The baby Canucks in Abbotsford are in a must-win situation. Then again, you can also say that about their opponent on Saturday night, the Tucson Roadrunners.
With the series tied 1-1, the winner will move on from the American Hockey League’s best-of-three 1st-round series. The Canucks are the home team for the third consecutive game, a reward for finishing 2nd in the Pacific Division where the Roadrunners finished 7th. Only the 1st place Colorado Eagles earned a bye.
Abbotsford was heavily favoured entering the series, having rolled into the postseason on a 13-game winning streak. They went 16-1-and-1 over their final 18 games.
The home team won the first game of the series 4-3 on Wednesday night. The next night, Tucson goalie Jaxson Stauber jumped in the line-up and made 38 saves for a 4-1 win. That set up Saturday night’s series finale.
The Roadrunners earned their playoff spot on the final night of the regular season.
