Barracuda Pull Away From Wranglers Behind Special Teams Surge

SAN JOSE — The Calgary Wranglers dropped the opener of their three-game road trip Friday night, falling 5–1 to the San Jose Barracuda at Tech CU Arena.

Calgary opened the scoring late in the first period when Sam Morton struck at 16:19, finishing a play set up by Zayne Parekh and Dryden Hunt.

San Jose responded in the second period and seized control through special teams. Donavan Houle tied the game at 7:14 before a power-play goal from Filip Bystedt at 11:48, with assists from Luca Cagnoni and Colin White.

The Barracuda extended the lead in the third period with a short-handed goal by Anthony Vincent at 3:21, followed by another power-play marker from Cam Lund at 7:12, assisted by Egor Afanasyev and Kasper Halttunen. Nolan Allan capped the scoring at 7:27, with Vincent recording the assist.

In goal, Ivan Prosvetov stopped 37 of 42 shots for Calgary (.881 save percentage), while Laurent Brossoit turned aside 22 of 23 shots for San Jose (.957 save percentage).

Vincent, who finished with a goal and an assist, was named the game’s first star. Bystedt and Lund earned second and third star honors, respectively.

The Wranglers remain in San Jose and face the Barracuda again Saturday night, with puck drop set for 7:00 p.m. MT.

Canadiens Stun Avalanche as NHL Weekend Takes Shape

CALGARY — The Montreal Canadiens shocked the Colorado Avalanche Thursday night with a 7–3 win at the Bell Centre. That was Montreal’s 30th win of the season as they sit atop the wild-card standings in the Eastern Conference, and they handed Colorado just its eighth regulation loss of the season as the Avalanche continue on with their historically successful campaign.

Friday’s NHL schedule is unusually light, with only one other game across the league. The lone matchup has the Columbus Blue Jackets visiting the Chicago Blackhawks at United Center.

The Blue Jackets enter the night 7–3 in their last 10 games, though they remain 10 points outside of a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, leaving significant ground to make up despite the recent surge.

Columbus is still adjusting under new head coach Rick Bowness, who was appointed Jan. 12 following the firing of Dean Evason. Bowness, 70, was brought in to provide structure, defensive improvement, and veteran leadership after previously coaching the Winnipeg Jets.

Chicago enters the weekend with a 21-24-9 record and sits eight points outside of a playoff position as it continues through a developmental season.

The league schedule ramps up Saturday with a full slate of 14 games. In Calgary, the Flames host the San Jose Sharks in a 2 p.m. MT matinee. The Flames are 21-26-6 on the season, tied at 48 points and sitting near the bottom of the Western Conference standings.

Elsewhere Saturday, the Canadiens travel to Western New York for a marquee matchup against the Buffalo Sabres. National attention will also follow the Toronto Maple Leafs as they visit the Vancouver Canucks at Rogers Arena, with live coverage across all Provectus Media platforms from Vancouver on Saturday.

Colorado continues its road swing with an early start Saturday morning, visiting the Detroit Red Wings with puck drop scheduled for 11 a.m. MT.

Wranglers build early cushion, hold off Rocket to earn 6-3 win

CALGARY — The Calgary Wranglers built a three-goal first-period lead, extended it to four early in the second, and answered a late push to defeat the Laval Rocket 6-3 at Scotiabank Saddledome, splitting the two-game set.

Calgary opened the scoring 3:23 into the first period when Nick Cicek finished a play from Martin Frk and Dryden Hunt to give the Wranglers a 1-0 lead. The advantage doubled just 32 seconds later as Zayne Parekh scored his first of the season off feeds from Hunt and Frk, making it 2-0.

The Wranglers closed the opening period with their third goal at 16:44, when Frk blasted a long-range slap shot past Jacob Fowler to send Calgary into the intermission with a 3-0 lead.

Calgary continued to control play early in the second period. Parekh struck again at 3:41, scoring his second goal of the game to extend the lead to 4-0.

Laval began to generate momentum late in the period. Jared Davidson broke the shutout at 14:43, cutting the deficit to 4-1. Just over two minutes later, Adam Engström scored on the power play at 16:47 to make it a 4-2 game.

