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Abbotsford Canucks drop two of three to the San Diego Gulls

Canucks earn a split on home ice, lose in San Diego in three-game mini-series
Ben Lypka
Ben Lypka

The Abbotsford Canucks dropped two of three games to the San Diego Gulls in a mini-series, but the club’s putrid power play is emerging as a major issue.

The Canucks have gone one for 38 (2.6 per cent) in the month of January and are an AHL-worst 11.9 per cent on the season. Abbotsford is the only team in the league to not score 20 goals on the power play yet.

Another big issue is the team giving up shorthanded goals. They’re tied for second in the league in that category with seven. On the season the team’s power play is operating at just a +10 – by far the worst differential in the AHL.

The series with the Gulls was a microcosm of that issue, as the power play went zero for 12.

Abbotsford opened the trio of games with a 4-3 loss to the Gulls in Abbotsford on Saturday (Jan. 20), in a game that will be remembered as the Olen Zellweger show. The former Kamloops Blazers star defenceman had two goals and an assist, including the game winner, to lead the Gulls to the win.

The Canucks got goals from Josh Passolt, John Stevens and Mark Friedman in a losing cause. Saturday saw the largest crowd of the season at the Abbotsford Centre, with 6,758 in attendance for Country Night.

Abbotsford had a better effort on Sunday (Jan. 21), as they opened up a 3-0 lead early into the second period and earned a 5-2 win.

Jett Woo scored two goals for the first time in his AHL career and Abbotsford also got goals from Filip Johansson, Danila Klimovich and Chase Wouters. Klimovich’s goal marked his first this season.

Arturs Silovs made 22 saves for his 12th win on the season.

The two teams then traveled to San Diego for a game on Tuesday (Jan. 23). The Gulls played Tuesday’s game without Zellweger, who was called up to the Anaheim Ducks earlier that day and recorded his first NHL point against the Buffalo Sabres.

After a scoreless first period, Klimovich scored his second goal in two games for Abbotsford but the Gulls tied it up just 102 seconds later. A scoreless third period and overtime followed and the Gulls managed to win the game in the shootout. Tristen Nielsen scored for Abbotsford, but both Vasily Podkolzin and Aidan McDonough were unsuccessful. The Gulls scored on both of their chances to win the game 2-1.

Abbotsford’s record is now 21-13-2-2 and they are in fifth place in the Pacific Division.

The Canucks remain in California for games against the Bakersfield Condors on Friday (Jan. 26) and Saturday (Jan. 27). Saturday’s game is available to watch for free on AHL TV.

The next home game occurs on Feb. 2 when the San Jose Barracuda come to the AC.

Ben Lypka

About the Author: Ben Lypka

I joined the Abbotsford News in 2015.
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