The Abbotsford Canucks Dominate The Bakersfield Condors In A 6-2 Victory
The Abbotsford Canucks kicked off their mid-week series against the Bakersfield Condors with a game that could have a significant impact on the Pacific Division standings.
Nikita Tolopilo was back between the pipes tonight, facing off against Olivier Rodrigue for the Condors.
Leading the offense was Arshdeep Bains, Max Sasson, and Linus Karlsson. Jujhar Khaira, recently acquired in a trade with the Syracuse Crunch, made his Abbotsford Canucks debut on the right wing alongside Sammy Blais and Aatu Räty. Tristen Nielsen and Danila Klimovich bookended Ty Mueller, while Ty Glover, Chase Wouters, and Nate Smith rounded out the forward group.
On defense, the Canucks opted for the same lineup as Saturday’s game, with Guillaume Brisebois and Cole McWard kicking things off. Christian Wolanin and Jett Woo remained paired together, while Akito Hirose continued to line up alongside Kirill Kudryavtsev.
The Abbotsford Canucks aimed to come out strong and set the tone for what was expected to be a tight game. They dominated the first seven minutes, registering seven shots on net while holding the Condors to just one. Around the 7-minute mark, Kirill Kudryavtsev took a seeing-eye shot from the right circle, putting Abbotsford on the board early. Trying to ride the momentum, the Canucks faced adversity when they went down a man. The Condors couldn't capitalize on the power play, but after seemingly shaking up the home team, Drake Caggiula picked up a rebound to tie the game at 1 at the 11-minute mark. Both teams continued to trade chances, but as the period wound down, Abbotsford forced a turnover in the neutral zone, sending the play back into their offensive zone. After an initial shot attempt was unsuccessful, Arshdeep Bains scooped up the loose puck and roofed it, giving the Canucks a 2-1 lead with just 19 seconds left in the period.
Similar to the first twenty minutes, the second period saw Abbotsford score two more goals while the Condors managed one. Bakersfield struck first, capitalizing on a power play around the 5-minute mark. With an Abbotsford player in the box, Ronnie Attard found the back of the net to tie the game at 2. A few minutes later, the Canucks earned their first power play opportunity of the game—and made the most of it. Danila Klimovich fired a shot that Linus Karlsson tipped in, restoring Abbotsford’s lead. That goal made Karlsson the Abbotsford Canucks' all-time goals leader with 66 career goals! The Canucks continued their dominant play, and with Klimovich hungry for a goal of his own, he found the back of the net just a few minutes later. His 20th goal of the season extended Abbotsford’s lead to 4-2 heading into the final frame.
The Canucks' offensive dominance carried into the third period. They came out fast once again, and this time, it was Tristen Nielsen who got on the board. Less than two minutes in, he picked up a loose puck in front and stuffed it home. Continuing to apply pressure, it was newly acquired Jujhar Khaira—playing in his Abbotsford debut—who accepted a pass from Sammy Blais and fired it in from the right circle, putting Abbotsford up by four goals. The Condors tried to mount a comeback, but the Canucks had full control of the game and skated away with a commanding 6-2 victory.
The teams will rematch tomorrow before Abbotsford prepares to take on the Calgary Wranglers this weekend for their St. Patrick’s Day game and Community Heroes Night.
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