The Rocket pulled within one at 15:56 when Sean Farrell scored his 11th of the season, trimming Calgary’s lead to 4-3. The Wranglers responded before the second intermission, however, as Dryden Hunt restored a two-goal cushion with a power-play goal at 19:15, sending Calgary into the break ahead 5-3.

Calgary protected the lead throughout the third period and sealed the result late, when Frk scored into an empty net at 18:53, his second goal of the night, pushing the final score to 6-3.

Hunt was named the game’s first star after recording one goal and four assists. Parekh earned second-star honors with a two-goal performance, while Frk was named the third star after finishing with two goals and two assists.

Ivan Prosvetov made 33 saves on 36 shots for Calgary, finishing with a .917 save percentage. Fowler stopped 20 of 26 shots for Laval, posting a .769 save percentage.

Rocket score twice in third, beat Wranglers 5–3

CALGARY — The Laval Rocket scored twice early in the third period to break open a tie game and defeat the Calgary Wranglers 5–3 on Saturday afternoon at Scotiabank Saddledome.

Laval set the tone quickly, opening the scoring just 37 seconds into the game when Filip Mešár netted his fifth of the season off a setup from Lucas Condotta and Adam Engström. Calgary answered at 5:32, as Dryden Hunt buried his 12th of the year, finishing a play created by Martin Frk and Daniil Miromanov.

The Rocket regained the lead midway through the first period. At 9:39, David Reinbacher jumped into the rush and snapped home his fourth of the season, with Condotta recording his second assist of the period and Owen Beck adding the secondary helper to make it 2–1 after 20 minutes.

The second period saw momentum swing back and forth as both teams traded goals. Calgary tied the game at 6:41 when Lucas Ciona scored his fourth of the season, finishing a setup from David Silye with Zayne Parekh picking up the secondary assist. The Wranglers then took their first lead of the night at 8:47, as Aydar Suniev buried his ninth of the season with Parekh collecting his second assist of the period and Rory Kerins adding the secondary helper.

Laval responded late in the frame. With 43 seconds remaining, William Trudeau tied the game at 19:17, scoring his sixth of the season off a feed from Laurent Dauphin to send the teams into the second intermission knotted 3–3.

The Rocket wasted little time pulling ahead in the third period. At 1:54, Engström scored his second goal of the game and seventh of the season, finishing a play set up by Jared Davidson and Mešár to make it 4–3. Laval struck again at 4:12, when Davidson added his 13th of the year, with Beck and Tyler Thorpe recording the assists to extend the lead to two.

Calgary pressed for a response but could not break through the rest of the way. The Wranglers outshot Laval 33–26 on the afternoon, but the Rocket goaltender, Jacob Fowler turned aside 30 of 33 shots for a .909 save percentage. Calgary netminder, Arsenii Sergeev finished with 21 saves on 26 shots for a .808 save percentage in the loss.

Wranglers Shut Out in 1–0 Overtime Loss

CALGARY — The Calgary Wranglers were edged 1–0 in overtime by the Bakersfield Condors on Sunday, dropping the second game of the back-to-back series.

Calgary outshot Bakersfield 33–31 but could not convert, as the game remained scoreless through regulation before the Condors ended it in overtime.

Defenseman Zayne Parekh made his American Hockey League debut for the Wranglers, finishing with two shots on goal. Calgary controlled large stretches of play but was unable to generate a goal despite consistent pressure.

Goaltender Arsenii Sergeev started for the Wranglers and stopped 30 of 31 shots, keeping the game tied through 60 minutes and overtime until the deciding goal.

The Wranglers will return to action next weekend with a two-game home series against the Laval Rocket at Scotiabank Saddledome. The teams meet Saturday, January 24 at 12:00 pm MT, followed by a second game on Monday night.

Flames seize momentum on Hockey Day in Canada with 4–2 win over Islanders

CALGARY — The Calgary Flames leaned on opportunistic scoring and strong goaltending Saturday afternoon, defeating the New York Islanders 4–2 at Scotiabank Saddledome on Hockey Day in Canada to collect two critical points in the Western Conference playoff race.

Despite being outshot 30–19, Calgary converted its chances at key moments and received a composed performance from goaltender Dustin Wolf, improving to 21 wins and 46 points on the season.

Yegor Sharangovich opened the scoring late in the first period, snapping a wrist shot past Islanders netminder David Rittich at 11:51 after setup work from Rasmus Andersson and Kevin Bahl. The goal gave Calgary a 1–0 lead after a tightly contested opening frame.

