GAMEDAY HARVEST: Artūrs Šilovs takes his crown in shootout victory over the Reign

My reaction when I’m off work at 3 PM, and Abbotsford’s game against the Ontario Reign starts at 3 PM, not 7 PM as I had initially thought:

TLDR; though they valiantly clawed back from a three-goal deficit, the Abbotsford Canucks were dummied by San Diego on Saturday.

The Junior Canucks twelfth regulation loss dropped them to 24th in the AHL by points-earning percentage.

It’s uh, not great!

TRANSACTIONS

The #AbbyCanucks have signed goalie Joe Murdaca and defenceman Matt Murphy to professional try out agreements.

READ MORE 👇 https://t.co/EC4tnI657b pic.twitter.com/l0nDH3TLPB

— Abbotsford Canucks (@abbycanucks) January 17, 2022

STARTING ROSTER

Looking to end the road trip on a high note! ⬇️

➡️ Murphy makes his #AbbyCanucks debut
➡️ Silovs makes consecutive starts for the first time in his pro career
➡️ Bailey enters the game with eight points (three goals, five assists) over his last five games pic.twitter.com/6Z37F03ZS3

— Abbotsford Canucks (@abbycanucks) January 17, 2022

• I’m mildly surprised that Brandon Cutler is the healthy scratch. His on-ice numbers are atrocious, but he’s been useful as a penalty-killer and PP2 role player.

Don’t feel like reading? Click here for spoilers!!

GAME 28:

1st period:

• Ontario is pressuring early.
• Ontario’s Adam Johnson makes an incredible hook pass to Austin Wagner after being knocked to the ice by Chase Wouters (#21).
• The Canucks have not held the puck inside the offensive zone once through four minutes.
• Ontario draws a high-sticking penalty against Will Lockwood, and the Reign control possession for close to a minute before Abbotsford can touch the puck for a whistle.

PK1: Stephens, Juulsen, Wouters, Bailey

• Wouters wins the faceoff, and Juulsen clears the zone for Abbotsford, a good start against the AHL’s #1 powerplay.
• T.J. Tynan enters the offensive zone with speed before dropping to Quinty Byfield, who hits him with a slick saucer pass thru traffic for the shot on Šilovs.
• Šilovs catches a shot, high on the blocker, allowing the Canucks to change.

PK2: Stevens, Di Giuseppe, Kannok Leipert, Rathbone

• Wouters (#21), pressuring on the forecheck, deflects Brayden Burke’s pass back to Kannok Leipert (#41), who promptly clears the puck down the ice.
• Deep inside the Reign’s zone, Jack Rathbone (#3) pressures along the boards before racing back into the d-zone to defend the rush.
• Canucks draw a penalty against Gabe Vilardi for hooking.

PP1: Bailey, Dries, Petan, Di Giuseppe, Rathbone

• Rathbone (#3) with a crisp cross-ice pass to Di Giuseppe (#34) for a snappy one-timer on Villalta.
• Di Giuseppe (#34) accidentally hands Nikita Pavlychev a shorthanded breakaway when his attempt to hold the line deflects the puck out of the offensive zone.
• Firewagon hockey, as Ontario and Abbotsford exchange rush chances.
• Interesting… Artūrs Šilovs leaves his crease to cover the puck against Quinton Byfield, and the refs call a delay of game penalty for the play.
  • Twenty seconds of 4-on-4 before a minute-forty of powerplay time for Ontario

PK1: Rathbone, Brubacher, Stevens, Wouters

• Wouters (#21) forechecking pressure results in a brutal giveaway from Quinton Byfield. John Stevens (#16) hops on the giveaway and hammers a slapshot into the chest of Villalta.

PK2: Bailey, Di Giuseppe, Stephens, Juulsen

• Tyler Madden toe-drags through traffic into the slot for a shot attempt

PK3: Lockwood, Dries (Stephens/Juulsen stay on for the final twenty seconds of the penalty)

• Lockwood dumps the puck down the ice, and Šilovs’ penalty expires.
• Adam Brubacher (#2) probably could’ve afforded to take the shot off this rush with Nic Petan (#7).
• Danila Klimovich (#46) dangles around Nikita Pavlychev with a filthy toe-drag before driving to the net for a shot on Villalta.
• Tristen Nielsen (#84) takes an accidental knee to the face from Quinton Byfield while struggling to stay onside. Good-guy Byfield checks on Nielsen after the play.
• Kannok Leipert (#41) cuts down the right-wing to pick up a loose puck for a sharp-angle shot on Villalta.
• Goodness, gracious. Klimovich (#46) plays 5D chess against Markus Phillips, using three fakes before firing a no-look backhand pass to Wouters (#21) for the one-timer shot on Villalta.
• Canucks fourth-line nearly generates an odd-man rush after Christian Kasastul fumbles the puck on the Canucks blueline.
• Rathbone (#3) goes fake-clapper around Tyler Madden for a shot attempt. Christian Wolanin leads a breakaway the other way, and Rathbone can’t catch him. Fortunately, Šilovs comes up huge with a save.
• Klimovich mucking things up after the whistle? [very Jerry Seinfeld voice] Who is this?
• Rathbone (#3) sends an errant no-look pass to Juulsen (#47) that Ontario picks off, leading to more offensive zone time for the Reign.

