After being yanked from the net in the first period on Friday (Oct. 27), San Diego Gulls goalie Lukas Dostal bounced back in a big way on Saturday (Oct. 28).
The Czech Republic product made 40 saves and stopped every shooter he faced in the shootout to give his team the 3-2 win over the Abbotsford Canucks.
Grimaldi burns by Kannok-Leipert and ties the game on the power play pic.twitter.com/BlSuddQ8mO
— Ben Lypka (@BenLypka) October 30, 2022
Abbotsford had many opportunities to put the game away and led for most of the evening, but a breakaway goal by Rocco Grimaldi in the third period tied the game at two and the shootout winner by Danny O’Regan sealed the deal.
Newly-acquired forward Lane Pederson opened the scoring at 3:48 of the first but the Gulls tied the game just 12 seconds later when Richmond’s Glenn Gawdin scored.
.@abbycanucks get on the board early as Pederson scores his first as a Canuck after a nice set-up by Bains pic.twitter.com/UUt4STWjvp
— Ben Lypka (@BenLypka) October 30, 2022
Will Lockwood put the Canucks back up at 11:35 of the second period and that goal stood till Grimaldi’s power play goal at 1:41 of the third. Canucks shooters Linus Karlsson, Tristen Nielsen, Kyle Rau and Lockwood were all stopped by Dostal. Canucks goalie Arturs Silovs stopped three of four shootout attempts he faced as well as 26 saves during the game.
Wild Bill 🤠
— Abbotsford Canucks (@abbycanucks) October 30, 2022
What a finish from Will Lockwood to grab his 3⃣rd of the year 🚨 pic.twitter.com/cWOJVjzG4j
Karlsson led all players with six shots on goal and he was dangerous for most of the game but his five-game points streak came to an end. Arshdeep Bains and Pederson both recorded two points.
One crucial factor in the Canucks loss was the team’s power play, which went zero for seven. The team was on the power play for a significant portion of the first period and had chances but were unable to capitalize.
Attendance for the game was 5,856 and the game celebrated Diwali Night with the players wearing ceremonial warm-up jerseys. The game also featured a variety of local South Asian cultural elements and activations.
Arturs Silovs leads the Abbotsford Canucks onto the ice. pic.twitter.com/yvdhFgFPfA
— 𝗖𝗵𝗿𝗶𝘀 Faber 🔥🎙 (@ChrisFaber39) October 30, 2022
Abbotsford’s record falls to 3-2-0-1 and they sit in fifth place in the AHL’s Pacific Division. The Gulls are now 3-4 and rank seventh.
The Canucks next host the Coachella Valley Firebirds for games on Friday (Nov. 4) and Saturday (Nov. 5). Both games face-off at 7 p.m. The teams split a pair of games in Seattle on Oct. 21 and 23.
For more on the team, visit abbotsford.canucks.com.