The Abbotsford Canucks closed out their road trip with one final matchup against the Bakersfield Condors.
Jiří Patera returned to the crease for Abbotsford, taking on Connor Ungar at the other end. The Canucks opted for an 11-and-7 lineup, with Vilmer Alriksson out and Christian Felton drawing in on the blue line.
Bakersfield came out strong in the opening minutes, and it paid off early. Just four-and-a-half minutes in, James Hamblin ripped a shot from the left circle that found the twine, giving the Condors a 1–0 lead. Despite the early setback, Abbotsford pushed back hard, firing 20 shots in the opening frame. The Canucks earned the lone power play of the period, but Ungar stood tall to preserve Bakersfield’s lead heading into the intermission.
Abbotsford cranked up the pressure in the middle frame, limiting the Condors to just six shots. Patera was sharp when called upon, while the Canucks threw everything they had at Ungar. Another power-play opportunity went unanswered, but after 34 straight shot attempts, the pressure finally broke through. Lukas Reichel tipped Jimmy Schuldt’s point shot past Ungar to knot the game at 1–1. Abbotsford finished the period with 23 shots on goal, but only one found its way through, sending the game tied into the final 20.
Ungar continued to be a brick wall in the third, denying multiple point-blank chances. Despite being outshot, the Condors capitalized on turnovers to swing the momentum. At the 10:30 mark, Viljami Marjala intercepted a pass and restored the Bakersfield lead. Less than a minute later, Roby Järventie beat Patera five-hole to give the Condors a two-goal cushion.
The Canucks didn’t go quietly. With just over four minutes remaining, Reichel struck again, sneaking a shot past Ungar to pull Abbotsford within one. A late power play gave the Canucks a 6-on-4 advantage after Patera was pulled, but Ungar shut the door once more as time expired.
Abbotsford fell 3–2 to Bakersfield to close out a busy January and will return home for two more games ahead of the All-Star break.
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