ABBOTSFORD CANUCKS LOSE 4-3 IN OVERTIME THRILLER AGAINST CALGARY
Sunday afternoon saw the sixth and final game of the Abbotsford Canucks’ six-game road trip, facing off with the Calgary Wranglers at the Scotiabank Saddledome. Sitting at 2-3-0-0 on the road trip, Abbotsford were looking redeem themselves following Friday’s 5-1 loss to Calgary.
A handful of lineup changes were made in order to do so, with Vincent Arseneau, Yushiroh Hirano, Wyatt Kalynuk, Alex Kannok Leipert, Danila Klimovich and Michael Regush all returning to the starting lineup.
Also returning to the starting lineup was goaltender Arturs Silovs, making his first start since November 19th against the Marlies. Sunday’s game would be Silovs’ ninth start of the season, matching his AHL career high (2021-22).
Christian Wolanin entered Sunday’s contest with a seven-game point streak (1-9-10). That streak is just one game short of Abbotsford’s franchise record for longest point-streak by a defenceman (8 games, Jack Rathbone in 2021-22). Justin Dowling also came into Sunday’s game with points in four straight games, registering five assists over that span.
With all said and done, the puck dropped on Abbotsford’s final game of their longest road trip of the season.
A closely fought opening few minutes resulted with nothing than some penalties for some extra pushing and shoving. However Calgary would jump out to the early lead nine minutes into the frame. Some quick passing in front of the net set up Jakob Pelletier to bury home his ninth of the year over the glove of Silovs.
Walker Duehr would double Calgary’s lead before the break, who let fly a wrister on a breakaway that beat Silovs. And it looked as if that would be all of the scoring in the first period.
Until Phil Di Giuseppe took the puck in Calgary’s zone and banked it along the boards back to Wolanin. Wolanin, on the man advtange, took the puck back to the point and ripped a wrist shot goalwards. Through heavy traffic in front of Dustin Wolf, the shot found it’s way through and under the glove of Wolf.
Wolanin’s third of the year and second in as many games extended his point streak to eight, and drew Abbotsford back to within one as the two sides went to the locker room for the first intermission.
It would take until the midway point of the second period for Abbotsford to draw level, and it would be the captain getting his name on the scoresheet. Chase Wouters took the puck from along the boards and slid it over to Arsh Bains. Bains let a quick shot fly from the faceoff circle, forcing Wolf to make a pad save.
Wouters followed up on the shot, and from a tight angle, jammed the puck past Wolf over the sprawiling pad of the netminder. Wouter’s tally was his first of the season, and his first goal with the captain’s “C” in his chest.
With the sides locked at 2, it looked as if it would be all tied up at the second intermission. However with under four minutes to go, Calgary would pull ahead with the man advantage.
Matthew Phillips fired a shot from in close, however a redirection by Ben Jones gave Calgary the late lead, with Jones’ fourth of the year putting the Wranglers ahead 3-2 after forty minutes.
Kyle Rau had a pair of opportunities late in the final frame to draw level, however Dustin Wolf was able to steer aside everything that came at him in the third.
Noah Juulsen had something to say about that.
With under four minutes to go in the game, a stumbling Vincent Arseneau forced the puck back to the point to find Juulsen. Juulsen let a slapshot rip from the blueline, and behind the screen of Hirano in front of Wolf, the puck soared past the glove of Wolf and into the net.
Juulsen’s second of the season would be enough to salvage a point in this one, as Jeremie Poirier converted on the powerplay in the final minute of overtime. When the dust had settled, Calgary walked away as 4-3 winners.
Abbotsford outshot Calgary in the second, third and overtime by a combined total of 26-22. The Wranglers would find their success from one of the best powerplays in the league, converting three times on five opportunities with the man advantage.
To read the full box score, please click HERE.
Abbotsford now returns home from a six game road trip, in which they went 2-3-1-0. Coming up for Abbotsford is now a lengthy six game homestand, with their next games being a back-to-back against the Bakersfield Condors on November 29/30. This week features a pair of Hockey Fights Cancer games, as well as Teddy Bear Toss on Saturday December 3rd.
To purchase tickets to upcoming Abbotsford Canucks games, click HERE.