The Canucks Fall 3-1 To The Ontario Reign

The Abbotsford Canucks headed south to Ontario, California, to take on the Ontario Reign, looking to bounce back after dropping their weekend series to Henderson.

Jiří Patera got the start in goal for Abbotsford, facing off against Phoenix Copley for the home side. The Canucks were short on forwards once again and opted for an 11-forward, 7-defenceman setup, with Christian Felton skating up front. Guillaume Brisebois also returned to the lineup for the first time since the Calder Cup Championship game in Charlotte, slotting in as the seventh defenceman among newly adjusted pairings.

The Canucks aimed for a strong start in the opening period, but it was Ontario that struck first. Just four minutes in, Kenney Connors opened the scoring with an unfortunate bounce, spinning and firing a shot from his knees that found its way into the back of the net after he had lost a skate blade blocking a shot moments earlier. Despite generating several quality chances, Abbotsford was unable to find the equalizer and trailed 1–0 heading into the second period.

The middle frame brought a more physical edge, highlighted by several big hits and a fight midway through the period. Chase Wouters dropped the gloves with Francesco Pinelli in an effort to spark momentum for the Canucks. Both goaltenders stood tall, turning aside quality opportunities, but Abbotsford remained unable to solve Copley and entered the third period still down by one.

Ontario extended its lead early in the final frame. Just over four minutes in, Koehn Ziemmer capitalized on a rebound and, in a similar spinning motion to the opening goal, buried it to make it 2–0.

Abbotsford continued to push and was rewarded late in the game. With just over three minutes remaining, the Canucks earned a power play and pulled Patera to create a 6-on-4 advantage. It didn’t take long to convert, as a crisp tic-tac-toe passing play between Jack Thompson, Danila Klimovich, and Ty Mueller resulted in a goal, cutting the deficit to one.

The Canucks kept the pressure on with the extra attacker, but Ontario regained possession in the final seconds. Kenney Connors sealed the game with an empty-net goal, securing a 3–1 victory for the Reign.