CANUCKS PICK UP ROAD POINT IN 6-5 SHOOTOUT LOSS TO BAKERSFIELD

The Abbotsford Canucks returned to action for the first time in 2024, playing a midweek contest in Bakersfield against the Condors.

Max Sasson centered a line with Arshdeep Bains and Tristen Nielsen, with Chase Wouters also moving around onto the wing. Wouters lined along side Vasily Podkolzin and Sheldon Dries, while Aatu Räty and Ty Glover flanked John Stevens. Jermaine Loewen, Dmitri Zlodeev and Alex Kannok Leipert rounded out the forward grouping.

Christian Wolanin and Jett Woo remained partners on the blue line, while Matt Irwin was reunited with Filip Johansson. Nick Cicek paired with Cole McWard for the first time, and Arturs Šilovs started in goal for the Canucks. Olivier Rodrigue would start in the Bakersfield crease.

The Canucks would get on the board in the early moments of the period, as Aatu Räty jumped all over a Rodrigue rebound. Ty Glover had the original shot, which was steered aside by the pad, but fell straight to the stick of Räty for his eighth goal of the campaign less than five minutes into the contest. Glover picked up the lone assist, registering his first point of the season and his first as a Canuck.

Räty would have the lone goal of the opening frame, as the two sides broke for the first intermission with the Canucks in front by one. The visitors also had outshot the Condors 9-7 through 20 minutes.

Bakersfield would reply back with a pair of goals from Lane Pederson and Greg McKegg. The two Condors would strike one minute apart, at the eight and nine minute marks of the second period, and temporarily gave the hosts a 2-1 lead.

Abbotsford would equalize three minutes later, as Tristen Nielsen connected with Max Sasson down below the Condors’ net. Nielsen shook off a defender, fed Sasson who was waiting behind the goal, to perform a pass-and-move play with a streaking Nielsen. Nielsen roofed the puck past Rodrigue, tying the game up at 2-2 with his eighth goal of the season.

Ty Glover would re-establish Abbotsford’s lead just 70 seconds later. Filip Johansson fired a shot from the blue line, which didn’t make it through the bodies in front. One of those bodies, Glover, dug the puck out and spun the puck towards goal. His effort beat the blocker of Rodrigue, giving Glover his first goal of the season with six minutes left in the second period.

The Canucks would grab one more before the break, this time coming from the stick of Arshdeep Bains. Cole McWard found Nielsen along the boards, who connected with Bains who was waiting all alone at the back post. Bains’ sixth of the season was Abbotsford’s third in under three minutes, and set the Canucks up with a 4-2 lead heading into the break. Abbotsford outshot Bakersfield 16-8 in the second period, and lead the shot count 25-15 through 40 minutes.

Abbotsford would pick up where they left off to start the third period. This time, it would be Dmitri Zlodeev to find the back of the net. He jumped on a loose puck that was coughed up by a Condors defender, squared his shoulders and ripped a wrist shot past the glove of Rodrigue. The tally came two minutes into the final frame, and was Zlodeev’s first AHL goal.

Bakersfield would grab one back, with an errant pass going off an Abbotsford skate to beat Šilovs. From there, they rallied back with a pair of goals by Matvey Petrov and Lane Pederson to force the game into Overtime.

The extra five minutes solved nothing, so this one continued into a shootout. Podkolzin and McDonough would score for the Canucks, but would eventually lose in Round 7 by a shootout score of 3-2, with the Condors taking the full two points thanks to a 6-5 win.

Glover ended up with three points (1G, 2A) on the evening, his second highest scoring AHL game ever. With an assist, Max Sasson continued his impressive return from injury, registering six points (3G, 3A) in five games. Šilovs made 27 saves on 32 efforts, and denied four of the seven shots he faced in the shootout. Rodrigue made an identical performance through 65 minutes, and turned aside five of the seven shots he faced in the shootout.

Up next for the Canucks are the final two games of this five game road trip, wrapping up in Coachella Valley on Saturday evening and Sunday afternoon. The team then returns home for a six game home stand with a pair of games each against Tucson, Ontario and San Diego. The home stand will feature Hockey on The Farm on January 13th, Hockey Talks on January 17th, Country Night on January 20th, and Next Gen Sunday on January 21st.

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