Abbotsford forward Josh Bloom would generate the game’s first goal when he streaked through the left-wing circle before slicing to the low slot and lighting the lamp with a wrister. The goal was Bloom’s first AHL goal and put the Canucks on top 1-0 at the 8:18 mark of the opening frame. Abbotsford would go on to outshoot the Eagles 10-6 in the period and carried a 1-0 advantage into the first intermission.
The Canucks would strike again when forward Nick Poisson hammered home a one-timer from the right-wing circle, extending Abbotsford’s lead to 2-0 at the 10:06 mark of the second period.
A power play for the Canucks just minutes later would implode, as Nielsen wired a wrister from the slot that would catch goaltender Jonathan Lemieux and roll across the goal line, slicing the deficit to 2-1 with 6:00 to play in the middle frame.
Nielsen would jump back on the scoresheet just 42 seconds later, as he capped off a breakaway with a shot from between the circles that lit the lamp and tied the game at 2-2.
The third period would see Abbotsford dominate the shots on goal 13-4, but some stellar play from Posch kept it a 2-2 score as the game shifted to sudden-death overtime.
Colorado would earn a power play in the extra session and would heap five shots onto the net of Lemieux; however, the Eagles would be held off the board and the contest moved to a shootout.
Forwards Jayson Megna and Ivan Ivan would light the lamp in the shootout, while Posch shut down two of the Canucks three shooters to secure the 3-2 win.
Lemieux suffered the shootout loss, finishing with 24 saves on 26 shots, as Colorado finished the night going 0-for-2 on the power play and a perfect 3-for-3 on the penalty kill.
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