CANUCKS FALL 4-2 ON SATURDAY NIGHT TO THE COACHELLA VALLEY FIREBIRDS
The Abbotsford Canucks closed out a four game home stand on Saturday night, as they squared off with the Coachella Valley Firebirds at Abbotsford Centre on Star Wars Night.
Sheldon Dries centered a line with Arshdeep Bains and Tristen Nielsen, while Aatu Räty and John Stevens played alongside Linus Karlsson, who was making his return to the Abbotsford lineup. Vasily Podkolzin and Jack Studnicka flanked Chase Wouters, while Aidan Mcdonough, Dmitri Zlodeev and Marc Gatcomb rounded out the forwards.
Christian Wolanin partnered with Jett Woo, while Filip Johansson returned alongside Matt Irwin. Chad Nychuk and Michael Joyaux completed the lineup, with Nikita Tolopilo in goal for Abbotsford. Chris Driedger started in net for the Firebirds.
Max McCormick would strike first for the Firebirds, as he got on the end of a centering pass by Andrew Poturalski in front of Tolopilo. The outstretched stick of McCormick would get enough of the puck to steer it past the Canucks netminder for his ninth goal of the season just past the midway mark of the period.
It would take the Canucks 25 seconds, but they would soon find an equalizer. Aatu Räty chased down a Firebird behind Driedger’s goal, forcing the puck free to Stevens. Stevens quickly centered the puck to Karlsson who beat the Coachella Valley netminder with a far side snap shot. Karlsson’s fourth goal of the year was his fourth point in his last three AHL games (2G,2A).
The period carried on and was seemingly headed towards a deadlock at the intermission, untoi Tristen Nielsen gathered the puck on the left boards and waded towards the goal line. Nielsen strung an inch-perfect pass through a pair of defencemen to find Sheldon Dries at the top of the crease, who guided home the goal to give the Canucks the 2-1 lead.
Dries’ 11th of the season is his fourth goal in five games, and came with 2:46 remaining in the opening period. Abbotsford would hold that one goal lead into the locker rooms after 20 minutes, and outshot the Firebirds 13-10 as well.
Coachella Valley would score three straight goals, with Jason Megna, Ville Ottavainen and Luke Henman all tallying for the visitors. The visitors would take the 4-2 lead into the intermission.
Neither side would find the back of the net in the final 20 minutes, as Coachella Valley picked up their second win of the weekend with a 4-2 victory in Abbotsford.
Jack Studnicka’s secondary assist on Dries’ goal extended his point streak to five games (6A), while Max McCormick had a multi-point outing (1G,1A). Tolopilo stopped 31 Firebirds shots on 35 efforts, while Chris Driedger made 22 saves on 24 Abbotsford shots.
Up next for the Canucks is a three game road trip, stopping in Coachella Valley and then Tucson for a pair of games next week, before their final home games of 2023 against Ontario on December 20th and 21st.
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