It was a win and you’re in scenario for the <a href="https://canucksarmy.com/news/abbotsford-canucks-notebook-what-learned-through-three-games-colorado-eagles">Abbotsford Canucks</a> on Friday night.
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After a thrilling <a href="https://canucksarmy.com/news/farmies-linus-karlsson-scores-ot-give-abbotsford-canucks-2-1-series-lead">3-2 overtime victory in Game 3</a>, the Canucks were just one win away from punching their ticket to a Western Conference Final appearance for the first time in franchise history.
And with a 12-0-1-0 record on the road that dates back to February, history was on their side to lock things up and head home for series four.
Unfortunately, Abby elected to keep things interesting and give their fanbase a do-or-die match to enjoy on Monday afternoon.
Once again, the team allowed the game&#8217;s first goal and spent the remainder of the night playing catch-up. While starts had been an issue for this team for most of the postseason, this game felt like that sluggish start haunted them until the final buzzer.
Any time they&#8217;d find their legs, even slightly, the <a href="https://canucksarmy.com/news/abbotsford-canucks-game-day-chance-close-out-colorado-eagles-pacific-division-final">Colorado Eagles</a> would push back. But hey, Colorado was the best team in the American Hockey League for a reason.
With the loss and the season on the line, everything lines up for a thrilling battle on Monday afternoon for a must-win game in Loveland, Colorado.
Let&#8217;s check in on the action.
<blockquote>Starting lineup</blockquote>
The Abbotsford Canucks won Game 3, and with most of the team healthy – still no Aatu Räty –, <a href="https://canucksarmy.com/news/patersons-point-experience-shouldnt-issue-vancouver-canucks-decide-malhotra-right-man-nhl-job">Manny Malhotra</a> ran near identical lines for Game 4, with the small swap of Linus Karlsson and Danila Klimovich.
Bains – Sasson – Lekkerimäki 
Blais – Mueller – Kalrsson 
Nielsen – Wouters – Klimovich 
Di Giuseppe – Khaira – Smith
Brisebois – McWard 
Hirose – Woo 
Wolanin – Mancini
Silovs
<blockquote>First period: Another slow start</blockquote>
Despite eventually winning most games, the Canucks have made an unfortunate habit of starting games slow.
Although they failed to score, they appeared to have broken that curse and kicked things off with the game&#8217;s first chance.
After a bobbled puck at the blueline, Jujhar Khaira stripped the puck off an Eagles defender to rush up the ice for a clear-cut breakaway.
Khaira held for the shot, and Trent Miner stood tall to close the door on the Surrey native.
<img decoding="async" src="https://media.giphy.com/media/XTQFao2EHqFGwDxgr8/giphy.gif" />
Sure, scoring the game&#8217;s opening goal would have been nice, but generating chances early was a positive sign.
But in the end, it didn&#8217;t matter. The Eagles still managed to grab the game&#8217;s opening goal.
Colorado goal – 1-0 – Jean-Luc Foudy from Mark Senden and Hank Kempf
This time, it came off a juicy rebound. Jean-Luc Foudy collected the puck from behind the net and threw it on the net before Silovs could reset it.
<img decoding="async" src="https://media.giphy.com/media/UmzxGETLbHjuZ232Fb/giphy.gif" />
With the goal, the Eagles scored first in Games 2, 3, and 4, scoring within the first five minutes of each match.
Jujhar Khaira&#8217;s chance aside, the away team started slowly after all, and that shot held as the lone chance through the game&#8217;s first eight minutes.
The Canucks did pick up a solid chance midway through the first period, following the Guillaume Brisebois point shot.
With Max Sasson causing havoc at the netfront, Trent Miner lost the puck as it trickled down his back to sit alive in the crease.
As one of the only players with eyes on the biscuit, Cole McWard made the push to jump on it, but the Eagles were able to stop him in his tracks.
<img decoding="async" src="https://media.giphy.com/media/CbBSctVuzeXzMUjG1k/giphy.gif" />
Those two plays would represent the team&#8217;s best chances of the period. However, they did manage to take more possession and nearly even the shot totals by the period&#8217;s end.
If there was a positive from the period, the team took no penalties; something they could not say in Game 3 after taking three in the initial 20 minutes.
Small wins, folks. It&#8217;s all about the small wins.
Shots: ABB 6, COL 8 | Score: ABB 0, COL 1
<blockquote>Second period: Penalty kill streak ends</blockquote>
The Canucks spent the initial five minutes of the middle frame with little to report.
Possession likely favoured the Eagles, but neither team mustered anything dangerous.
After the five-minute mark, Abbotsford did manage to grab the game&#8217;s first power play.
And it was an odd one.
In the bottom corner, Chris Wagner went down with Max Sasson. But rather than jump back up, he resorted to smothering Sasson for nearly 10 seconds.
<img decoding="async" src="https://media.giphy.com/media/z2yGsLBFYuF9AHstgB/giphy.gif" />
It was an easy call for the referee, who had given him ample time to get up and move on.
The Eagles provided a flawless penalty kill, giving Abbotsford nothing to work with and zero shots on goal.
Moments later, <a href="https://canucksarmy.com/news/vancouver-canucks-arturs-silovs-stats-game-2s-downright-wild">Arturs Silovs</a> made his best save of the evening (so far). After some good movement to gain entry, the Eagles found an open defender before Silovs flashed the blocker to set the puck aside.
