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Abbotsford Canucks post first-ever win

Abbotsford defeats the Ontario Reign 3-2 in a shootout on Sunday to capture historical victory
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Abbotsford Canucks goalie Arturs Silovs (left) celebrates his first win and Abbotsford’s first-ever win with equipment manager Ramandeep ‘Chico’ Dhanjal on Sunday (Oct. 17). (Abbotsford Canucks Instagram photo)

The Abbotsford Canucks have entered the win column for the first time ever, defeating the Ontario Reign 3-2 in a shootout.

The game went 65 minutes without a winner, sending the game to a shootout and Phil Di Giuseppe was the only player who managed to score, earning Abbotsford its first-ever victory.

The evenly played game broke out of its defensive shell in the second period, when 2021 Canucks draft pick Danila Klimovich scored a laser shot from the hash marks on the power play to put Abbotsford up 1-0 at 2:41. Vincent Arseneau and Carson Focht earned the assists.

Ontario answered back just over three minutes later when the fifth overall pick in the 2019 NHL draft Alex Turcotte tied the game up.

Di Giuseppe put Abbotsford back up by one goal at 10:10 of the second, with Arseneau and Ashton Sautner drawing the assists. That lead was again short lived when Brayden Burke tallied on the power play at 12:58.

The game remained tied throughout the third period, with both teams playing somewhat tentative at times. The overtime saw the Canucks tasked with killing off a power play, but they killed it off and the game moved to the shootout. The first six shooters all failed to score, moving the shootout to sudden death. Martin Frk was then unsuccessful, allowing Di Giuseppe the opportunity to win the game.

Canucks goalie Arturs Silovs was spectacular in goal, stopped 29 of 31 shots and he made some huge saves in the first and third periods. Discipline also seems to be an early issue for the Canucks, as they played shorthanded four times, while only drawing two penalties.

Abbotsford’s record now sits at 1-1, and the two teams will meet again on Tuesday (Oct. 19) at 7 p.m. The home opener for the Canucks is set for Friday, Oct. 22. According to Ticketmaster, Friday’s game vs. the Henderson Silver Knights is essentially a sell-out, but there are still many tickets available for Sunday’s game also against the Silver Knights.

RELATED: Abbotsford Canucks begin AHL journey with a loss



Ben Lypka

About the Author: Ben Lypka

I joined the Abbotsford News in 2015.
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