2nd period:

• GOAL – ONTARIO – 1-0 Reign: What a bizarre sequence of events. The Canucks break the puck up ice into the offensive zone, where Di Giuseppe (#34) rifles a sharp-angle shot on Villalta. The Reign pick up the rebound and race down into the Canucks zone where Tyler Madden goes cross-ice to Jordan Spence, who banks a pass off his d-partner, Cameron Gaunce, and past Šilovs. It’s not too often you see two defencemen leading the rush for a team.
• The refs do their due diligence on goalie interference. But, the call stands. Reign up by one with 18:30 left in the period.
• Jordan Spence draws in Adam Brubacher (#2), allowing him to set up Keegan Iverson for a shot off Šilovs’ post.
• Rathbone (#3) with a shot off the rush through traffic on Villalta
• T.J. Tynan sparks a scrum around Šilovs’ net after taking exception to Juulsen’s (#47) hit on Aidan Dudas.
• Christian Kastastul draws a hooking penalty against Nicolas Guay (#91) after racing behind the Canucks defence for a scoring chance.

PK1: Stephens, Juulsen, Bailey, Stevens

• Canucks lose the faceoff but manage to clear the zone from the half-wall.
• In the Bo Horvat spot, Tyler Madden zips a one-timer high over Šilovs’ blocker side.

PK2: Lockwood, Wouters, Kannok Leipert, Rathbone

• Rathbone (#3) drops to block Brayden Burke’s shot, and Wouters (#21) picks up the puck for a clearance.
• Nic Petan (#7) with a couple of brutal turnovers after the Guay (#91) penalty
• Ontario generates a couple of dangerous looks after Brubacher (#2) fans on his reversal from behind Šilovs’ net.
• Keegan Iverson makes the very poor decision of shoving Šilovs after the whistle. He goes to the box for roughing.

PP1: Petan, Dries, Bailey, Rathbone, Di Giuseppe

• Rathbone (#3) retreats to the blueline for a quick shot on Villalta after a faceoff win by Sheldon Dries (#15).
• Canucks lose the zone three times in a row. Rough.

PP2: Stevens, Lockwood, Juulsen, Hirano, Klimovich

• Klimovich (#46) drags around Gaunce for a shot attempt that deflects wide.
• PP over.
• Devante Stephens (#24) joins the rush and drives to the crease but fails to get a piece of Bailey’s (#95) centering feed.
• Canucks with their first sustained pressure at 5v5 in the offensive zone; Four shot attempts from Rathbone, Dries, Petan, and Juulsen within five seconds!
• Slick move from Lockwood (#10) inside the d-zone to shake two defencemen for the breakout pass.
• Canucks are going full Boudreau in the second period now. Multiple shifts of sustained offensive zone time featuring a barrage of shot attempts.
• Di Giuseppe races behind the Reign defence for a scoring chance and draws a penalty against Jordan Spence.

PP1: Petan, Dries, Bailey, Rathbone, Di Giuseppe

• Canucks lose the zone off the faceoff; they re-enter, and Dries rifles a shot into the chest of Villalta.
• Rathbone (#3) with impeccable positioning on the blueline to deny Ontario a clearing attempt

PP2: Lockwood, Hirano, Wouters, Juulsen, Klimovich

• Wouters earning a look with PP2 over John Stevens is certainly interesting!
• Powerplay expires; Wouters (#21) battles for the puck behind the Reign goal line and centers to the slot for Hirano (#71). Hirano rifles a shot that deflects off of a stick at the buzzer.
• Canucks take a commanding lead in shots on goal, twenty-three to seventeen after forty minutes of play.

3rd period:

• Canucks control possession inside the offensive zone through the opening two minutes of the third.
• Not much is happening in the way of dangerous scoring chances, but the Canucks are pushing the pace through the first five minutes. Ontario is looking gassed.
• Klimovich (#46) with his first real defensive backchecking effort to deny Brett Sutter on a breakaway
• GOAL – ABBOTSFORD – 1-1 TIE: The Canucks sustained offensive-zone time finally pays off as a heater from Sheldon Dries evens things up at one! A missed shot from Juulsen (#47) caroms off the endboards to Keegan Iverson, who attempts to start a breakout for Ontario. Petan (#7) lays his stick down to block Iverson’s pass and fights for the loose puck. Petan pokes the puck off the half-wall to the left circle, and Dries (#15) pounces for a one-timer over Villalta’s pads.

