopilo, who got the nod.
Tucson, the home team, opened the game by scoring in the first period, thanks to a tremendous move by Igor Sokolov. Collecting the puck on the right side, he took advantage of the space and time, driving toward the middle before delivering a beautiful move to beat Tolopilo with the backend.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
<a href="https://t.co/hJIKaagaeI">pic.twitter.com/hJIKaagaeI</a>
&mdash; Tucson Roadrunners (@RoadrunnersAHL) <a href="https://twitter.com/RoadrunnersAHL/status/1893492636293701801?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 23, 2025</a></blockquote>
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That score held until the midway point of the second period, when the Roadrunners doubled their lead on a textbook two-on-one. Cameron Hebig converted a perfectly placed saucer pass from Kailer Yamamoto, extending Tucson&#8217;s advantage.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
The pass and the finish 😍 <a href="https://t.co/Ph47Cyx7qw">pic.twitter.com/Ph47Cyx7qw</a>
&mdash; Tucson Roadrunners (@RoadrunnersAHL) <a href="https://twitter.com/RoadrunnersAHL/status/1893500006679847083?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 23, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The intensity of the game escalated shortly after, with tempers flaring. Tristen Nielsen received a high hit while driving to the net, prompting Joe Arntsen to step in and engage Hunter Drew in a spirited fight.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
THIS IS HOCKEY 💥🥊<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LetsGoTucson?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LetsGoTucson</a> <a href="https://t.co/5xdn0fXYlJ">pic.twitter.com/5xdn0fXYlJ</a>
&mdash; Tucson Roadrunners (@RoadrunnersAHL) <a href="https://twitter.com/RoadrunnersAHL/status/1893506519179895253?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 23, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Chase Wouters and Max Szuber got into a spirited shoving match along the boards just minutes later, resulting in another heated exchange.
<img decoding="async" src="https://media.giphy.com/media/mmRkxpLVMnwBbRkjiC/giphy.gif" />
When all was said and done, the teams combined for 20 minutes of penalties.
Fresh out of the penalty box, Hunter Drew added Tucson&#8217;s lead with a sharp snapshot that beat Tolopilo on the blocker side.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
<a href="https://t.co/UbtbawSEMg">pic.twitter.com/UbtbawSEMg</a>
&mdash; Tucson Roadrunners (@RoadrunnersAHL) <a href="https://twitter.com/RoadrunnersAHL/status/1893507119111897196?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 23, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The Canucks finally got themselves on the boards, courtesy of Sammy Blais. And even he would admit that it did not come without a bit of luck. Breaking down the wing, Blais sent the pass toward his teammate, streaking toward the net. The puck deflected right off the defender&#8217;s skate, directly toward the goal and past Matthew Villalta.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
Blais on net 🛎️ <a href="https://t.co/ELxjBoQqJM">pic.twitter.com/ELxjBoQqJM</a>
&mdash; Abbotsford Canucks (@abbycanucks) <a href="https://twitter.com/abbycanucks/status/1893515348541862319?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 23, 2025</a></blockquote>
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They did manage to keep things close, collecting a late 3-2 goal to make things interesting. Sitting on the doorstep, Aaty Raty paid the price but pushed through his 13th goal of the season to bring his team within one.
<img decoding="async" src="https://media.giphy.com/media/Nl6dwPLFCchZwJ6X8s/giphy.gif" />
Despite outshooting their opponents 39-24, that was as close as they’d come. They eventually dropped game one by a 3-2 score.
<blockquote>Game Two: Lekkerimäki returns, but Roadrunners prevail in overtime</blockquote>
Game two saw Nikita Tolopilo back between the pipes for his second consecutive start. Still, the most significant development was <a href="https://canucksarmy.com/news/cas-top-20-vancouver-canucks-mid-season-prospect-rankings-1-jonathan-lekkerimaki">Jonathan Lekkerimäki</a>, who returned to the lineup to join Aatu Räty and Linus Karlsson on the top line.
For the second straight game, the Roadrunners struck first, with Ben McCartney forcing his way to the net and jamming home his eighth goal of the season.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
<a href="https://t.co/9juPCMQwpV">pic.twitter.com/9juPCMQwpV</a>
&mdash; Tucson Roadrunners (@RoadrunnersAHL) <a href="https://twitter.com/RoadrunnersAHL/status/1893804385609617458?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 23, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
However, this time, the Canucks responded in short order.
Linus Karlsson unleashed a powerful slapshot that deflected off <a href="https://canucksarmy.com/news/tape-inspecting-every-shift-vancouver-canucks-max-sasson-nhl-debut">Max Sasson</a> and into the net, tying the game with just seconds ticking down.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
ASASSONATOR ‼️ <a href="https://t.co/2NN5MjPxjM">pic.twitter.com/2NN5MjPxjM</a>
