The Abbotsford Canucks achieved the rare ‘Bakersfield botch’ on Wednesday (Jan. 3), blowing a 5-2 lead in the third period to the Bakersfield Condors and then losing the game 6-5 in the shootout.
The Canucks entered the third period up 4-2 after a three-goal second period, and rookie Dmitri Zlodeev made it 5-2 Abbotsford at 2:01 of the third.
From that point on the wheels came completely off of the Abbotsford Canucks. The Condors began chipping away, as Ben Gleason scored at 6:20, then Matvey Petrov scored at 16:22 to suddenly make it a one-goal game. Bakersfield also had a goal waved off due to goalie interference. Former Canuck Lane Pederson completed the comeback at 19:29 (his second of the game) to send the game into overtime.
Abbotsford has blown a 5-2 third period lead, tie game pic.twitter.com/Y33NWoENi0
— Ben Lypka (@BenLypka) January 4, 2024
The three-on-three period solved nothing and the teams entered the shootout, which ended up going seven shooters deep.
Vasily Podkolzin scored on the Canucks first opportunity and defenceman Jett Woo, who shot third, had the chance to win the game but he was denied by Condors goalie Olivier Rodrigue.
Podkolzin scores pic.twitter.com/mm89JHckap
— Ben Lypka (@BenLypka) January 4, 2024
After Xavier Bourgault beat Canucks goalie Arturs Silovs in the fourth round, Abbotsford’s Aidan McDonough had to score and he did, extending the shootout. The final round saw Seth Griffith score and Ty Glover stopped to give the Condors the two points.
Raty puts the Canucks up early, his eighth on the season. pic.twitter.com/TpziVfwCIP
— Ben Lypka (@BenLypka) January 4, 2024
The third period put a damper on what was a strong effort by the Canucks through two periods. Abbotsford’s Aatu Räty scored the lone goal of the first period, but Bakersfield responded with two goals in a minute (8:04 and 9:04 of the second) by Pederson and Greg McKegg to go up 2-1.
Abbotsford responded to Bakersfield with three goals in 2:42. Tristen Nielsen (12:45), Ty Glover (13:56) and Arshdeep Bains (15:32) gave the Canucks a 4-2 lead heading into the final frame. B
Sasson sets up Nielsen to tie the game pic.twitter.com/L41RN2vWZu
— Ben Lypka (@BenLypka) January 4, 2024
Glover pounces on a rebound to take the lead back pic.twitter.com/Ng5DlMaNg5
— Ben Lypka (@BenLypka) January 4, 2024
Canucks are cooking now. Nielsen sets up Bains, 4-2 Abbotsford. Three goals in 2:42 pic.twitter.com/twDdsNjElL
— Ben Lypka (@BenLypka) January 4, 2024
Glover had his first-ever three-point night in the AHL and Nielsen also had a two-point night. Podkolzin led all players with eight shots on goal, but didn’t register a shot in the third period.
Abbotsford and Bakersfield both had 32 shots on goal. The Canucks power play continues to be unable to produce offensively and went zero for four on the night.
We fall in a shootout in Bakersfield pic.twitter.com/PJ0AADiDgf
— Abbotsford Canucks (@abbycanucks) January 4, 2024
The Canucks record drops to 17-9-2-1 and they are tied for third with the Henderson Silver Knights, but the team is in the middle of a logjam that sees just five points separate first from sixth.
The club remains on the road for games against the Coachella Valley Firebirds on Saturday (Jan. 6) and Sunday (Jan. 7). The next home game is set for Jan. 12.