AHL Abbotsford Canucks

Abbotsford Canucks Fall 7-2 to San Jose Barracuda in Family Day Afternoon Clash

Published on February 20, 2023 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Abbotsford Canucks News Release


For the eighth and final time this season, Abbotsford squared off with the San Jose Barracuda on Monday afternoon. It was a matinee puck drop with the game getting underway at 2:00pm on Family Day.

Yushiroh Hirano and Michael Regush returned to the lineup for Abbotsford, as well as Will Lockwood who was reassigned from Vancouver on Monday morning. Lockwood was linemates with Nils Höglander who has picked up eight points (3 goals and 5 assists) over his last seven games.

Spencer Martin made his fourth consecutive start for Abbotsford on Monday, while Strauss Mann returned to the San Jose crease following a Barracuda victory on Saturday night.

In the opening frame, the Barracuda would continue on from their three-goal third period on Saturday by opening the scoring on Monday's contest.

William Eklund buried a breakaway past Martin six minutes into the matchup, giving the rookie his 16th goal of the season. Just under two minutes later, Eklund would grab his 17th, this time on the powerplay. Artemi Kniazev would grab his third of the season as well as San Jose's third of the night, before Kyle Criscuolo grabbed another powerplay marker with six and a half minutes left in the opening frame.

The Barracuda took the 4-0 lead into the intermission despite being outshot by the hosts 13-12.

CJ Suess grabbed his third goal of the weekend, as he increased San Jose's lead to five a few minutes into the second. Tristen Nielsen would grab one back a minute later for the Canucks, as he took the cross-ice feed from Kyle Rau and tucked the puck under the pad of Mann.

Nielsen's 13th of the year would cut the deficit to four, however Tristen Robins would re-establish a five goal cushion for the Barracuda with six minutes remaining in the third. That 6-1 score line would be how the second period would end, with the Barracuda in charge despite being outshot 28-22.

Kyle Rau would pull one back for Abbotsford, as the rebound of a Nielsen effort pinged off of Rau and past Mann for Rau's 13th of the year. However that 6-2 score line would once again be pushed to a five goal deficit when Danil Gushchin added his twelfth of the season in the final eight minutes.

The clock would wind down and San Jose would sweep the weekend with a 7-2 victory at Abbotsford Centre on Monday afternoon.

Kyle Rau and Tristen Nielsen each registered a goal and an assist, while Strauss Mann was the busier of the two goalies as he made 37 stops on 39 attempts. Six different members of the barracuda recorded multi-point nights, including William Eklund who had two goals as well as two assists in the contest.

To view the full AHL box score, please click HERE.

Up next for the Canucks is a five game road trip, starting with a pair of games in Colorado taking on the Eagles on Friday February 24th and Saturday February 25th. Following their weekend in the Rockies, Abbotsford travels to Ontario for their second meeting with the Reign this season on Wednesday March 1st. Following two more road games in Henderson, the team returns home for a six game home stand starting on March 7th with games against Manitoba, Colorado and Ontario.

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American Hockey League Stories from February 20, 2023


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