The second period proved decisive not because of puck possession, but execution. While New York held a 9–7 edge in shots during the middle frame, the Flames struck three times in an eight-minute span.

Adam Klapka doubled the lead at 3:04 of the second with a net-front tip-in off a point shot from Bahl, with Morgan Frost also earning an assist. Justin Kirkland followed at 9:50, scoring his first goal of the season to make it 3–0 after taking a cross-slot feed from Ryan Lomberg and lifting a shot over Rittich. Yan Kuznetsov added another at 11:49, finishing a play created by Nazem Kadri and Connor Zary to cap the surge.

The Islanders responded quickly through Jean-Gabriel Pageau at 12:21 of the second, but Calgary’s early cushion held through the remainder of the period.

New York pushed hard in the third, and Islanders head coach Patrick Roy made an aggressive move by pulling Rittich for the extra attacker with more than eight minutes remaining. The extended six-on-five pressure produced a late goal from Anders Lee at 17:04, but that was as close as the Islanders would come as Calgary closed out the win.

Wolf finished the afternoon with 28 saves on 30 shots for a .933 save percentage, turning aside sustained pressure and limiting second chances. Rittich stopped 15 of 19 shots (0.789) for New York.

Three Stars

1. Kevin Bahl, CGY — Two assists and steady defensive play.

2. Adam Klapka, CGY — A goal and an assist.

3. Rasmus Andersson, CGY — 25:40 TOI and an assist in what could be his last game with the club.

Kirkland’s goal stood as the game-winner and reinforced a familiar formula for Calgary, which continues to find success when it generates enough offense to reach the four-goal mark.

The victory came in front of an announced crowd of 17,358 and carried notable standings implications. The Flames remain five points back of the final wild-card spot in the Western Conference currently held by the San Jose Sharks. In the Pacific Division, Calgary trails the Vegas Golden Knights by 12 points, the Edmonton Oilers by eight, and the Seattle Kraken by five, keeping the race behind the division leader tightly contested.

Calgary has also made recent roster adjustments aimed at boosting its offense, including the recall of Matvei Gridin from the Calgary Wranglers. With eight games remaining before the Olympic break, the Flames enter a critical positioning window. Once play resumes, the stretch drive toward the Stanley Cup Playoffs truly begins.

Saturday’s performance offered a clear blueprint: efficient finishing, disciplined structure, and goaltending capable of holding the line. For a team still within reach, it was exactly the type of afternoon that keeps belief intact.

Condors pull away in second period to defeat Wranglers 5–1

CALGARY — The Calgary Wranglers dropped the opening game of their weekend series Friday night, falling 5–1 to the Bakersfield Condors at Scotiabank Saddledome.

Bakersfield scored twice in the first period before breaking the game open with three goals in the second, handing Calgary its 15th regulation loss of the season in front of an announced attendance of 3,288.

The Condors opened the scoring at 7:51 of the first period when Seth Griffith recorded his 12th goal of the season, finishing a play set up by Daniel D’Amato and Viljami Marjala. Bakersfield doubled the lead at 12:34, as Max Jones converted on a rush chance with assists from Sam Poulin and Beau Akey.

Calgary responded late in the opening frame. Aydar Suniev scored at 17:21 on the power play, firing home his team-leading fourth power-play goal of the season to cut the deficit to 2–1. Carter King picked up the lone assist on the goal.

The second period proved decisive.

Bakersfield regained control at 9:09 when James Hamblin finished a setup from Poulin and Damien Carfagna to restore a two-goal cushion. Hamblin struck again just over four minutes later at 13:12, scoring his second of the night on an unassisted effort.

The Condors capped the period at 17:49 when Roby Järventie added his 12th goal of the season, pushing the lead to 5–1 heading into the third.

There was no scoring in the final period, as Bakersfield closed out the game defensively.

In goal, Connor Murphy made the start for Calgary and stopped 14 of 19 shots, finishing the night with a .737 save percentage before being relieved late in the second period. Arsenii Sergeev took over for the third and turned aside all six shots he faced, posting a 1.000 save percentage in relief.

The loss dropped Calgary to 15-15-7-2 on the season, while Bakersfield improved to 20-10-6, continuing to solidify its position near the top of the Pacific Division.

