The Abbotsford Canucks carried the momentum from last night’s victory into their final home game before the Christmas break, taking on the Tucson Roadrunners once again at Rogers Forum.

Abbotsford rolled out an identical 12-man forward group, with Nikolai Kynzhov slotting into the defensive core alongside Joe Arntsen. Jiří Patera got the start in goal for the Canucks, while Jaxson Stauber manned the crease for Tucson.

The opening period was a slow one, with Abbotsford and Tucson registering just eight and six shots respectively. Both teams had looks on the man advantage, but neither side could find the back of the net, sending the game scoreless into the second period.

The middle frame brought the energy. Just over five minutes in, Chase Wouters opened the scoring, backhanding Arntsen’s rebound past Stauber to give Abbotsford a 1–0 lead. It marked the captain’s third goal in as many games.

Only 1:02 later, Sawyer Mynio fired a shot from the blue line that took a fortunate bounce, popping up and over Stauber before dropping in behind him to extend the lead to 2–0.

Just five seconds after the goal, Dino Kambeitz and Dmitri Simashev dropped the gloves, earning five minutes each. The physicality continued late in the period when Jujhar Khaira and Kevin Connauton squared off as well. After two goals and two fights, the Canucks carried a 2–0 lead into the third.

Tucson pushed back early in the final frame. Following a penalty to Arntsen, the Roadrunners capitalized on the power play, with Ben McCartney cutting the deficit to one. Tucson continued to apply pressure, but Abbotsford held strong defensively.

With time winding down, Tucson pulled their goaltender for an extra attacker and then earned a late penalty, setting up a 6-on-4 advantage. The Canucks weathered the storm with some key defensive plays and timely saves, closing out a hard-fought 2–1 regulation win.

Abbotsford will now head into the Christmas break before returning to action on the road against the Coachella Valley Firebirds.