<img decoding="async" src="https://media.giphy.com/media/SuB6jP8JZqNadNfroh/giphy.gif" />
Later, play saw a lengthy stoppage, as the referees went back to take a second, and perhaps a 10th, and looked at a play that had happened minutes before.
A Colorado forward threw the puck from behind the net toward Silvos, who held tight on the post. While players jammed away, and the netminder looked relatively unsure of the puck&#8217;s whereabouts, the play was deemed inconclusive.
<img decoding="async" src="https://media.giphy.com/media/W5aOfRJ7TIwtgarYzn/giphy.gif" />
But the Eagles doubled their lead just seconds later, anyway.
Colorado goal – 2-0 – Jayson Megna from Tye Felhaber
Right off the faceoff from that extended stoppage, Akito Hirose went to push the puck up the ice. Unfortunately, his pass redirected off a player&#8217;s skate and went airborne, falling right to the stick of Jayson Megna.
Catching Silovs off guard, the former Canuck found the corner to double their lead.
<img decoding="async" src="https://media.giphy.com/media/kQSY2U1LajNz7KBmSK/giphy.gif" />
More importantly for him, he got revenge. Just 48 hours prior, Silovs had stymied him eight times in Game 3, so this one felt relieving for the veteran.
All in all, it was a sloppy and rather uninspiring period form the Canucks. Late in the period, as the team was on the verge of collecting momentum, Danila Klimovich took a very unnecessary roughing call.
<img decoding="async" src="https://media.giphy.com/media/xSLxPHRY07rI2mgpDw/giphy.gif" />
Do we think Manny has the same disappointed glare as <a href="https://canucksarmy.com/news/ex-vancouver-canucks-head-coach-rick-tocchet-speaks-canucks-fans-first-time-since-moving-on">Rick Tocchet</a>? Perhaps not, but we can report that this was the last we saw of Klimovich on the night.
That play sent the Eagles on a late power play, and handed back any pressure that the Canucks may have been building.
And unfortunately, it may have cost them the game in the end.
Colorado goal – 3-0 – Tye Felhaber from T.J. Tynan and Oskar Olausson
After Max Sasson nearly connected with Arshdeep Bains for a shorthanded chance, the Eagles transitioned back the other way and made them pay.
Going the other way, Colorado broke up four strong, before T.J. Tynan found a trailing Tye Felhaber. He beat Silovs through the legs for a heartbreaker late in the period.
<img decoding="async" src="https://media.giphy.com/media/JEATcO4bqcpypuTBwG/giphy.gif" />
One could argue that the hook on Bains, which led to the odd-man rush, could have been something. Which, of course, Manny Malhotra argued.
Instead, the club found itself down by a trio heading into the final period.
In addition to being down 3-0, that goal put an end to the Canucks&#8217; penalty killing streak, snapping it at 30 straight. What a run.
The good news was that the Eagles took a late penalty of their own, which gave the Canucks a complete two-minute power play to kick things off with fresh ice in the third.
Shots: ABB 6, COL 8 | Score: ABB 0, COL 1
<blockquote>Third period: Game 5, here we come</blockquote>
The Canucks not only failed to score during the full two-minute stretch but were also unable to register a shot for a second straight power play.
And with little happening, they got into serious penalty troubles. Although it felt like the game slipped away from them, Arturs Silovs continued to hold up his end of the bargain as he waited for his team to build up a comeback.
<img decoding="async" src="https://media.giphy.com/media/cWpCjMAft6ZEUYpc2k/giphy.gif" />
But <a href="https://canucksarmy.com/news/hes-leading-by-example-vancouver-canucks-sammy-blais-leading-ahl-playoffs-points">Sammy Blais</a> continued to take penalties, wasting valuable time for his team, and received a 10-minute misconduct.
<img decoding="async" src="https://media.giphy.com/media/mMU7Jk4OwXqkzF0TlD/giphy.gif" />
It&#8217;s the second game of the series where Blais lost his cool to grab either a 10-minute penalty or a game misconduct.
But again, Silovs was doing everything he could to keep things where they were.
Not once.
<img decoding="async" src="https://media.giphy.com/media/7gCWnkDsufYustPaWS/giphy.gif" />
But twice.
<img decoding="async" src="https://media.giphy.com/media/rflQ71tSUpizdcbPg7/giphy.gif" />
Those saves proved huge, as the Canucks finally brought some life in the back half of the frame.
Abbotsford goal – 3-1 – Nate Smith from Jujhar Khaira
Off the offensive zone faceoff, Jujhar Khaira protected the puck on the wrap-around, sending the puck toward the net.
Fighting for possession was Nate Smith, who cleaned up the rebound to cut the deficit to two goals.
<img decoding="async" src="https://media.giphy.com/media/lRyLbxTgmR3HzPkMws/giphy.gif" />
The Canucks did pull their netminder with roughly three minutes remaining in an attempt to score two and even the score. Unfortunately, they notched just four shots on goal and could not find any offence.
The bad news? The Abbotsford Canucks dropped this one after a sloppy game.
The good news is that their season continues, with one last attempt to continue in a do-or-die game 5.
Shots: ABB 25, COL 30 | Score: ABB 1, COL 3
<blockquote>What&#8217;s next?</blockquote>
This series will see a do-or-die Game 5, which will occur at an unusual time on Monday afternoon. The puck drops at 2:05 pm PT for a Memorial Day matinee.
Sponsored by bet365
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&nbsp;