• Canucks back inside the offensive zone for more sustained offensive zone pressure!
• Helge Grans sends Tyler Madden into the Canucks zone on a breakaway after Matt Murphy (#77) misses the block on Grans’ pass.
• Klimovich (#46) attempts to clear the d-zone, but his clearance deflects out to Ontario’s Brayden Burke for a scoring chance.
• Marcus McIvor draws a tripping penalty against Wouters (#21) while protecting the puck in Ontario’s zone. A tough break for the Canucks as they have spent the entire third period on the attack. Wouters is the Canucks first-out PK faceoff guy. Huge kill coming up.

PK1: Stevens, Juulsen, Stephens, Bailey

• After taking a light bump, Stevens loses his helmet, and Dries comes on to replace him.
  • Canucks manage to clear the zone, and Rathbone hops on for Stephens.
• Quinton Byfield tries going through the legs for a shot on Šilovs’ from the doorstep!
• Canucks clear and manage a line change.

PK2: Petan, Lockwood, Kannok Leipert, (Rathbone stays on)

• Šilovs dives on a loose rebound just as Wouters’ penalty expires.
• A well-placed stick by Murphy (#77) denies a sure-goalscoring opportunity from Austin Wagner on Šilovs’ doorstep!
• Abbotsford is looking like a completely different team tonight with this shot volume! There were shots from Petan (#7) off of the post, off Villalta, and eventually, the Canucks draw a penalty against Christian Wolanin.

PP1: Petan, Dries, Bailey, Rathbone, Di Giuseppe

• Canucks lose the faceoff, and the Reign immediately force the Canucks to reset from their end.
• A pass from Jack Rathbone (#3) is turned away in the high slot, giving Austin Wagner a shorthanded breakaway opportunity. Rathbone puts on the wheels to prevent Wagner from generating a shot attempt.
• Another clear for Ontario. Juulsen, Stevens, and Murphy step on for Petan, Rathbone, and Dries.
• Di Giuseppe rifles a shot that trickles off of Villalta’s pad and dangerously through the slot. Cameron Gaunce clears to Byfield, who throws the puck over the glass.
  • Canucks with twenty-four seconds of 5-on-3 powerplay time.
  • How’s that for a PK unit? Tyler Madden (22), Quinton Byfield (19), Helge Grans (19), and Cameron Gaunce (31).

PP1: Petan, Dries, Bailey, Rathbone, Di Giuseppe

• Dries (#15) with a dangerous redirect chance on Villalta just as Wolanin’s penalty expires.
• Ontario clears on the ensuing faceoff.

PP1: Juulsen, Murphy, Klimovich, Stevens, Lockwood,

• Klimovich immediately turns the puck over in the neutral zone, forcing the Canucks to reset again from their zone.
  • Canucks gain the zone, and Klimovich turns the puck over again, forcing the Canucks to reset from the d-zone.
• A third turnover from Klimovich (#46) as Byfield’s penalty expires. Klimo finishes his shift with a crushing hit on Tyler Madden in the d-zone.
• Petan (#7) benefits from a giveaway by Jordan Spence and launches a shot on Villalta from the right circle.
• Time winds down with John Stevens generating one final chance for Abbotsford.
  • Canucks thoroughly dominate in regulation, outshooting the Reign thirty-five to twenty-one over sixty minutes.

Overtime:

• Brayden Burke sparks an odd-man rush for Ontario but misses wide with his shot attempt.
• Aidan Dudas drives hard towards the net and draws a slashing penalty against a backchecking Lockwood (#10). 

PK1: Bailey, Juulsen, Dries

• T.J. Tynan circles towards the high slot and dishes to Byfield on the right circle for a one-timer. Bailey (#95) drops to a knee and manages to deflect Byfield’s shot wide of the net. Juulsen (#47) attempts to clear, but Gabe Vilardi holds it in.
• Holy guacamole. Less than one minute remaining in the period, and Šilovs’ loses his stick. The Reign throw shot attempt after shot attempt on Šilovs, but every one of them is blocked or deflected wide of the net by PK1.
  • Brutally long and physical PK shift for Bailey, Juulsen, and Dries

PK2: Stephens, Rathbone, Stevens

• Lockwood jumps out of the box, and the Canucks spend the final thirty seconds defending the Reign’s cycle in the d-zone.
  • Incredibly tense and close game to the bitter end. A valiant effort from Abbotsford against one of the top teams in the league.