&mdash; Abbotsford Canucks (@abbycanucks) <a href="https://twitter.com/abbycanucks/status/1893811280701534298?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 23, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Christian Wolanin collected his 28th point of the season with the secondary assist. On top of that, the point was his 14th over his last 13 games, and he now sits second among active Abbotsford skaters in points.
The Roadrunners regained the lead early in the second period, with Maveric Lamoureux setting up Austin Poganski for a beautiful redirection goal.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
<a href="https://t.co/IwfwCUhDFe">pic.twitter.com/IwfwCUhDFe</a>
&mdash; Tucson Roadrunners (@RoadrunnersAHL) <a href="https://twitter.com/RoadrunnersAHL/status/1893817280850489394?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 24, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
But then, Jonathan Lekkerimäki showed up.
With the home team facing some penalty trouble, the Canucks enjoyed a lengthy five-on-three power play. Collecting the puck at the top of the formation, Lekkerimäki held for a moment before delivering a labelled snapshot to the top corner of the net, beating Jaxson Stauber clean for his 18th goal of the season.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
Add it to the list of things we LEKK to see ‼️ <a href="https://t.co/8qIVIYVCav">pic.twitter.com/8qIVIYVCav</a>
&mdash; Abbotsford Canucks (@abbycanucks) <a href="https://twitter.com/abbycanucks/status/1893819827912851903?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 24, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The Roadrunners, however, refused to relinquish their lead. Cameron Hebig scored his 19th goal of the season, capitalizing on a rebound shortly after a Canucks&#8217; penalty expired.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
<a href="https://t.co/CBv3P6DboR">pic.twitter.com/CBv3P6DboR</a>
&mdash; Tucson Roadrunners (@RoadrunnersAHL) <a href="https://twitter.com/RoadrunnersAHL/status/1893822382621519930?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 24, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
With the Canucks&#8217; net empty in the dying minutes of the third period, <a href="https://canucksarmy.com/news/vancouver-canucks-reassign-victor-mancini-ahl-abbotsford-recall-linus-karlsson">Linus Karlsson</a> scored his first goal of the weekend, firing a quick shot from an offensive zone face-off that slipped through Stauber&#8217;s arms, tying the game and securing a crucial point for Abbotsford.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
FROM THE FACEOFF! <a href="https://t.co/4CYPNEVNzU">pic.twitter.com/4CYPNEVNzU</a>
&mdash; Abbotsford Canucks (@abbycanucks) <a href="https://twitter.com/abbycanucks/status/1893837729563136151?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 24, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
For a second consecutive night, the Canucks had dominated the shot column but couldn’t grab the win. At least this time, they enjoyed the single point with the potential for two.
Less than a minute into the extra frame, Andrew Agozzino was sent on a one-on-one breakaway with Tolopilo, where he made a glorious backhand move to shelf the game-winner to sweep the weekend series and pull within five points of their Division rival.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
<a href="https://t.co/7pXT5MNNLO">pic.twitter.com/7pXT5MNNLO</a>
&mdash; Tucson Roadrunners (@RoadrunnersAHL) <a href="https://twitter.com/RoadrunnersAHL/status/1893840785625301161?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 24, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Incredibly, he spent his celebration taking liberties with Linus Karlsson, sending him to the ice with a cheap shot. What led to the play is still unclear.
Despite being on the receiving end of the nasty hit, Linus Karlsson was his team&#8217;s lone bright spot and catalyst, earning a single point on Sunday. With three points, he now sits third on the team with 27 points, all in just 22 games. He now sits second in points-per-game among all AHL skaters who have played at least 15 games.
Picking up just one point over the week, here is how things are shaping up in the Pacific Division.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-139999 size-full" src="https://publish.canucksarmy.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/02/1-3.png" alt="" width="2022" height="598" srcset="https://publish.canucksarmy.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/02/1-3.png 2022w, https://publish.canucksarmy.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/02/1-3-300x89.png 300w, https://publish.canucksarmy.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/02/1-3-1024x303.png 1024w, https://publish.canucksarmy.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/02/1-3-768x227.png 768w, https://publish.canucksarmy.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/02/1-3-1536x454.png 1536w" sizes="(max-width: 2022px) 100vw, 2022px" />
<blockquote>What&#8217;s next?</blockquote>
The Abbotsford Canucks head to Calgary for a two-game set to wrap up their five-game road swing. The puck drops at 6:00 pm PT at the Scotiabank Saddledome for game one.
Sponsored by bet365
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&nbsp;

