Perunovich Caps Wild Back-and-Forth Night With OT Power-Play Winner
CALGARY — In one of the most entertaining games of the season at Scotiabank Saddledome, the Calgary Wranglers battled back and forth with the Tucson Roadrunners before falling 6-5 in overtime Saturday night in a high-event matchup defined by special teams, momentum swings and playoff-style intensity.
With the NHL schedule paused, the AHL took center stage in Calgary and delivered a game that featured eleven goals, multiple fights, a charged crowd and a constant shift in momentum from start to finish.
Special teams set the tone immediately.
The first three goals of the game all came on the power play. Miko Matikka opened the scoring for Tucson just 2:40 into the first period, before William Strömgren responded for Calgary at 13:36 with a man-advantage goal assisted by Daniil Miromanov and Ivan Prosvetov. Kevin Rooney restored Tucson’s lead late in the period, converting on another power play opportunity off feeds from Austin Poganski and Cameron Hebig to give the Roadrunners a 2-1 edge after one.
The back-and-forth continued in the second period.
Ben McCartney extended Tucson’s lead early in the frame, but Calgary responded quickly when Miromanov struck at 7:46, finishing a setup from Aydar Suniev and Martin Frk to pull the Wranglers within one. Carter King tied the game minutes later, converting a play created by Turner Ottenbreit and Parker Bell as the Saddledome crowd came alive.
Momentum fully swung when Dryden Hunt gave Calgary its first lead of the night with a shorthanded goal midway through the period, another example of how special teams shaped the contest. Tucson answered before the intermission through Owen Allard, leveling the score at 4-4 and setting up a dramatic third period.
Calgary regained the lead in the final frame when Rory Kerins finished a chance created by Sam Morton, pushing the Wranglers ahead 5-4 and putting the home side in position to secure the win. But the Roadrunners responded late, as Dmitri Simashev found the equalizer with just seconds remaining in regulation to force overtime.
In the extra frame, special teams again proved decisive. Scott Perunovich scored the overtime winner on the power play at 2:09, assisted by Ben McCartney and Simashev, completing Tucson’s comeback and sealing a 6-5 final.
Five of the game’s eleven goals came on special teams, underscoring how penalties and momentum shifts defined the night. Tucson’s Rooney finished with a three-point performance (one goal, two assists), while Miromanov led Calgary with a goal and an assist and was named the game’s third star. Perunovich earned first-star honours for his overtime winner.
The atmosphere reflected the significance of the matchup, with a strong Saturday-night crowd treated to a spirited contest featuring physical play, multiple scrums and an energy that mirrored playoff hockey.
As the AHL spotlighted centre stage locally, Canadian fans also saw the national team open its Olympic tournament earlier in the day with a 4-0 victory over Switzerland, powered by goals from Natalie Spooner, Sarah Fillier, Julia Gosling and Daryl Watts, while Emerance Maschmeyer recorded the shutout.
In a game defined by momentum swings and special teams, Calgary showed resilience throughout, even as Tucson ultimately claimed the extra point in overtime.