Berard, Reichel Score as Abbotsford Beats Calgary 3-2 in Shootout

Jiří Patera returned to the crease following the Olympic break with the Vancouver Canucks and watched his Abbotsford Canucks survive a 3-2 shootout win over the Calgary Wranglers at the Scotiabank Saddledome on Friday, Feb. 27, as Chase Stillman’s second-round shootout tally sealed the victory. The contest remained tied after a 5-minute 3-on-3 overtime and was decided by a two-round shootout in which Abbotsford went 2-for-2 and Calgary 0-for-2.

The third period produced all four regulation goals. At 40:52 Benjamin Berard opened the scoring when Nikolai Knyzhov’s blue-line blast found Berard at the top of the crease and he tipped the puck past Arsenii Sergeev to make it 1-0. About three minutes later Sam Morton answered for Calgary at 43:36 on a Dryden Hunt feed that Morton snapped top-shelf to level the game.

Abbotsford regained the lead at 49:28 when Lukas Reichel buried a rebound after a setup from Nils Åman to put the visitors up 2-1. Calgary responded again at 51:13 when William Strömgren collected the puck off a faceoff win and dished to Martin Frk, who finished from the top of the crease to make it 2-2 and send the match to overtime.

Neither side solved the other in the 5-minute 3-on-3 period, and the shootout followed. Calgary’s Justin Kirkland was turned aside on the opening attempt while Ben Berard converted Abbotsford’s first try. William Strömgren was denied by Patera on Calgary’s second shooter, and Chase Stillman converted Abbotsford’s second attempt to clinch the 3-2 final in the skills competition.

Goaltender numbers underlined how tight the game was. Calgary starter Arsenii Sergeev was credited with a 40-of-42 performance while Abbotsford finished with a 42-34 edge in shots on goal. Abbotsford’s recap noted the club “rolled with an 11-and-7 formation,” and Wranglers coverage labeled Berard an Abbotsford All-Star for his two-impact contributions in regulation and the shootout.

The result carries immediate standings implications. With the shootout loss Calgary picked up one point and moves to 51 on the season, while Abbotsford remains 10th in the Pacific Division with 44 points. The two clubs will meet again for a quick rematch on Sunday, March 1, 2026 at the Scotiabank Saddledome, listed by Calgary as a 1:00 p.m. MT start and by other outlets as 2:00 p.m. CST.

This game also reinforces the NHL-AHL pipeline narrative: Patera’s return after the Olympic break with the Vancouver Canucks highlights how NHL availability shapes AHL lineups, and Sergeev’s 40-save outing underscored why clubs value heavy minutes from their netminders down the stretch. Fans who followed the earlier January series will recall Abbotsford swept Calgary at home on Jan. 10-11; that weekend featured a different shootout story when Vilmer Alriksson clinched a Jan. 10 win and Patera made 27 saves in the Jan. 11 victory. As both teams prepare for the March 1 matinee, billed by Calgary as Hot Wheels Game Day presented by Carstar, the quick turnaround promises another competitive test with playoff positioning and goaltending form very much on the line.