The Abbotsford Canucks did everything they had to this weekend, but the prayers for home ice in round one of the playoffs were snuffed out on Sunday (April 21) afternoon.
The Canucks needed the Ontario Reign to defeat the Colorado Eagles on Sunday to clinch the fourth seed and earn the right to host round one of the playoffs.
But Colorado scored four goals in the first period for the first time this season en route to a 6-3 win.
WE'RE ON A ROLL pic.twitter.com/JTWCdgdUIN
— Colorado Eagles (@ColoradoEagles) April 21, 2024
That result allows the Eagles leapfrog the Canucks from fifth to fourth and Colorado will host the first round series between the two clubs.
The best-of-three series goes Wednesday (April 24), Friday (April 26) and Sunday (April 28), if necessary. All three games will occur at the Blue Arena in Loveland, Colo.
RELATED: Reunited Rässon line leads Abbotsford Canucks to 5-1 win over Colorado
The two teams last met in Colorado on March 30, with the Canucks earning a 5-1 win. Abbotsford also picked up a 2-1 overtime win in Colorado on March 29. The two teams met eight times this season, with each team winning four times.
The other six results included:
- Oct. 24: Abbotsford - 2 Colorado - 1 (OT)
- Oct. 25: Abbotsford - 5 Colorado -2
- Feb. 9: Colorado - 3 Abbotsford - 1
- Feb. 10: Colorado - 3 Abbotsford - 2
- Feb. 27: Colorado - 5 Abbotsford - 2
- Feb. 28: Colorado - 4 Abbotsford - 3 (OT)
The Canucks finished the season with two more wins over the Calgary Wranglers on Friday (April 19) and Saturday (April 20).
Abbotsford picked up a 4-3 overtime win on Friday and then a 3-2 win on Saturday. Christian Wolanin was the overtime hero on Friday, while Arshdeep Bains scored the game winner on Saturday.
Wolanin with the game winner, Canucks win 4-3 pic.twitter.com/LGVS0FK50S
— Ben Lypka (@BenLypka) April 20, 2024
The Canucks enter the playoffs riding a four-game win streak after four straight wins over Calgary. They are also 8-1-1 in their final 10 games. Abbotsford finished the season with a record of 40-25-5-2, good for fifth in the Pacific Division.
Saturday also saw the Canucks hand out their annual team awards. Bains took home the most valuable player and fan favourite awards, Marc Gatcomb won the unsung hero award, Max Sasson was named the team’s rookie of the year and Chase Wouters was selected as the man of the year.
Keep visiting abbynews.com for playoff coverage of the Canucks.
Last night, the Abbotsford Canucks announced the winners of the 2023.24 Team Awards during Fan Appreciation Weekend.
— X - Abbotsford Canucks (@abbycanucks) April 21, 2024
FULL RELEASE | https://t.co/L67f7B0AEp pic.twitter.com/Ay1YhKJU3F