The two teams will meet again Sunday afternoon to close the weekend set, with puck drop scheduled for 1:00 p.m. MT.

Wranglers push late but fall 3–2 in Abbotsford rematch

CALGARY — The Calgary Wranglers pushed late but came up one goal short Sunday night, falling 3–2 to the Abbotsford Canucks at Rogers Forum as the Pacific Division rivals wrapped up their weekend set.

Abbotsford opened the scoring just 58 seconds into the game when Nick Poisson struck early to give the Canucks a quick 1–0 lead. Calgary answered midway through the period as Sam Morton continued his strong stretch, scoring at 12:22 on a play set up by Dryden Hunt and Matvei Gridin.

The Canucks regained the lead late in the first when Ty Mueller scored at 17:41, sending Abbotsford into the intermission up 2–1.

Calgary pulled even early in the second period. Hunt tied the game at 4:30, finishing a sequence created by Gridin and Étienne Morin. The goal capped a productive weekend for Hunt, who recorded four points over the two games against Abbotsford.

The deciding moment came midway through the third period when Anri Ravinskis broke the deadlock at 10:24, converting a feed from Nils Åman and Derek Daschke to give the Canucks a 3–2 lead.

Calgary pressed for the equalizer late, outshooting Abbotsford 6–4 in the third period, but could not find a way past the Canucks defense. Arsenii Sergeev made the start for the Wranglers, stopping 19 of 22 shots faced (.864) to keep the game tight into the final minutes.

Ravinskis was named the game’s first star after scoring the game winner, while Poisson earned second star honors for his opening goal and Daschke was the third star after recording an assist on the decisive tally.

The Wranglers now return home for a Battle in Berta weekend against the Bakersfield Condors, beginning Friday night at Scotiabank Saddledome.

Wranglers Storm Back, Seize Third-Period Lead, Settle for Point in 4-3 Shootout Loss to Abbotsford

CALGARY — The Calgary Wranglers clawed their way back from an early two goal hole, took the lead in the third period, and still walked out of Abbotsford with just a single point Saturday night as the Canucks prevailed 4-3 in a five round shootout at Rogers Forum.

The Wranglers showed real push after Abbotsford struck twice early, with Jonathan Lekkerimäki opening the scoring just 18 seconds into the game before Cooper Walker made it 2-0 at 3:27 of the second period. Calgary responded shortly thereafter.

Sam Morton got the Wranglers on the board at 4:52 of the second, finishing a setup from Matvei Gridin and Dryden Hunt for his fifth of the season. Less than three minutes later, Hunt tied the game himself, putting home his 10th to erase the deficit and shift the momentum.

Carter King gave the Wranglers their first lead at 5:31, converting on a sequence with David Silye and Nick Cicek picking up the assists.

Abbotsford would not go away. Nils Åman answered back at 11:13, knotting the game at three, with Lekkerimäki and Jett Woo earning helpers. That goal forced overtime and eventually a shootout after neither side could break through in the extra frame.

Aydar Suniev was the lone Calgary skater to score in the shootout, but Abbotsford found enough offense over five rounds to secure the extra point.

The Wranglers also had to battle adversity in net. Owen Say started the game and stopped seven of nine shots before leaving early with an injury. Arsenii Sergeev was sharp in relief, turning aside 16 of 17 (.941) shots the rest of the way and giving Calgary a chance to win.

Dryden Hunt led the Wranglers with a goal and an assist and was named the game’s third star. Lekkerimäki and Åman earned the top two stars for Abbotsford, each finishing with a goal and an assist.

Calgary now turns the page quickly with a rematch Sunday afternoon at Rogers Forum, puck drop set for 4:00 pm MT, as the Wranglers look to convert a strong road performance into a full two points.

Wranglers shut out by Roadrunners as Tucson controls play in 4-0 loss

CALGARY -- The Calgary Wranglers were shut out 4-0 by the Tucson Roadrunners on Sunday afternoon at Scotiabank Saddledome.

Tucson struck early, scoring twice in the opening period to take control of the game. Ryan McGregor opened the scoring just over six minutes in, and Ty Tullio added a second later in the frame to give the Roadrunners a 2-0 lead after one.

The second period was scoreless, but the Roadrunners continued to manage the game effectively, limiting Calgary’s offensive looks and keeping play largely to the outside.