With the AHL regular season winding down and less than a quarter of the schedule remaining, the battle for playoff berths is only intensifying.
<div class="bam-inline-promotion-block" data-max-length="2" data-placement-id="2111" data-context="web-content-promocard" data-property-id="329"></div>
&nbsp;

And with so many division clashes on the docket, every point earned, every goal scored, could carry the weight of a potential postseason appearance.

Heading into this weekend's series against the Tucson Roadrunners, <a href="https://canucksarmy.com/combinations">the Canucks</a> held a healthy eight-point cushion over their rivals, who occupied the eighth and final playoff position.

The Roadrunners were hungry to close the gap and disrupt the Canucks' playoff aspirations on home ice.

And that they did.

Unfortunately for Abbotsford, the results from the weekend only tightened the playoff race considerably. A disheartening sweep by the Roadrunners slashed the Canucks' lead to a mere five points.

Luckily, Tucson no longer represents the bottom of the division. The Bakersfield Condors now occupy that spot, sitting eight points back of the Canucks.

The issue is that they have three games in hand. All this to say that points carry their weight in gold right now.

As mentioned, the weekend did not help the case of the Canucks. While they did manage to snag a point for their efforts, it was a forgettable weekend.
<blockquote>Game One: Too little, too late</blockquote>
As we saw from earlier in the week, the Abbotsford Canucks lacked its typical firepower, with most of their calvary enjoying time with Vancouver.

This included <a href="https://canucksarmy.com/news/victor-mancini-vancouver-canucks-debut-vs-utah-carson-soucy-scratched">Victor Mancini</a>, who we later learned was recalled to join Vancouver in Salt Lake City on Sunday. They were also with Jonathan Lekkerimäki for the second consecutive match.

Back from the emergency stunt, however, was Nikita Tolopilo, who got the nod.

Tucson, the home team, opened the game by scoring in the first period, thanks to a tremendous move by Igor Sokolov. Collecting the puck on the right side, he took advantage of the space and time, driving toward the middle before delivering a beautiful move to beat Tolopilo with the backend.

https://twitter.com/RoadrunnersAHL/status/1893492636293701801

That score held until the midway point of the second period, when the Roadrunners doubled their lead on a textbook two-on-one. Cameron Hebig converted a perfectly placed saucer pass from Kailer Yamamoto, extending Tucson's advantage.

https://twitter.com/RoadrunnersAHL/status/1893500006679847083

The intensity of the game escalated shortly after, with tempers flaring. Tristen Nielsen received a high hit while driving to the net, prompting Joe Arntsen to step in and engage Hunter Drew in a spirited fight.

https://twitter.com/RoadrunnersAHL/status/1893506519179895253

Chase Wouters and Max Szuber got into a spirited shoving match along the boards just minutes later, resulting in another heated exchange.

<img src="https://media.giphy.com/media/mmRkxpLVMnwBbRkjiC/giphy.gif" />

When all was said and done, the teams combined for 20 minutes of penalties.

Fresh out of the penalty box, Hunter Drew added Tucson's lead with a sharp snapshot that beat Tolopilo on the blocker side.

https://twitter.com/RoadrunnersAHL/status/1893507119111897196

The Canucks finally got themselves on the boards, courtesy of Sammy Blais. And even he would admit that it did not come without a bit of luck. Breaking down the wing, Blais sent the pass toward his teammate, streaking toward the net. The puck deflected right off the defender's skate, directly toward the goal and past Matthew Villalta.

https://twitter.com/abbycanucks/status/1893515348541862319

They did manage to keep things close, collecting a late 3-2 goal to make things interesting. Sitting on the doorstep, Aaty Raty paid the price but pushed through his 13th goal of the season to bring his team within one.