It was a win and you’re in scenario for the <a href="https://canucksarmy.com/news/abbotsford-canucks-notebook-what-learned-through-three-games-colorado-eagles">Abbotsford Canucks</a> on Friday night.
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After a thrilling <a href="https://canucksarmy.com/news/farmies-linus-karlsson-scores-ot-give-abbotsford-canucks-2-1-series-lead">3-2 overtime victory in Game 3</a>, the Canucks were just one win away from punching their ticket to a Western Conference Final appearance for the first time in franchise history.

And with a 12-0-1-0 record on the road that dates back to February, history was on their side to lock things up and head home for series four.

Unfortunately, Abby elected to keep things interesting and give their fanbase a do-or-die match to enjoy on Monday afternoon.

Once again, the team allowed the game's first goal and spent the remainder of the night playing catch-up. While starts had been an issue for this team for most of the postseason, this game felt like that sluggish start haunted them until the final buzzer.

Any time they'd find their legs, even slightly, the <a href="https://canucksarmy.com/news/abbotsford-canucks-game-day-chance-close-out-colorado-eagles-pacific-division-final">Colorado Eagles</a> would push back. But hey, Colorado was the best team in the American Hockey League for a reason.

With the loss and the season on the line, everything lines up for a thrilling battle on Monday afternoon for a must-win game in Loveland, Colorado.

Let's check in on the action.
<blockquote>Starting lineup</blockquote>
The Abbotsford Canucks won Game 3, and with most of the team healthy – still no Aatu Räty –, <a href="https://canucksarmy.com/news/patersons-point-experience-shouldnt-issue-vancouver-canucks-decide-malhotra-right-man-nhl-job">Manny Malhotra</a> ran near identical lines for Game 4, with the small swap of Linus Karlsson and Danila Klimovich.