Tucson pulled away in the third period. Maveric Lamoureux scored with just over eight minutes remaining, and Sammy Walker sealed the result with an empty-net goal late.

The Roadrunners finished with a 32-21 edge in shots. Arsenii Sergeev stopped 28 shots for Calgary, while Tucson goaltender Jaxson Stauber turned aside all 21 shots he faced to record the shutout.

The Wranglers now head west for a weekend matchup against the Abbotsford Canucks. Puck drop is set for 8:00 pm MT on Saturday at Rogers Forum. Fans can watch live on AHLTV via FloHockey.

Around the hockey world, Sweden has advanced to the Gold Medal Game at the World Juniors after defeating Finland in a shootout semifinal. Canada faces Czechia, with the winner moving on to the final against Sweden.

Late Goal Sinks Flames at Scotiabank Saddledome as Pacific Race Tightens

CALGARY -- The Calgary Flames fell 4–3 Saturday night, undone by a late third-period goal in a game that intersected with a busy day across the Western Conference standings.

Calgary opened the scoring just 1:56 into the first period when Yan Kuznetsov stepped into a slap shot from the point to make it 1–0. The lead was short-lived. Erik Haula tied the game midway through the period, then scored again less than two minutes later to put Nashville ahead 2–1.

The Flames answered late in the opening frame. Rasmus Andersson pulled Calgary even at 2–2, closing a first period that produced four goals in under 14 minutes.

Nashville regained the lead early in the second when Michael Bunting scored unassisted at 4:08, restoring a 3–2 advantage. Calgary pushed back again in the third period, with Blake Coleman finishing a play from Mikael Backlund and Matt Coronato at 12:49 to tie the game 3–3.

The tie held until the final minute. Nicolas Hague fired a slap shot past Calgary at 19:31 of the third, delivering the game-winning goal.

Dustin Wolf was the goalie of record for Calgary, stopping 32 of 36 shots for an .889 save percentage.

The result followed movement elsewhere in the Pacific Division earlier in the day. The Edmonton Oilers were defeated 5–2 by the Philadelphia Flyers, creating an opportunity for Calgary to close the gap in the standings. With the Flames losing in regulation, the distance remains six points between the two clubs.

Edmonton sits at 46 points, one point ahead of both the Vegas Golden Knights and Anaheim Ducks, who are tied at 45. Further down the board, the Los Angeles Kings picked up a win over Minnesota, moving to 43 points and into a three-way tie atop the Western Conference wild-card race with the Seattle Kraken and San Jose Sharks.

Calgary’s margin to Edmonton stayed the same, but results elsewhere continued to compress the Western Conference playoff picture.

Tucson posts 5-2 win over Wranglers as Kerins ties franchise point streak record

CALGARY -- The Calgary Wranglers opened the scoring Friday night but ultimately fell 5-2 to the Tucson Roadrunners at the Scotiabank Saddledome.

Rory Kerins gave Calgary an early lift, finishing a play set up by Dryden Hunt and William Stromgren. The goal extended Kerins’ point streak to 11 games, tying a Wranglers franchise record.

Lucas Ciona accounted for Calgary’s other goal, converting on a setup from Etienne Morin and Parker Bell as the Wranglers worked to stay within reach.

Tucson generated consistent offense throughout the game, finishing with a 43-20 edge in shots on goal. Owen Say faced heavy workload in net for Calgary, stopping 38 shots and posting a .884 save percentage.

Special teams played a role in the outcome, with Tucson going 2-for-6 on the power play while Calgary was held scoreless on four opportunities.

The Wranglers will have a chance to respond quickly as the two teams meet again Sunday afternoon. Puck drop is scheduled for 1:00 pm MT at the Scotiabank Saddledome.

Wranglers rally past Pacific-leading Eagles 3-2 in OT, move within four of division lead

CALGARY – The Calgary Wranglers opened the new year by rallying for a 3–2 overtime win over the Colorado Eagles at the Saddledome, erasing a two-goal first-period deficit to pick up two points against the Pacific Division leaders.

Colorado jumped out early, scoring twice in the opening period. Nikita Prishchepov opened the scoring at 13:20, followed by Tye Felhaber’s goal at 15:19 to give the Eagles a 2–0 lead.