<img src="https://media.giphy.com/media/Nl6dwPLFCchZwJ6X8s/giphy.gif" />

Despite outshooting their opponents 39-24, that was as close as they’d come. They eventually dropped game one by a 3-2 score.
<blockquote>Game Two: Lekkerimäki returns, but Roadrunners prevail in overtime</blockquote>
Game two saw Nikita Tolopilo back between the pipes for his second consecutive start. Still, the most significant development was <a href="https://canucksarmy.com/news/cas-top-20-vancouver-canucks-mid-season-prospect-rankings-1-jonathan-lekkerimaki">Jonathan Lekkerimäki</a>, who returned to the lineup to join Aatu Räty and Linus Karlsson on the top line.

For the second straight game, the Roadrunners struck first, with Ben McCartney forcing his way to the net and jamming home his eighth goal of the season.

https://twitter.com/RoadrunnersAHL/status/1893804385609617458

However, this time, the Canucks responded in short order.

Linus Karlsson unleashed a powerful slapshot that deflected off <a href="https://canucksarmy.com/news/tape-inspecting-every-shift-vancouver-canucks-max-sasson-nhl-debut">Max Sasson</a> and into the net, tying the game with just seconds ticking down.

https://twitter.com/abbycanucks/status/1893811280701534298

Christian Wolanin collected his 28th point of the season with the secondary assist. On top of that, the point was his 14th over his last 13 games, and he now sits second among active Abbotsford skaters in points.

The Roadrunners regained the lead early in the second period, with Maveric Lamoureux setting up Austin Poganski for a beautiful redirection goal.

https://twitter.com/RoadrunnersAHL/status/1893817280850489394

But then, Jonathan Lekkerimäki showed up.

With the home team facing some penalty trouble, the Canucks enjoyed a lengthy five-on-three power play. Collecting the puck at the top of the formation, Lekkerimäki held for a moment before delivering a labelled snapshot to the top corner of the net, beating Jaxson Stauber clean for his 18th goal of the season.

https://twitter.com/abbycanucks/status/1893819827912851903

The Roadrunners, however, refused to relinquish their lead. Cameron Hebig scored his 19th goal of the season, capitalizing on a rebound shortly after a Canucks' penalty expired.

https://twitter.com/RoadrunnersAHL/status/1893822382621519930

With the Canucks' net empty in the dying minutes of the third period, <a href="https://canucksarmy.com/news/vancouver-canucks-reassign-victor-mancini-ahl-abbotsford-recall-linus-karlsson">Linus Karlsson</a> scored his first goal of the weekend, firing a quick shot from an offensive zone face-off that slipped through Stauber's arms, tying the game and securing a crucial point for Abbotsford.

https://twitter.com/abbycanucks/status/1893837729563136151

For a second consecutive night, the Canucks had dominated the shot column but couldn’t grab the win. At least this time, they enjoyed the single point with the potential for two.

Less than a minute into the extra frame, Andrew Agozzino was sent on a one-on-one breakaway with Tolopilo, where he made a glorious backhand move to shelf the game-winner to sweep the weekend series and pull within five points of their Division rival.

https://twitter.com/RoadrunnersAHL/status/1893840785625301161

Incredibly, he spent his celebration taking liberties with Linus Karlsson, sending him to the ice with a cheap shot. What led to the play is still unclear.

Despite being on the receiving end of the nasty hit, Linus Karlsson was his team's lone bright spot and catalyst, earning a single point on Sunday. With three points, he now sits third on the team with 27 points, all in just 22 games. He now sits second in points-per-game among all AHL skaters who have played at least 15 games.

Picking up just one point over the week, here is how things are shaping up in the Pacific Division.

<img class="alignnone wp-image-139999 size-full" src="https://publish.canucksarmy.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/02/1-3.png" alt="" width="2022" height="598" />
<blockquote>What's next?</blockquote>
The Abbotsford Canucks head to Calgary for a two-game set to wrap up their five-game road swing. The puck drops at 6:00 pm PT at the Scotiabank Saddledome for game one.

Sponsored by bet365
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&nbsp;

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