It’s game one of a back-to-back showdown here in Abbotsford as the Canucks take on the Calgary Wranglers. Coming off a tough loss to the Coachella Valley Firebirds, Abbotsford is back on home ice, eager to turn things around against the Pacific Division leaders.
The last time these two teams met was back on December 30th at the Saddledome, where Calgary took both games of the series. Now, with home-ice advantage, Abbotsford has a chance to bounce back and gain crucial points in the standings. The Wranglers currently sit atop the Pacific Division, while the Canucks find themselves in sixth, making this matchup a key test as the season pushes forward.
With the home crowd behind them and a fresh start after their time on the road, the Canucks will be looking to make a statement against the division leaders. Puck drop is set, and the stage is ready for an exciting night of hockey in Abbotsford.
Abbotsford goaltender Artūrs Šilovs wasted no time making his presence known, shutting down an early Calgary chance. Abbotsford would push back with a solid scoring chance from Ty Mueller, but Wranglers’ goaltender Devin Cooley was up to the task.
It was Calgary who struck first, as Martin Frk unleashed a blistering slap shot past Šilovs to open the scoring. Known for his cannon of a shot, clocked at a record-breaking 109.2 mph during the 2020 AHL All-Star Classic, it was no surprise that Frk would give the Wranglers the lead.
Later in the period, Calgary would double their advantage when Sam Morton found the back of the net with just nine seconds left on the clock. The Wranglers headed into intermission up 2-0, putting the Canucks in need of a strong response in the second.
Into the second, Arshdeep Bains had the biggest chance of the game early, going 1-on-1 with Cooley, showcasing some slick moves but couldn’t get it past the AHL All-Star goalie. Šilovs kept Abbotsford in it with a series of key stops, including big saves midway through the second. However, Calgary pulled further ahead when Lucas Ciona buried a rebound off a shot from David Silye, extending the Wranglers’ lead 3-0.
Momentum shifted when Dino Kambeitz dropped the gloves against Connor Mylymok bringing some much needed life back to the Abbotsford crowd. That led to a Canucks power play where Bains redeemed himself from his earlier breakaway miss, netting his fourth goal of the season on the man advantage, making it 3-1 with three minutes left in the period. Šilovs ended the period with a highlight-reel diving save, losing his stick in the process.
Lucas Ciona struck again early in the third, extending Calgary’s lead to 4-1. Despite the deficit, the Abbotsford crowd stayed engaged, even breaking out the wave to keep the energy high. With two minutes remaining, Christian Wolanin had a solid scoring chance, but he couldn’t find the back of the net. The Canucks pulled Artūrs Šilovs for the extra attacker, but Jonathan Aspirot sealed the game with an empty-net goal at 1:33, securing a 5-1 victory for the Wranglers.
Despite a strong effort and moments of momentum, the Canucks couldn’t overcome the Wranglers’ offensive firepower, falling 5-1 in game one of the back-to-back. Calgary’s early lead proved too much to overcome, but Abbotsford will have a chance to respond quickly as they look to even the series in tomorrow’s rematch. With home ice and a fired-up crowd behind them, the Canucks will aim for a stronger start and a statement performance in game two.
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