Calgary responded late in the first period on the power play. William Strömgren got the Wranglers on the board at 17:04, finishing a setup from Dryden Hunt and Rory Kerins to cut the deficit in half.

The Wranglers tied the game early in the second period, again with the man advantage. Martin Frk scored at 7:16, converting a setup from Hunt and Strömgren to make it 2–2. That goal forced overtime, as neither team was able to break through during a scoreless third period.

Calgary carried play as the game went on, outshooting Colorado 33–25 overall and holding a 16–6 edge in shots after the first period. The Wranglers finished 3-for-6 on the power play, while Colorado went 0-for-4.

In goal, Owen Say made 23 saves on 25 shots for Calgary, finishing with a .920 save percentage. At the other end, Isak Posch stopped 30 of 33 shots for Colorado.

The game was decided 1:16 into overtime when Dryden Hunt scored his first game-winning goal of the season on the power play, finishing a play set up by Martin Frk and Rory Kerins.

Hunt finished with a goal and two assists. Strömgren recorded a goal and an assist, giving him eight points in his last three games. Rory Kerins added two assists, extending his point streak to 10 games.

The victory was Calgary’s 15th of the season and moved the Wranglers to 38 points, four points back of Colorado for the Pacific Division lead. The Eagles sit at 42 points and hold six games in hand. The Wranglers return to action Friday with a 7:00 pm MT matchup against the Tucson Roadrunners at the Saddledome, followed by another meeting with Tucson on Sunday afternoon. Calgary then heads to Abbotsford for a two-game road set on January 10 and January 11.

Flames sweep Flyers, tighten wild card race as Calgary hits season midpoint Saturday

CALGARY -- The Calgary Flames strengthened their position in the Western Conference wild card race Wednesday night with a 5–1 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers, completing a 2–0 season series sweep.

Mikael Backlund opened the scoring at 13:30 of the first period, unloading a slap shot after receiving passes from Matt Coronato and Blake Coleman. Calgary carried a 1–0 lead into the intermission despite being outshot early.

Jonathan Huberdeau made it 2–0 just 3:08 into the second period, finishing a setup from MacKenzie Weegar and Yan Kuznetsov. Philadelphia briefly pulled within one when Travis Konecny scored unassisted at 8:49, but Calgary answered later in the period.

Rasmus Andersson restored the two-goal lead on the power play at 12:03, converting off passes from Connor Zary and Nazem Kadri. Yegor Sharangovich added another power-play goal at 17:52, snapping a shot past the Flyers with Coronato and Weegar recording the assists. Calgary took a 4–1 lead into the second intermission.

Connor Zary capped the scoring at 9:37 of the third period, finishing a play created by Ryan Lomberg to put the game out of reach. Calgary finished with 25 shots, went 2-for-3 on the power play, won 54.5 percent of the faceoffs, and limited Philadelphia to one goal.

The win moves the Flames to 40 points through 40 games, placing them fourth in the Western Conference wild card standings and just outside the playoff picture. Calgary sits six points back of the Pacific Division lead, currently held by Edmonton at 46 points. The Flames have 18 wins on the season, compared to Edmonton’s 20. The Oilers lost 6–2 to Boston on Wednesday, two nights after Calgary defeated the Bruins 2–1 at the Saddledome.

Calgary will reach the halfway point of its season Saturday when it hosts the Nashville Predators in a 5:00 pm MT matchup. Both teams enter with 40 points, though Nashville holds one game in hand. The Flames then host the Seattle Kraken on Monday at 7:30 pm MT before heading out on a five-game road trip through Montreal, Boston, Pittsburgh, Columbus, and Chicago.

On the international stage, Canada closed the preliminary round at the World Juniors with a 7–4 win over Finland and will face Slovakia in the quarterfinals on Friday, Jan. 2. The semifinals are scheduled for Sunday, Jan. 4, with the final set for Monday, Jan. 5.

The Calgary Wranglers are also in action at the Saddledome this week, hosting Colorado on Thursday, Tucson on Friday, and Tucson again on Sunday.

Eagles edge Wranglers 6-5 in OT after Calgary scores four straight at Scotiabank Saddledome

CALGARY — The Calgary Wranglers scored four straight goals to flip the game on its head, but the Pacific Division-leading Colorado Eagles answered late and escaped with a 6–5 overtime win Tuesday at Scotiabank Saddledome.