Shootout:

• Ontario – Vilardi – SAVE
• Abbotsford – Di Giuseppe – GOAL!
• Ontario – Madden – MISS
• Abbotsford – Petan – MISS
• Ontario -Byfield – MISS! Canucks win!

RESULT:

Abbotsford Canucks def. Ontario Reign 2-1 via the shootout

SCORESHEET:

TAKEAWAYS:

• Artūrs Šilovs picks up just his second victory of the season in seven starts! I don’t know what he did to deserve this, but the Abbotsford Canucks have consistently given him zero run support with him in net. The Canucks have only scored sixteen goals total in eight starts, two goals-for per game!
  • With DiPietro in net to start, the Canucks have scored 38 goals in thirteen games, 2.92 goals-for per game!
  • With Martin between the pipes, the Canucks have scored 27 goals in seven games, 3.86 goals-for per game!!!
• While I don’t understand this Abbotsford team’s insistence on losing to beatable teams (San Diego *cough* San Jose*), they played their best game tonight against Ontario. The Reign lead the league with 110 goals for in 29 games played. The Canucks holding them to one goal and only eleven shots in the final two periods is, frankly, a miracle. I don’t know if some coaching advice came from on-high, but this team didn’t play like the Abbotsford team I’ve seen all season. They were throwing volume on goal as I’d never seen before. The Abbotsford Canucks under Trent Cull have always been opportunistic run-and-gun teams that search for the perfect set play. Because of that playstyle, they usually get crushed in shot-attempt differentials at 5v5. Tonight’s victory against the Reign bumped the Canucks up to 22nd in the league in points-earned percentage. I won’t say they’ve turned the page on their playstyle until I’ve seen this team play like tonight’s Canucks over a considerable stretch.
• Klimovich looked gassed all game. Every shift, he looked winded after one lap around the offensive zone. Genuinely pretty funny watching him have a third period so bad that he took it out on Tyler Madden with his most bone-crushing hit of the season.
• Chase Wouters had a hectic game, creating scoring chances at 5v5 off his forechecking pressure, taking penalties off his forechecking pressure, giving up odd-man rushes off of his forechecking pressure, dominating the PK with his forechecking pressure. It was both good and bad, messy but still a lot to appreciate! Like the movie Malignant!
• Jack Rathbone should probably earn some NHL looks off the last few games. He doesn’t look that out of place on the penalty kill, and his giveaways on the powerplay would fit right in on the Vancouver Canucks powerplay. As you can see in most of the clips, his skating and edgework are a clear separator. Hell, throw him and Hughes (on the right side) for offensive zone faceoffs and see what they can do together. Rathbone led the team with seven shots on goal!
• I wonder if the Canucks try to get Di Giuseppe a real look in the NHL? PDG has sixteen points in twenty games played but is point-per-game in his last ten. He has a fairly high CORSI Involvement % (36.95% – 8th highest on the team), and the team rocks a stellar +53 shot attempt differential with him on the ice at 5v5! Throw in the positive impact on the penalty kill and powerplay. Like every Canuck player in the NHL and the pipeline, he’s prone to dumb giveaways and controller disconnected moments. But give him a shot! Tyler Motte, Matthew Highmore, and Juho Lammikko aren’t going to be Canucks forever, so why not!?
  • PDG tied Sheldon Dries with six shots on goal tonight!
• Kudos to Dries for breaking his goalscoring slump!
• Tyler Madden is third on the Ontario Reign in points, second in goals, features on their first powerplay unit in the ‘Horvat spot,’ kills penalties, and has one year left on his ELC. Oh, and he’s right-handed! The Kings are loaded with C prospects, with Byfield, Vilardi, Turcotte, Madden, and Anderson-Dolan. Do yourself a favour, don’t look at the Canucks C depth chart on Elite Prospects. It’s BLEAK. Like, really bleak. Those ten games of Toffoli, though! Pretty cool!
• Byfield is v good.

congratulations to @Adamkblat @jkmnew & @madelinedcraig for being selected as the first three finalists to take part in The Botchford Project. We look forward to hosting them at a #Canucks game and working with them on stories for @canucks website @canuckspr @TheAthleticVAN

— Jeff Paterson (@patersonjeff) January 17, 2022

• Lastly, shoutout to Madelined Craig, Adam Kierszenblat, and my CreaseCast contributor and occasional co-host, Jacob Knew, for their selection to the Botchford Project mentorship program!

Cody’s Three Stars

1. Artūrs Šilovs
2. Jack Rathbone
3. Sheldon Dries

HM: Nic Petan

Next Up on the Docket

The Canucks return this weekend for a double-header at home versus the San Diego Gulls.

Plugs

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