Abbotsford Canucks goalie Jiří Patera ‘bears’ down with 42 saves in 4-3 shootout loss

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By the end of Saturday’s (Dec. 6) game, Abbotsford Canucks goalie Jiří Patera may have felt like one of the lifeless stuffed animals thrown onto the ice at the Rogers Forum during the team’s annual Teddy Bear Toss.

Patera made 42 saves, and kept the Canucks alive in a third period that they were completely dominated, only to fall 4-3 in the shootout to the Coachella Valley Firebirds.

Abbotsford entered the third period up 3-1, but eventually blew that lead by allowing goals at 1:22 and 18:26 of the third period. The Canucks didn’t record a shot on goal in the final frame until the 17:05 mark and were out shot 13-3 for the last 20 minutes.

Patera also stood on his head in the first period, as the Canucks were out shot 17-6. The Firebirds had the shots edge in the game by a margin of 45-19. Only seven of 12 Canucks forwards recorded shots in the game. The club record for most shots allowed in a game was 46 and has happened twice (most recently vs. Calgary on Dec. 29, 2023).

Despite the wide shot differential, the first period was a positive one for Abbotsford. Forward Nils Åman joined Phil Di Giuseppe, Chase Wouters and Jett Woo as Teddy Bear Toss goal icons when he potted the game’s opening goal at 9:16 of the first period. The bears came flying down for minutes and players did their part by cleaning up after all the chaos.

The Firebirds evened the game up at 17:25 when Jagger Firkus beat Patera on the power play, but Abbotsford responded just 14 seconds later when Jimmy Schuldt put Abbotsford back on top.

The Canucks were the better team in the second period and forward Mackenzie MacEachern made it 3-1 when he scored his fourth of the year at 3:21. The Firebirds out shot Abbotsford 11-8 in the middle frame, but the Canucks controlled the majority of the play.

The mess of a third period followed and the three-on-three overtime solved nothing, but the Firebirds again out shot the Canucks 4-2 in those five minutes. The shootout saw Coachella’s Logan Morrison and J.R. Avon beat Patera, while Abbotsford’s Vilmer Alriksson was stopped and Ben Berard scored. Patera then made a stop on Firebirds forward Osca Fisker Molgaard, but Aman was unable to beat Nikke Kokkko and the Canucks dropped the game 4-3.

Abbotsford defenceman Victor Mancini had a two point night and also finished at a team-best +2. Forward Joseph LaBate led the Canucks with four shots on goal. Firkus had a game-high three points, led all players with six shots on goal and was also a +2. Both teams finished 1/4 on the power play.

Reported attendance on Saturday was 4,972.

Abbotsford’s record moves to 5-14-1-3 on the season and they remain in 10th place in the Pacific Division. The club’s record on home ice is the second-worst in the AHL at 2-7-0-2.

The two teams meet again on Sunday (Dec. 7) in a game that is being promoted as the fifth anniversary of the Abbotsford Canucks. Face-off is set for 4 p.m.