CANUCKS DOWN ROADRUNNERS 4-1, INCREASE WIN STREAK TO FIVE GAMES
Saturday night saw the conclusion of the regular season series between the Abbotsford Canucks and the Tucson Roadrunners at Abbotsford Centre. After picking up a 4-0 win over Tucson on Friday night, Abbotsford were winners of four straight games having outscored their opponents 16-5 across that span.
Noah Juulsen entered the game on a season-high point streak of four games, picking up 1 goal and 4 assists across that span. Jack Rathbone returned to the lineup for the first time since January 14th following an injury, making just his third home appearance of the calendar year.
Arturs Silovs stopped 21 shots on Friday to pick up his third shut out of the season, while Tyler parks took over in the Tucson crease from Ivan Prosvetov.
It was a scoreless opening frame on Friday night, but Saturday didn’t follow the same course. Less than three minutes into the contest, Vincent Arseneau let fly a slap shot from the blue line. This one found a way past Parks as the puck snuck it’s way through the five-hole for Arseneau’s fifth goal of the season.
With the goal, Arseneau now has points in three consecutive games for the second time this season (2G and 1A).
Just over five minutes later, Justin Dowling would add to the Canucks’ lead from right infront of the net. Nils Höglander took the puck around Parks’ net before dishing it to Dowling. A quick finish over the outstretched goaltender gave Abbotsford a 2-0 lead, as well as Dowling his 11th tally on the season.
Silovs would turn aside some dangerous Roadrunner opportunities to keep them at bay, and preserved the two goal cushion heading into the intermission. Despite trailing by a pair after 20 minutes, the Roadrunners outshot Abbotsford 9-8.
The Roadrunners would get themselves on the board for the first time this weekend midway through the second, when Vladislav Kolyachonok snapped a shot towards Silovs from the blue line.
Silovs would steer the puck to the side, however the rebound would be grabbed by Michael Carcone and buried from a sharp angle. Carcone’s 23rd tally of the season cut Tucson’s deficit in half, as they trailed 2-1.
That would be the score following the end of the second period, with the Canucks holding a narrow 2-1 lead. Tucson lead the shot count 20-15.
Abbotsford would soon re-establish the two goal lead thanks to Wyatt Kalynuk. Dowling won the faceoff in the attacking zone, before Linus Karlsson shovelled the puck back to Kalynuk at the point. Kalynuk would wind and fire from the blue line, rifling the puck over the glove of Parks and bursting the back of the net.
The defenceman’s third of the season came six minutes into the final frame, and would give Abbotsford the 3-1 advantage.
Kyle Rau would tuck the game away in the final minutes, as he connected with Aatu Räty and Tristen Nielsen. Räty outmuscled a Roadrunner defender behind Parks’ goal, before slipping the puck to Rau who was waiting in the slot. A one-time finish from Rau set the Canucks up to wind up as 4-1 winners.
Nils Höglander registered a pair of assists, while Räty picked up his first point as a member of the Canucks. Arturs Silovs stopped 27 of the 28 shots he faced on the night, making it 52 saves on 53 shots across the pair of games against Tucson.
For the full AHL box score, please click HERE.
The Canucks will be back in action on Tuesday night, as they begin a back-to-back series against the Calgary Wranglers in Alberta. The puck drops at 5:00pm pst on Tuesday and Wednesday night from the Scotiabank Saddledome. Following the brief two-game road trip, Abbotsford returns home for a pair of games on Saturday February 18th and Monday February 20th. Both games are against the San Jose Barracuda at the Abbotsford Centre, and will get underway at 7:00pm and 2:00pm respectively.
Purchase tickets to an upcoming Abbotsford Canucks’ game HERE.