ABBOTSFORD CANUCKS AT SAN DIEGO GULLS PREVIEW

TV: ahltv.com

Radio: iheart.com/live/san-diego-gulls-audio-network-8441/

MATCH-UP INFO

• The Abbotsford Canucks (8-8-2-1) enter Wednesday’s game 7th in the Pacific Division with 19 points. San Diego (9-9-1-0) is currently in 6th place in the Pacific with 19 points.

• Wednesday marks the first of eight meetings between the Canucks and Gulls this season: Dec. 15 (road), Jan. 14 (road), Jan. 15 (road), Jan. 22 (home), Jan. 23 (home), Apr. 8 (home), Apr. 9 (home) and Apr. 20 (road).

• Wednesday will be the first ever meeting between the Canucks and Gulls.

QUICK NUMBERS

• Sheldon Dries is tied for the AHL lead in goals with 12 this season. He also leads the team with 20 points (12-8-20) through 18 games.
• Sheldon Rempal has registered 18 points (6-12-18) through 19 games and leads the Canucks with 12 assists.
• Nic Petan has recorded 13 points (5-8-13) in 11 games this season with the Canucks.
• Justin Bailey has put up nine points (5-4-9) in 13 games with Abbotsford this season.
• Cameron Schilling leads the Canuck defenders with 10 assists this season and 11 points (1-10-11) through 16 games.
• Michael DiPietro has registered a 3.24 goals against average with a .897 save percentage and three wins through his first ten appearances of the season.

LAST GAME – DEC. 12/21: ABB 2 at SJ 5

The Abby Canucks were handed a 5-2 defeat by the San Jose Barracuda on Dec. 12 at the SAP Centre in San Jose…Vincent Arseneau opened the scoring for the Canucks at the 10:05 mark of the first period...Sheldon Dries and Phil Di Giuseppe assisted on the play…Justin Bailey tied the game at 2 45 seconds into the second period…Cam Schilling and Nic Petan had the helpers… Justin Bailey led the team in shots (4)…Mikey DiPietro made his 10th start of the season…DiPietro made 14 saves on 18 shots before giving way to Arturs Silovs in the second period…Silovs turned aside 6 of the 7 shots he faced in relief duty.

RECENT TRANSACTIONS

• Phil Di Giuseppe recalled to Vancouver, Dec. 14

• Noah Juulsen recalled to Vancouver, Dec. 9

• Carson Focht reassigned to Abbotsford, Dec. 7

OFFENSIVE OVERLOAD

The Abbotsford Canucks have had no trouble filling the back of the net with pucks as of late. Abby registered at least four goals in four of their last six games. They have also scored at least one goal with the man advantage in each of their last seven games and have converted six of their last 12 powerplay opportunities into goals.

SHELDON DRIES, AHL TOP GOAL SCORER

Sheldon Dries has lit the lamp 12 times this season and is currently tied for the most goals in the American Hockey League this season. Dries has been the most productive player in the Abby lineup throughout the entire season. The Western Michigan alum enters play 9th in the league with 20 points (12-8-20) through 18 games.

Sheldon has been phenomenal with the man advantage as well, tying for the team lead with three goals. His 1.11 points per game is second on the Canucks.

POINT-PER-GAME PETEY

Nic Petan has been a true difference maker for the Abbotsford Canucks. The Delta, BC product has put up 13 points through his first 11 games with the Canucks this season. His 1.18 points per game leads the Canucks. Petey’s five goals are tied for third on the team and his eight assists are tied for the fourth highest tally on the team.

Petan enters play on Wednesday riding a six-game point streak and just two assists shy of 100 career helpers in the AHL.

A REMPAL IN TIME

Sheldon Rempal has been a consistently productive player for the Abbotsford Canucks this season. The former BCHL star has recorded 18 points (6-12-18) through 19 games with the Abby Canucks. Rempal’s 12 assists lead the team, and he has scored all five of his goals in the last eight games.

BAD TO THE RATHBONE

Jack Rathbone has been highly productive from the blue line during his seven games with the Abby Canucks this season. The Harvard alum has posted six points (1-5-6) in seven games, good for a 0.86 points per game average. Rathbone’s five assists are the second highest tally among defencemen for the Canucks and tied for the fifth most of any Abby skater. Jack scored his first goal of the campaign against the San Jose Barracuda on Dec. 4.

ARSENEAU CANNOT BE STOPPED

The veteran winger has been a steadying force for the Abby Canucks on and off the ice in 2021. Vincent Arseneau is known more for his fists than his hands, but that reputation is beginning to change. The 29-year-old Quebec product is currently riding a career best four-game point streak. Arseneau has registered five points (2-3-5) during that stretch. All four of the games have come against the Barracuda so Vinny will hope to carry over his hot streak to southern California next.

BAILEY BACK ON TRACK

Justin Bailey was the Abby Canucks’ best player through the first week of the 2021.22 season. The lanky winger registered six points (3-3-6) through five games before earning the call to Vancouver. However, since returning to Abbotsford in late November, points have been hard to come by. Entering last weekend’s games against San Jose, Bailey had just one assist in his previous six contests. That changed in a big way, as Bailey tickled the twine twice against the Barracuda and enters Wednesday riding a two-game goal streak.

MAN IN THE CREASE: SPENCER MARTIN

Spencer Martin has been the Abby Canucks’ top goaltender during during the month of December. The veteran netminder has won all three of his starts this month. Martin turned aside 75 of the 82 shots he’s faced, good for a .915 save percentage. The Oakville, ON product has won three of his four starts in 2021.22.

RECENT CANUCKS MILESTONES

Nic Petan recorded his 50th career goal, Dec. 5 vs San Jose

Tristen Nielsen recorded first career goal, Dec. 1 vs Ontario

Sheldon Dries recorded his 100th career point, Nov. 27 at Tucson

Chase Wouters recorded first career goal, Nov. 14 vs San Jose

Sheldon Dries recorded his 50th career goal, Oct. 24 vs Henderson

Arturs Silovs recorded his first career shutout, Oct. 24 vs Henderson

THREE STARS – 2021.22

Dries - 20 points

DiPietro – 10 points

Petan - 10 points

Rempal – 10 Points

Di Giuseppe – 10 points

Martin – 10 points

Wouters – 10 points

Silovs - 10 points

Bailey - 10 points

Klimovich - 5 points

Bowey - 5 points

Juulsen – 5 Points

Woo – 5 points

Lukosevicius – 5 points

Lockwood – 5 points

*5 points are awarded for each Three Stars selection