Colorado struck early, opening the scoring just 41 seconds into the contest when Jayson Megna buried his 14th of the season, assisted by Jack Ahcan and T.J. Tynan. The Eagles made it 2–0 at 7:54 of the first period as Matthew Stienburg finished his second of the year, set up by Nikita Prishchepov and Ahcan.

Calgary got on the board late in the opening frame. Parker Bell cut the deficit to 2–1 at 15:11, finishing a play created by Clark Bishop and Daniil Miromanov.

The Eagles extended the lead early in the second period when Tye Felhaber scored at 5:13. From there, the Wranglers took control.

William Strömgren ignited the push at 8:44, scoring his fourth of the season off feeds from Dryden Hunt and Rory Kerins. Just 25 seconds later, Hunt tied the game at 9:09, finishing a setup from Strömgren and Jeremie Poirier. Strömgren struck again at 11:43 to give Calgary the lead, converting a pass from Hunt and Sam Morton.

The Wranglers were not done. Rory Kerins made it four straight Calgary goals at 18:49 of the second period, scoring his 12th of the season with assists from Strömgren and Daniil Miromanov to give Calgary a 5–3 advantage heading into the third.

Colorado pushed back late. Ronnie Attard pulled the Eagles within one at 6:07 of the third period, assisted by Sean Behrens and Felhaber. Megna tied the game at 17:48 with his second of the afternoon and 15th of the season, set up by Alex Barré-Boulet and Ahcan.

The Eagles completed the comeback in overtime, with Ahcan ending it at 3:14 of the extra frame to seal the 6–5 victory.

The Wranglers entered the game looking for their 15th win of the season, sitting at 35 points through 33 games. Colorado earned its 20th win of the season, maintaining its hold atop the Pacific Division.

Calgary defeats Boston 2-1 in overtime behind 24-save night from Wolf

CALGARY — The Calgary Flames earned a 2–1 overtime win over the Boston Bruins on Monday night at Scotiabank Saddledome.

Blake Coleman scored for Calgary, beating Jeremy Swayman seven hole for his 12th goal of the season, while Dustin Wolf turned aside 24 of 25 shots in goal for a .960 save percentage.

The game went to overtime, where it ended in unusual fashion. A Bruins own goal sealed the result, with Connor Zary credited for the winner.

The victory was Calgary’s 17th of the season. The Flames move to 38 points and sit one point outside of a playoff spot.

Calgary is back in action on New Year’s Eve, hosting the Philadelphia Flyers at the Saddledome. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. MT.

Earlier in the evening, Canada defeated Denmark 9–1 at the World Junior Championship in Minnesota. Zayne Parekh recorded a goal and an assist as Canada picked up its second three-point win of the tournament.

Canada now leads Group B with eight points and will close out the preliminary round against Finland on New Year’s Eve at 7:30 p.m. CST. Finland sits second with seven points, with first place in the group on the line.

Wranglers Fall 3–2 in Overtime as Roadrunners Force Extra Frame in Tucson

CALGARY — The Calgary Wranglers settled for a single point Sunday night after the Tucson Roadrunners forced overtime and secured a 3–2 win at Tucson Arena.

Calgary opened the scoring early, with Dryden Hunt finding the net just over a minute into the contest for his seventh goal of the season. Tucson answered later in the period, but the Wranglers regained the lead before the first intermission when William Stromgren provided the finish. Stromgren recorded a goal and an assist and factored into both Calgary goals.

The second period was scoreless as both teams tightened defensively and limited quality looks. Tucson pulled even just two minutes into the third period, forcing overtime after regulation ended tied at two.

Overtime tilted decisively toward the Roadrunners. Tucson controlled possession and outshot Calgary 5–1 in the extra frame before scoring with just over a minute remaining to close out the win.

In goal, Arsenii Sergeev delivered a steady performance in his second career AHL start. Sergeev stopped 31 of 34 shots, finishing the night with a .912 save percentage and helping Calgary earn a point on the road.

The Calgary Wranglers return home Tuesday night to face the Colorado Eagles at the Scotiabank Saddledome, opening a stretch of home games that carries into the New Year. Calgary will also host Colorado again on January 1 before welcoming Tucson for a two-game set, including a Sunday afternoon matchup on January 4.

