Patrick WilliamsTheAHL.com Features Writer
The wounds were still fresh when the Abbotsford Canucks met with reporters after their season-ending loss to the Ontario Reign on Wednesday night.
“I don't think we've reached our level, and that's what hurts right now,” the captain Chase Wouters said.
Disappointment was evident. The Canucks' offense, which averaged 3.25 goals per game in the regular season – seventh in the AHL – and had produced 10 goals in three games in the first round against Colorado, faced a tough Ontario club and was able to score. just four times in Reign's three-game sweep. While the Canucks were able to open up a 2-0 lead in Game 3, Ontario responded with three goals in a span of 81 seconds.
Abbotsford coach said Jeremy Colliton, “The standard of winning this time of year is high, and if you don't reach it you are punished. As a team, I don't think we played our way throughout the series, which is disappointing because this is the time of the year when you have to play at your best to improve.
“They have to learn from it,” Colliton continued. “All the games we get in the finals are big. It's fun for everyone and a chance to show you can play at a high level. The standard keeps going up, the competition keeps going up, and even if it goes up you show you can do it or you're done and shake hands. That's where we are.”
On the other hand, there are a lot of positives to take away from the Canucks. They took out a tough opponent in the Eagles, entered a hostile Blue Arena and won two of three games, including the series-clincher in overtime.
And they made their way without scoring Artūrs Šilovs again Nikita Tolopilo, both missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs with the Vancouver Canucks. Abbotsford turned to Zach Sawchenkowho played in just six regular-season games, and played impressively in his six playoff games — including a 47-yard performance to shut out Colorado in Game 3.
“He's amazing,” Wouters said of Sawchenko, who spent the entire season with Abbotsford but didn't make his debut until March 16. “He hasn't complained once all year. He's come out with a smile. He's a great team player, and we're lucky to have him here.”
Colliton echoes that praise for Sawchenko.
“He is a good example to the team of how you have to prepare for your opportunity. You never know when it will come. He is a very good and well-liked player, who is highly respected by the team for the way he has behaved throughout the year.”
Abbotsford went 40-25-5-2 in the regular season, the second straight season in which the team has reached 40 points. The group did so Christian Wolanin, who won the Eddie Shore Award last season as the AHL's top defenseman, was limited to 42 games by injury. The Blueliner Guillaume Brisebois he played only eight games due to injury, and a defensive player Jack Rathbone traded to Pittsburgh after only two games. Forward Nils Åman left in November and settled in Vancouver.
Nevertheless, Abbotsford adapted to the difficult Pacific section. As Colliton said, the club has seen the ever-increasing level that the Calder Cup Playoffs will demand of any club that is developing.
With Vancouver now facing Edmonton in the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, expectations are high in the organization, and Abbotsford is playing a big role in that. Šilovs has been one of the biggest stories of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, coming into the game following an injury. Thatcher Demko again Casey DeSmith. After spending 45 games with Abbotsford last season, Nils Höglander he was a 24-goal scorer in Vancouver. The protector Noah Juulsen and forward Phil DiGiuseppe renewed their careers with Abbotsford before sticking with Vancouver this season.
And down the road in the Fraser Valley, little hope is the same Linus Karlsson, Vasily Podkolzin, Akito Hirose, Aatu Räty, Jett Woo, Cole McWard and AHL All-Star Arshdeep Bains he continued to take steps.
“We've grown a lot as a team, and I think all the guys in the room have grown as players and as people, and that's what you strive for,” Wouters said.
“We've been through a lot of adversity this year, and I think that will help everyone in this room to move forward in their work.” Obviously everybody wants to get to the next level, and I think that's only going to help all the young guys get there.”
Seeing it all only against Ontario leaves some disappointment. That's the nature of player development: It can be exciting one week and disappointing the next. If those highs and lows can be used to fuel future growth, however, it can be productive over the long term.
“I told the team after the game,” continued Colliton. “One thing that made me very disappointed is because I thought this team had the opportunity to do more.
“We fought hard this year. The damage seemed endless. We were a smaller team than last year, so there are growing pains that come with that. It wasn't compatible, but we found a way to put it together. It's part of praising the team, part of regret because we left the rest on the table.”
TheAHL.com features writer Patrick Williams has covered the American Hockey League for nearly two decades at outlets including NHL.com, Sportsnet, TSN, Hockey News, SiriusXM NHL Network Radio and SLAM ! Sports, and most recently was the host of The Hockey News On The 'A' podcast. He was the recipient of the AHL's James H. Ellery Memorial Award for the league's top scorer in 2016.
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