The Abbotsford Canucks strong play continued on Friday (Dec. 16) with a 3-2 win over the Henderson Silver Knights in Nevada.
Abbotsford has now won seven of their last eight games and have lost just once in December.
Kyle Rau scored the lone goal of the first period, after being set up by Justin Dowling at 19:11 of the first period. Canucks goalie Arturs Silovs was also tested with some dangerous chances but Abbotsford had the 9-8 shots edge after 20 minutes.
Rau after a nice set-up from Dowling puts the Canucks up 1-0 late in the first pic.twitter.com/aPr6IS62DO
— Ben Lypka (@BenLypka) December 17, 2022
The second period was all Abbotsford, as Linus Karlsson scored his seventh by deflecting a shot by Noah Juulsen at 8:22 and captain Chase Wouters tallied at 14:35 to make it 3-0. Henderson goalie Michael Hutchinson came up with some big saves in the middle frame and that play was rewarded at 19:17 when Silver Knights forward Pavel Dorofeyev got his team on the board.
Linus Karlsson makes it 2-0 Abbotsford pic.twitter.com/qOpWATr8Bo
— Ben Lypka (@BenLypka) December 17, 2022
Great work down low by Wouters line leads to goal from the captain, 3-0 Canucks pic.twitter.com/PZZ4FVDsOr
— Ben Lypka (@BenLypka) December 17, 2022
Abbotsford outshot Henderson 12-7 in the second period.
The Silver Knights made a push in the third and made it a one-goal game when Patrick Guay scored his first career American Hockey League goal at 12:34. They continued pressuring but Silovs held the fort down and Abbotsford earned the 3-2 win. Henderson outshot Abbotsford 7-5 in the third.
Henderson makes it a one-goal game pic.twitter.com/us5op0nIf8
— Ben Lypka (@BenLypka) December 17, 2022
Karlsson was the lone Canuck to record a multi-point game and the rookie now has 19 points in 24 games. Defenceman Christian Wolanin again got on the scoresheet with an assist and he has now recorded 29 points in 24 games. Vasily Podkolzin led all Canucks with four shots on goal.
Silovs picked up his ninth win this season and stopped 20 shots.
It's a tough night to be a Knight 🤌 pic.twitter.com/XSMMKHQxp9
— Abbotsford Canucks (@abbycanucks) December 17, 2022
Abbotsford’s record improves to 14-8-1-1 and they leapfrogged the Ontario Reign to move into fourth place in the Pacific Division with the win.
The two teams meet again in Henderson tomorrow (Saturday) afternoon at 3 p.m. Abbotsford returns home to host the San Jose Barracuda on Tuesday (Dec. 20).