Wranglers Fall 5–2 in Tucson, Set for Sunday Rematch and Busy Holiday Home Stand

CALGARY — The Calgary Wranglers dropped a 5–2 decision to the Tucson Roadrunners on Saturday night at the Tucson Convention Center, opening a holiday back-to-back in Arizona.

Martin Frk paced the Wranglers offensively with a goal and an assist, while Rory Kerins recorded two assists in the loss. Artem Grushnikov added an assist on Frk’s goal, collecting his first point of the season.

Owen Say made the start in goal and stopped 17 of 22 shots, finishing the night with a .773 save percentage as Tucson pulled away.

Calgary is back in action later today, Sunday, December 28, for an immediate rematch with the Roadrunners. Puck drop is set for 4:00 pm MT in Tucson.

The holiday schedule remains busy for the Wranglers following the rematch. Calgary returns home to host the Colorado Eagles on December 30 and January 1 before welcoming Tucson to the Scotiabank Saddledome on January 2. The stretch concludes with a home matinee on January 4, with a 1:00 pm MT puck drop at the Saddledome.

Elsewhere in the hockey world, the World Junior Championship continues today in Minnesota, with Sweden facing Switzerland and Finland taking on Latvia.

Sweden opens 2026 World Juniors with 3-2 win over Slovakia in tournament opener

CALGARY — Sweden opened the 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship with a 3–2 victory over Slovakia on Boxing Day, earning three points in the standings in the tournament’s opening game.

The matchup marked the first game of the 2026 World Juniors, officially getting the tournament underway in Minneapolis–Saint Paul. Sweden collected the win in a closely contested opener, while Slovakia left without points.

Anton Frondell was named Player of the Game for Sweden.

Following Sweden’s opener, the Day 1 schedule continued with Denmark and Finland taking the ice, followed later by Germany against the United States. The opening-day slate concludes with Canada facing Czechia.

The tournament opens with significant representation from the Canadian Hockey League. According to the CHL, 79 past and present CHL players are competing at the 2026 World Junior Championship, tying the all-time tournament record first set in 2013.

Of those 79 players, 65 are currently active in the WHL, OHL, and QMJHL, accounting for more than 25 percent of the tournament’s overall player pool. The CHL is the only development league represented across nine of the tournament’s 10 participating nations. Canada leads all countries with 24 past and present CHL players, followed by Czechia with a record 17, while Germany features nine and Latvia and Slovakia each bring eight.

The 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship runs from Dec. 26, 2025, to Jan. 5, 2026, with games played in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota.

Oilers’ Power Play Dominates Battle of Alberta as Edmonton Tops Calgary

CALGARY — The margin in the Battle of Alberta was not subtle. It was structural.

Edmonton’s power play dictated the night through constant motion, quick reads, and pressure that never allowed Calgary’s penalty killers to settle. The puck carrier was always moving, changing direction, pulling coverage apart. It was less about one look and more about forcing defenders into continuous decisions. Calgary never found its footing.

The Oilers were given five power-play opportunities. Against a unit built on pace and precision, that was too many.

Leon Draisaitl converted three times on the man advantage, completing a power-play hat trick, while Connor McDavid conducted the game with control and timing that bent coverage until it broke. Edmonton’s power play did not rely on static setups or stationary shooters. It flowed, reset, and attacked again, using movement as the primary weapon.

Calgary briefly responded at even strength when MacKenzie Weegar struck from the blue line late in the first period to level the score. It was a moment of pushback, but it did not shift the underlying momentum. Penalties continued to pile up, and Edmonton continued to capitalize.

By the third period, the game had tilted decisively. Edmonton extended its lead and closed with authority, turning discipline and execution into separation on the scoreboard.

The win marks Edmonton’s 19th of the season and pulls the Oilers into a tie for first place in the Pacific Division with Vegas and Anaheim at 44 points heading into the Christmas break. It is a position earned through consistency and reinforced by elite special teams.

For Calgary, the picture remains tight but complicated. The Flames sit at 15 wins and 34 points. They are only five points out of a playoff spot, but five teams stand between them and the final wild card position in the Western Conference. The math keeps them in the race. The margins leave little room for nights like this.

Discipline is not a detail against teams like Edmonton. It is the difference.

At the break, the standings show separation. On the ice, the power play made it unmistakable.