KLIMOVICH SCORES LONE GOAL AS CANUCKS FALL 2-1 TO ONTARIO

For the eighth and final time this season, the Abbotsford Canucks and Ontario Reign squared off on a Saturday night contest at the Abbotsford Centre.

Jett Woo was the overtime hero on Friday night, and came into Saturday riding a career-high three-game goal streak, with four points over his last three games. Also finding the score sheet last night was Linus Karlsson, who set a new Abbotsford franchise record for most games played in a season (69), surpassing John Stevens’ 68 games played in 2021-22.

Spencer Martin, who had surrendered just eight goals over his last five games, returned to the Abbotsford net. Cal Petersen would get the start for Ontario in goal.

The opening period would pass by rather quickly, but not before Ontario would open the scoring first. Tyler Madden got on the end of a quick set of passes by TJ Tynan and Jacob Moverare to grab a powerplay goal for the Reign.

Madden’s 19th of the season would be the lone score of the first period, sending Ontario to the locker room up 1-0. Abbotsford outshot the Reign in the opening frame 10-6.

It would be another later goal in the second period, this time it would be Danila Klimovich who got on the board to pull Abbotsford level. Zach Giuttari muscled the puck away from a Reign defender before kicking it over to Klimovich. The Belarussian winger fired the puck under the blocker of Petersen, tying the game up at 1-1.

Klimovich’s 14th of the year was the only goal of the second period, with the Canucks killing the lone penalty of the middle frame. The two teams went into the locker room level, with the Abbotsford outshooting the Reign 16-14.

Ontario would be the quicker of the two sides out of the gates in the third, as Aidan Dudas collected a Taylor Ward pass from behind the net. Dudas quickly snapped the puck over the shoulder of Martin, and left Abbotsford just under 18 minutes to find an equalizer.

A last second Tristen Nielsen effort that couldn’t find the target would be as close as Abbotsford would come to clawing back into the game, as the Reign hung on to a 2-1 victory.

Zach Giuttari registered his first point as a member of the Canucks with the assist on Klimovich’s goal, while Klimovich notched his second goal in four games. Cal Petersen stopped 27 of the 28 Canucks’ efforts he faced, while Spencer Martin stopped 16 of the 18 Ontario shots on the night.

For the full AHL box score, please click HERE.

Up next for the Canucks is a series to close out the year with Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday match ups against the Calgary Wranglers. The first Calgary game is Autism Acceptance Night, before Friday’s Spring Country Night and Saturday’s Fan Appreciation game.

To purchase tickets to an upcoming Canucks game, please click HERE.