ABBOTSFORD SECURES A 5-4 SHOOTOUT VICTORY OVER THE CALGARY WRANGLERS

The Abbotsford Canucks kicked off their final homestand series with a St. Patrick’s Day showdown against the Calgary Wranglers.

Goaltender Ty Young earned back-to-back starts following his impressive 41-save performance in his last outing, facing off against Calgary’s Devin Cooley.

After a successful series against Bakersfield, Abbotsford stuck with an identical lineup. Arshdeep Bains, Max Sasson, and Linus Karlsson remained together as a trio, while Jujhar Khaira stayed on the right wing alongside Sammy Blais and Aatu Räty. Tristen Nielsen and Danila Klimovich bookended Ty Mueller, with Ty Glover, Chase Wouters, and Nate Smith rounding out the forward group.

The defensive pairings remained unchanged as well: Guillaume Brisebois with Cole McWard, Christian Wolanin alongside Jett Woo, and Akito Hirose paired with Kirill Kudryavtsev.

Heading into the matchup, the Wranglers sat in fourth place in the standings, with Abbotsford close behind in fifth, setting the stage for an intense battle.

The action started quickly, as Calgary struck just 1:07 into the game. Sam Morton fired the opening shot past Young, giving the Wranglers an early lead. Abbotsford looked to respond but found themselves on an early penalty kill, slowing their momentum. It wasn’t until the 15-minute mark that the Canucks got their second power play opportunity of the night. They registered a few shots before Max Sasson, from behind the net, found Arshdeep Bains in front. Bains buried the puck, tying the game at 1-1. Less than a minute later, Jujhar Khaira won a puck battle in the offensive zone, setting up Aatu Räty for a one-timer that found the back of the net, giving Abbotsford a 2-1 lead. However, the advantage was short-lived. Just a minute later, Rory Kerins lived up to his reputation and beat Young to knot the game at 2-2. With less than a minute remaining in the period, Clark Bishop put Calgary back on top, scoring to give the Wranglers a 3-2 lead heading into the second frame. The teams combined for five goals on just 12 shots in a fast-paced opening period.

The second period saw a shift in tempo. After the high-scoring first, both teams tightened up defensively. Abbotsford had two power-play opportunities and a stretch of 4-on-4 play, generating quality chances, but Devin Cooley stood tall for the Wranglers. Neither team found the back of the net, and Calgary maintained their 3-2 lead heading into the final period.

The second period saw a shift in tempo. After the high-scoring first, both teams tightened up defensively. Abbotsford had two power-play opportunities and a stretch of 4-on-4 play, generating quality chances, but Devin Cooley stood tall for the Wranglers. Despite their efforts, neither team found the back of the net, and Calgary maintained their 3-2 lead heading into the final period.

With 20 minutes left to play, Abbotsford needed a quick response. Just five minutes into the third, Aatu Räty fired a shot that trickled through Cooley’s legs and crossed the goal line before he could stop it, tying the game at 3-3. Energized by the equalizer, the Canucks pressed on. Minutes later, Max Sasson charged down the ice and dished a perfect pass back to Linus Karlsson, who was waiting in front to jam it home. Abbotsford had come from behind to take a 4-3 lead, shifting their focus to defense. As time dwindled, Calgary pulled their goaltender for an extra attacker. Abbotsford held strong, but in the dying seconds, Tyson Barrie fired a shot that found the back of the net with just six seconds remaining, forcing overtime with a 4-4 tie.

In overtime, the Canucks dominated possession and created several close chances, but a late penalty gave Calgary a power play for the remainder of the extra frame. The Wranglers nearly capitalized, but a close-range shot squeaked just wide, sending the game into a shootout.

The shootout rounds unfolded as follows:

ROUND 1:

Nielsen: ✅

Kerins: ❌

ROUND 2:

Klimovich: ❌

Poirier: ❌

ROUND 3:

Blais: ✅

With Blais securing the final goal, Abbotsford claimed a thrilling 5-4 shootout victory. They will face the Wranglers again tomorrow to close out their homestand before heading on the road to take on the Manitoba Moose.

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