CANUCKS SHUTOUT REIGN IN 6-0 VICTORY
The Abbotsford Canucks faced off with the Ontario Reign on Thursday night for their final home game of 2023.
Jeremy Colliton kept the same lineup as Wednesday’s 5-2 victory, where 11 Canucks’ found their names on the scoresheet. Artūrs Šilovs was the only change, as he replaced Nikita Tolopilo in net. Erik Portillo made his second consecutive appearance in the Reign net in as many days.
Abbotsford came out of the gates flying on offence, firing 15 shots towards Portillo in the opening 20 minutes. It looked as though it would remain scoreless as they broke for the intermission, until the hosts found the opener with five minutes remaining.
Cole McWard laid the puck off to Quinn Schmiemann along the left boards, who then split a number of Reign defenders with his pass to the back post. There, he found a waiting Arshdeep Bains who tapped the puck past a sprawled out netminder. Bains’ fifth of the season was the lone goal of the opening frame, coming with five minutes left to send Abbotsford into the intermission up 1-0.
Bains’ goal opened up the floodgates for Abbotsford, as Nick Cicek grabbed his first as a Canuck off a slapshot from the blue line in the opening two minutes. The shot beat Portillo’s pad, with Wouters and Gatcomb picking up the assists.
Tristen Nielsen followed suit 82 seconds later, as he jumped on a blocked Cole McWard shot in front. A slick forehand-backhand move had Portillo moving, and Nielsen was able to roof the puck past the Reign netminder. The tally was Nielsen’s seventh goal of the season.
Similarly to Nielsen, Linus Karlsson danced around a number of poke checks from down low and created some space for himself. He squared up with the goal and comfortably shook off the pressure of closing defenders, before sliding the puck past Portillo for his seventh goal, including his third in as many games and Abbotsford’s fourth of the night.
John Stevens and Sheldon Dries both got in on the scoring before the midway point of the period. Stevens followed up on a Quinn Schmiemann shot that snuck under Portillo’s arm, before whacking away at it in the crease. He jammed home his seventh of the season, and his extended his point streak to three games.
Dries finished off the scoring for the period, as he deflected home a goal-ward pass by Nielsen for his team leading 13th of the season. The Canucks had scored five times in under nine minutes, chased Portillo from the net and lead 6-0 at the midway point of the game. Jacob Ingram stepped in goal for the Reign, making his season debut for the Reign.
The period ended with Abbotsford holding a six goal lead and outshooting the visitors 33-21 through 40 minutes.
The third period creeped through without anyone adding to the scoresheet, as Abbotsford wrapped up their final homestand of 2023 with 6-0 victory.
Five players had a multi-point night while Artūrs Šilovs recorded his third shutout of the season.
The Canucks are now heading on the road for five games, visiting Calgary for a pair of games, then a stand alone game in Bakersfield before wrapping up with a back to back series in Coachella Valley. The team then returns home for a six game home stand featuring games against Tucson, Ontario and San Diego.
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