Bains – Sasson – Lekkerimäki
Blais – Mueller – Kalrsson
Nielsen – Wouters – Klimovich
Di Giuseppe – Khaira – Smith

Brisebois – McWard
Hirose – Woo
Wolanin – Mancini

Silovs
<blockquote>First period: Another slow start</blockquote>
Despite eventually winning most games, the Canucks have made an unfortunate habit of starting games slow.

Although they failed to score, they appeared to have broken that curse and kicked things off with the game's first chance.

After a bobbled puck at the blueline, Jujhar Khaira stripped the puck off an Eagles defender to rush up the ice for a clear-cut breakaway.

Khaira held for the shot, and Trent Miner stood tall to close the door on the Surrey native.

<img src="https://media.giphy.com/media/XTQFao2EHqFGwDxgr8/giphy.gif" />

Sure, scoring the game's opening goal would have been nice, but generating chances early was a positive sign.

But in the end, it didn't matter. The Eagles still managed to grab the game's opening goal.

Colorado goal – 1-0 – Jean-Luc Foudy from Mark Senden and Hank Kempf

This time, it came off a juicy rebound. Jean-Luc Foudy collected the puck from behind the net and threw it on the net before Silovs could reset it.

<img src="https://media.giphy.com/media/UmzxGETLbHjuZ232Fb/giphy.gif" />

With the goal, the Eagles scored first in Games 2, 3, and 4, scoring within the first five minutes of each match.

Jujhar Khaira's chance aside, the away team started slowly after all, and that shot held as the lone chance through the game's first eight minutes.

The Canucks did pick up a solid chance midway through the first period, following the Guillaume Brisebois point shot.

With Max Sasson causing havoc at the netfront, Trent Miner lost the puck as it trickled down his back to sit alive in the crease.

As one of the only players with eyes on the biscuit, Cole McWard made the push to jump on it, but the Eagles were able to stop him in his tracks.

<img src="https://media.giphy.com/media/CbBSctVuzeXzMUjG1k/giphy.gif" />

Those two plays would represent the team's best chances of the period. However, they did manage to take more possession and nearly even the shot totals by the period's end.

If there was a positive from the period, the team took no penalties; something they could not say in Game 3 after taking three in the initial 20 minutes.

Small wins, folks. It's all about the small wins.

Shots: ABB 6, COL 8 | Score: ABB 0, COL 1
<blockquote>Second period: Penalty kill streak ends</blockquote>
The Canucks spent the initial five minutes of the middle frame with little to report.

Possession likely favoured the Eagles, but neither team mustered anything dangerous.

After the five-minute mark, Abbotsford did manage to grab the game's first power play.

And it was an odd one.

In the bottom corner, Chris Wagner went down with Max Sasson. But rather than jump back up, he resorted to smothering Sasson for nearly 10 seconds.

<img src="https://media.giphy.com/media/z2yGsLBFYuF9AHstgB/giphy.gif" />

It was an easy call for the referee, who had given him ample time to get up and move on.

The Eagles provided a flawless penalty kill, giving Abbotsford nothing to work with and zero shots on goal.

Moments later, <a href="https://canucksarmy.com/news/vancouver-canucks-arturs-silovs-stats-game-2s-downright-wild">Arturs Silovs</a> made his best save of the evening (so far). After some good movement to gain entry, the Eagles found an open defender before Silovs flashed the blocker to set the puck aside.

<img src="https://media.giphy.com/media/SuB6jP8JZqNadNfroh/giphy.gif" />

Later, play saw a lengthy stoppage, as the referees went back to take a second, and perhaps a 10th, and looked at a play that had happened minutes before.

A Colorado forward threw the puck from behind the net toward Silvos, who held tight on the post. While players jammed away, and the netminder looked relatively unsure of the puck's whereabouts, the play was deemed inconclusive.

<img src="https://media.giphy.com/media/W5aOfRJ7TIwtgarYzn/giphy.gif" />

But the Eagles doubled their lead just seconds later, anyway.

Colorado goal – 2-0 – Jayson Megna from Tye Felhaber

Right off the faceoff from that extended stoppage, Akito Hirose went to push the puck up the ice. Unfortunately, his pass redirected off a player's skate and went airborne, falling right to the stick of Jayson Megna.

Catching Silovs off guard, the former Canuck found the corner to double their lead.

