The Abbottsford Canucks made work of the San Jose Barracuda with a three goal win at SAP Center in San Jose Thu Mar 24, 2022 (photo from the San Jose Barracuda)

by Marko Ukalovic

SAN JOSE — The Abbotsford Canucks had four different goal scorers in a balanced attack to defeat the San Jose Barracuda 4-1 on Thursday evening at Solar4America Ice at San Jose.

San Jose has lost three of their past four games and are nine points out of the seventh and final playoff spot in the Pacific Division. Abbotsford has won four games in a row and five of its past six games and have climbed up to third in the division with 65 points.

Abbotsford (30-19-4-1) scored two goals in a two-minute span in the first 10 minutes of the first period.

Jarid Lucosevicius set up Sheldon Rempal in front of the crease. Rempal’s wrist shot trickled past ‘Cuda goalie Alex Stalock for his 25th goal of the season at the 6:54 mark.

Then Sheldon Dries cleaned up the rebound from a Madison Bowey shot from the point for his team leading 32nd goal of the season at the 8:56 mark.

San Jose (20-31-2-2) outshot Abbotsford by a two-to-one margin 12-6 but headed into the first intermission scratching their heads down by two goals.

The Barracuda cut the lead in half early in the second period. Santeri Hatakka found Jayden Halbgewachs along the left wing as he skated in from the point. Halbgewachs beat Canuck’s goalie Spencer Martin with a wrist shot to the far side top shelf for his 16th goal of the season at the 7:22 mark.

Halbgewachs now has 34 points on the season, one shy of his career high with 13 games remaining.

Abbotsford scored an insurance goal on the power play near the halfway mark of the third period. John Stevans sent a centering pass to the back post where Yushiroh Hirano tapped home the puck past Stalock for his fifth goal of the season at the 9:26 mark.

Bowey sealed the deal for the Canucks with an empty net goal, his seventh of the season, at the 19:01 mark.

Martin finished the night stopping 32 of the 33 shots he faced to earn the victory. Stalock made 14 saves on 17 shots in the losing effort.

GAME NOTES: San Jose finished 0-for-5 on the power play. Abbotsford was 1-for-5.

The Three Stars of the Game were: 1) Martin 2) Dries 3) Rempal

UP NEXT: San Jose continues its five-game homestand hosting the Colorado Eagles on Saturday 3/26 at 1:15pm at SAP Center.