There’s no better team to face after a disappointing 5-2 home loss than the San Diego Gulls. Sitting last in the Pacific Division and with the Canucks holding a 13-3-0-2 all-time record against them, history was on Abbotsford’s side for a confidence-boosting game—and that’s exactly what happened.

The Canucks played a strong, calculated game, fueled by a revamped top line of John Stevens, Aatu Räty, and Jonathan Lekkerimäki. That, combined with a stellar outing from their goaltender, Jiri Patera, was the perfect recipe for a bounce-back victory.

Scoring first has been a good omen for Abbotsford this season, as they improved their record to 4-0-0-0 when taking the early lead.

Let’s dive into the details of this bounce-back win.

With lineup changes aplenty, the Canucks put their lines through the blender. Notably absent was Danila Klimovich. With the team away, we haven’t received any intel as to what caused his absence, but he was seen promoting his therapeutic travel pillow on Instagram, so we know he’s on the trip, just not dressed tonight. As mentioned, John Stevens took over as the top-line center, with Ty Mueller slotting down to the third line. Layton Ahac also made his Abbotsford debut, giving the Canucks seven defencemen due to Mark Friedman’s injury absence.

Jiri Patera got the start in the net after relieving Nikita Tolopilo in Wednesday’s game. It was his fourth start and fifth game, and he’d make the most of it.

The first 10 minutes belonged to the Gulls, who took advantage of some sloppy play from Abbotsford. They held a 7-1 shot advantage and kept the Canucks pinned in their own zone, generating plenty of pressure, including on a powerplay.

It’s a good thing they got that out of their system, as long stints of sustained pressure were a rare sighting for a weak Gulls squad.

Fortunately, Patera was sharp, stopping all nine shots he faced in the opening frame.

The Canucks didn’t register a legitimate scoring chance until the 11:22 mark, when Jonathan Lekkerimäki broke through from the wing, ripping a standard-issued Lekk-bomb. He wouldn’t score, but he’d kickstart a strong effort in the offensive zone.

Seconds later, Jett Woo forced a turnover in the neutral zone, feeding the puck to Lekkerimäki, who then found Aatu Räty. Showing great vision, the Finn dished to John Stevens, who buried it to open the scoring.

Heading into the game, Abbotsford had won each time they scored first, and they looked determined to keep that streak alive.

Abbotsford’s momentum continued as they earned back-to-back powerplays, with Cole McWard at the forefront of some of the team’s best looks. After his shot on net, Max Sasson found himself in front but narrowly missed a gaping cage.

Moments later, McWard later got another crack, this time unleashing a heavy shot that Calle Clang turned aside with a sharp save.

Ty Mueller was called for holding with just under two minutes left in the period. And just like that, with a strong comeback period under their belt, they would be forced to play defence in their end to wrap up the frame.

Patera played hero and capped off the period with a point-blank save to keep Abbotsford up 1-0.

Lekkerimäki got things going out of the dressing room, toe-dragging and firing one of his six shots in the games. This early push set the tone for an impressive middle frame.

Travelling outside the crease can be a scary journey, and Patera learned firsthand why. Venturing out of his blue paint, he was dangerously tripped up, sending him into a spin cycle. On the bright side, he’d draw a penalty.

That was until Chase Wouters immediately came to his goaltender’s defence, dropping the gloves and taking on a Gulls forward. Somehow, Abbotsford ended up with an extra penalty, going down a man in the aftermath.

No problem—the Canucks not only boast the league’s third-best penalty kill (85%) but also a penchant for shorthanded goals, with 13 over the last calendar year. Tonight was no different.

On a turnover, Stevens and Räty sprang loose on a 2-on-1. Räty took the pass, broke in and cleverly tucked the puck under the bar for his second goal of the season, with both he and Stevens notching their second points of the night. That’s three shorties this year and 14 over the last year (!).

Moments later, Nate Smith almost struck again on another shorthanded breakaway but was denied by Clang. You won’t find many teams better at capitalizing while a man down than the green and blue from Abby.

Patera stood tall, stopping 17 shots over the first forty minutes, and was doing his best attempts at his latest Patrick Roy impressions, flashing the windmill and all.

Räty and Lekkerimaki displayed incredible chemistry as the period wound down, repeatedly finding each other for quality looks. After 40 minutes, the Canucks led 2-0.

The third period offered little action in the first 15 minutes as Abbotsford focused on grinding down the clock. With a two-goal cushion, the Canucks played conservatively, keeping the Gulls at bay and limiting their chances.

Around the midway mark, each team traded a few looks, with Patera shutting the door at one end and Max Sasson being denied on a breakaway at the other. P

Patera dialled in all night and shut the door on a Gulls’ breakaway after Christian Wolanin turned the puck over while hesitating at the offensive blueline. Once again, the netminder calmly set aside the chance to preserve the lead.

It was a good thing, too, as Abby would grab some extra insurance courtesy of the man of the night.

With less than two minutes left, Räty hustled to beat a loose puck, depositing it into the empty net for his second goal and third point of the night (and third for Stevens as well). The Canucks had effectively put the game away—or so they thought.

With under a minute remaining, rookie Kirill Kudryavstev lost his man, allowing Roland McKeown to sneak in alone behind the Abby defence. McKeown made a slick move to score, spoiling Patera’s shutout bid with just 53 seconds remaining.

Despite that late goal, Patera stopped 26 of 27 shots, marking his third straight solid performance and helping the Canucks secure a 3-1 victory to open their three-game road trip. He has now allowed just two goals over his last eight periods (57 saves). 

Aatu Räty and John Stevens both had standout nights, each registering three points to co-lead the team with five points on the season, along with Danila Klimovich. Lekkerimäki continued his impressive play, firing another six shots and picking up an assist, bringing his total to 28 shots in just five games—ranking him second among all rookie skaters in the league and just seven shots shy of the league leader overall.

The Canucks played a smart, calculated game and left with a much-needed win to start their road trip on the right note.

The Canucks and Gulls are back at it on Sunday for game two of this weekend’s doubleheader. Puck drop is at 5:00 pm Pacific Time.