<img src="https://media.giphy.com/media/kQSY2U1LajNz7KBmSK/giphy.gif" />

More importantly for him, he got revenge. Just 48 hours prior, Silovs had stymied him eight times in Game 3, so this one felt relieving for the veteran.

All in all, it was a sloppy and rather uninspiring period form the Canucks. Late in the period, as the team was on the verge of collecting momentum, Danila Klimovich took a very unnecessary roughing call.

<img src="https://media.giphy.com/media/xSLxPHRY07rI2mgpDw/giphy.gif" />

Do we think Manny has the same disappointed glare as <a href="https://canucksarmy.com/news/ex-vancouver-canucks-head-coach-rick-tocchet-speaks-canucks-fans-first-time-since-moving-on">Rick Tocchet</a>? Perhaps not, but we can report that this was the last we saw of Klimovich on the night.

That play sent the Eagles on a late power play, and handed back any pressure that the Canucks may have been building.

And unfortunately, it may have cost them the game in the end.

Colorado goal – 3-0 – Tye Felhaber from T.J. Tynan and Oskar Olausson

After Max Sasson nearly connected with Arshdeep Bains for a shorthanded chance, the Eagles transitioned back the other way and made them pay.

Going the other way, Colorado broke up four strong, before T.J. Tynan found a trailing Tye Felhaber. He beat Silovs through the legs for a heartbreaker late in the period.

<img src="https://media.giphy.com/media/JEATcO4bqcpypuTBwG/giphy.gif" />

One could argue that the hook on Bains, which led to the odd-man rush, could have been something. Which, of course, Manny Malhotra argued.

Instead, the club found itself down by a trio heading into the final period.

In addition to being down 3-0, that goal put an end to the Canucks' penalty killing streak, snapping it at 30 straight. What a run.

The good news was that the Eagles took a late penalty of their own, which gave the Canucks a complete two-minute power play to kick things off with fresh ice in the third.

Shots: ABB 6, COL 8 | Score: ABB 0, COL 1
<blockquote>Third period: Game 5, here we come</blockquote>
The Canucks not only failed to score during the full two-minute stretch but were also unable to register a shot for a second straight power play.

And with little happening, they got into serious penalty troubles. Although it felt like the game slipped away from them, Arturs Silovs continued to hold up his end of the bargain as he waited for his team to build up a comeback.

<img src="https://media.giphy.com/media/cWpCjMAft6ZEUYpc2k/giphy.gif" />

But <a href="https://canucksarmy.com/news/hes-leading-by-example-vancouver-canucks-sammy-blais-leading-ahl-playoffs-points">Sammy Blais</a> continued to take penalties, wasting valuable time for his team, and received a 10-minute misconduct.

<img src="https://media.giphy.com/media/mMU7Jk4OwXqkzF0TlD/giphy.gif" />

It's the second game of the series where Blais lost his cool to grab either a 10-minute penalty or a game misconduct.

But again, Silovs was doing everything he could to keep things where they were.

Not once.

<img src="https://media.giphy.com/media/7gCWnkDsufYustPaWS/giphy.gif" />

But twice.

<img src="https://media.giphy.com/media/rflQ71tSUpizdcbPg7/giphy.gif" />

Those saves proved huge, as the Canucks finally brought some life in the back half of the frame.

Abbotsford goal – 3-1 – Nate Smith from Jujhar Khaira

Off the offensive zone faceoff, Jujhar Khaira protected the puck on the wrap-around, sending the puck toward the net.

Fighting for possession was Nate Smith, who cleaned up the rebound to cut the deficit to two goals.

<img src="https://media.giphy.com/media/lRyLbxTgmR3HzPkMws/giphy.gif" />

The Canucks did pull their netminder with roughly three minutes remaining in an attempt to score two and even the score. Unfortunately, they notched just four shots on goal and could not find any offence.

The bad news? The Abbotsford Canucks dropped this one after a sloppy game.

The good news is that their season continues, with one last attempt to continue in a do-or-die game 5.

Shots: ABB 25, COL 30 | Score: ABB 1, COL 3
<blockquote>What's next?</blockquote>
This series will see a do-or-die Game 5, which will occur at an unusual time on Monday afternoon. The puck drops at 2:05 pm PT for a Memorial Day matinee.

Sponsored by bet365
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The Farmies: Abby Canucks drop Game 4 to set the stage for a do-or-die Game 5

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