
Abbotsford Canucks vs Calgary Wranglers Game 4 Preview
May 4, 2023 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Abbotsford Canucks News Release
The Abbotsford Canucks are preparing for a pivotal game four as they continue their Pacific Division Semi-Final series against the Calgary Wranglers on Friday night from Abbotsford Centre.
Currently trailing 2-1 in the best-of-five series, game four will get underway at 7:00pm PST on Friday night, with fans able to follow along on AHLTV, as well as on the radio with Sportsnet 650.
Games one and two ended in sudden death heartbreak for the Canucks as they fell 3-2 and 4-3 in overtime with the deciding goals coming from Jakob Pelletier and Matthew Phillips respectively. As the series shifted back to Abbotsford, the Canucks needed three consecutive wins to keep their season alive.
Game three got the Canucks back on track, as they handed the Wranglers their first loss of the post season in a 3-2 regulation victory. Goals from Linus Karlsson, Christian Wolanin and eventually the game winner from Kyle Rau, set up Friday's Game 4 on home ice.
Christian Wolanin, the winner of the AHL's Most Outstanding Defenceman Award, is tied for 10th in the league for playoff scoring by a defenceman with 4 (1G, 3A). Wolanin picked up a pair of points in Game 3, as did Arshdeep Bains in Game 2 (2G).
Bains' two goal performance in Calgary has him tied for the most goals scored by a rookie in the playoffs, with four other Abbotsford rookies also having notched a goal in the 2023 post season (Karlsson, Räty, Sasson, Gatcomb). Five rookies grabbing a goal is the most by a single team in the playoffs to date, with Linus Karlsson leading all AHL rookies in shots with 17 through five games.
Spencer Martin, who made 25 saves in Game 3, leads the AHL in save percentage with .943%. Martin, who is 2-1 in the playoffs this year, is also second in Goals Against Average with 1.57, and is one of seven goaltenders to have recorded a shutout in the 2023 playoffs.
Regular Season Special Teams:
Power Play %
ABB: 18.1%, CGY: 21%
Power Play Goals For
ABB: 52, CGY: 69
Penalty Kill %
ABB: 79.9%, CGY: 85.1%
Post Season Special Teams:
Power Play %
ABB: 12.0 %, CGY: 15.4%
Power Play Goals For
ABB: 3, CGY: 2
Penalty Kill %
ABB: 83.3%, CGY: 92.9%
Fast Facts:
The Pacific Division's best of five is a 2-3 format, with the higher seeded team getting their choice of playing the first two games or the final three games at home.
The winner of the Abbotsford/Calgary series will face the winner of the Colorado Eagles and Coachella Valley Firebirds series in the Pacific Division Finals
Abbotsford has had 18 different players record a point in the playoffs, which is tied for the third most by one team (Hartford / Utica: 19).
Game 4 will be the 16th time that Abbotsford and Calgary have met this season (12 times in Regular Season, 4 times in Round 2).
Canucks defenceman Filip Johansson made his AHL debut in Game 2 in Calgary, and made his home debut in Game 3 at Abbotsford Centre.
American Hockey League Stories from May 4, 2023
- Bears Advance with 6-2 Victory Over Checkers in Game 4 - Hershey Bears
- Checkers' Season Ends with Game 4 Loss to Hershey - Charlotte Checkers
- Abbotsford Canucks vs Calgary Wranglers Game 4 Preview - Abbotsford Canucks
- Wolf Pack Loan Goaltender Parker Gahagen to ECHL's Jacksonville Icemen - Hartford Wolf Pack
- Moose's Jimmy Oligny Named Winner of Yanick Dupré Memorial Award for 2022-23 - AHL
- Moose Captain Jimmy Oligny Wins AHL's Yanick Dupre Memorial Award - Manitoba Moose
- Attard Joins USA National Team - Lehigh Valley Phantoms
- Petersen, Tynan Join Team USA Roster for 2023 World Championship - Ontario Reign
- T-Birds' M&T Bank "Better Together" Community Initiatives Raise $131,000 in 22-23 Season - Springfield Thunderbirds
- Henderson Silver Knights Announce 2023-24 Season Ticket On-Sale Information - Henderson Silver Knights
- Henderson Silver Knights Announce 2023-24 Season Ticket On-Sale Information - Henderson Silver Knights
- Wranglers Drop Game 3 against Canucks - Calgary Wranglers
- Atlantic Division Semifinals Game 4 Preview: Bears vs. Checkers, 7 p.m. - Hershey Bears
- Kyle Rau Scores Game Winning Goal as Canucks Hold on to 3-2 Victory Over Calgary - Abbotsford Canucks
- Alexander True's Late Shorthanded Goal Forces Game Five - Coachella Valley Firebirds
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
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