Suniev leads Wranglers with three points in 7-2 win over Moose
Suniev’s three-point performance helped Calgary take control Friday night, as the Wranglers turned a tight game into a runaway with a six-goal second period against the Manitoba Moose. Justin Kirkland added two goals, Arsenii Sergeev was sharp in goal, and Calgary found its offensive rhythm in a decisive 7-2 win at the Saddledome.
Photo by David Moll / Calgary Wranglers
CALGARY — The Calgary Wranglers returned to the win column Friday night at the Saddledome, exploding for six goals in the second period to defeat the Manitoba Moose 7-2.
Manitoba opened the scoring when Brayden Yager struck on the power play at 7:07 of the first period, assisted by Samuel Fagemo and Walker Duehr. But the Wranglers flipped the game in dramatic fashion in the middle frame.
Calgary’s surge began just 1:03 into the second period when Justin Kirkland finished a setup from Dryden Hunt and Martin Frk to tie the game. From there, the goals came in waves.
Aydar Suniev gave Calgary its first lead at 4:41, converting a play from Étienne Morin and Gavin White. Just 41 seconds later, Suniev struck again at 5:22, set up by Clark Bishop and William Strömgren to push the Wranglers ahead 3-1.
Suniev showed exceptional speed with the puck, splitting the Moose defense and finishing.
The pressure continued when Sam Morton added another at 8:07, assisted by Brennan Othmann and Daniil Miromanov.
Late in the period, Calgary added two more. Kirkland scored his second of the night at 19:04, again set up by Hunt and Frk, before Bishop capped the surge at 19:47 with Carter King and Suniev earning the assists.
By the end of the second period, the Wranglers had turned a 1-0 deficit into a 6-1 lead with a six-goal outburst.
Manitoba pulled one back early in the third when Walker Duehr scored at 7:06 from Fagemo and David Gustafsson, but Calgary responded again at 13:35. Defenseman Artem Grushnikov scored his first goal of the season, finishing a play from Strömgren and Alex Gallant to make it 7-2.
Suniev led the way offensively and was named the game’s first star after recording two goals and an assist for a three-point night. Frk, Kirkland, Hunt and Strömgren each recorded multi-point performances.
Gavin White collected his first point in a Wranglers jersey, while newly acquired forward Brennan Othmann picked up his second point in three games with Calgary.
In goal, Arsenii Sergeev made 42 saves on 44 shots for a .955 save percentage, steadying the Wranglers throughout the night. Manitoba starter Domenic DiVincentiis stopped 19 of 25 shots before the Moose turned to their backup, finishing with a .760 save percentage on the night.
The Wranglers continue their homestand Sunday afternoon when they host the Moose again at the Saddledome. Puck drop is scheduled for 12:00 p.m. MT.
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Strömgren Delivers Overtime Winner as Wranglers Extend Streak With 4-3 Road Victory
Calgary responded with a dominant second-period surge before securing a dramatic overtime win in San Jose, powered by timely scoring and strong goaltending against a persistent Barracuda push.
SAN JOSE — Calgary surged back from a first-period deficit with a three-goal second-period before finishing off a 4-3 victory over the San Jose Barracuda at Tech CU Arena on Saturday night.
San Jose opened the scoring at 6:23 of the first period when Oliver Wahlstrom converted off a feed from Kasper Halttunen, giving the Barracuda a 1-0 lead heading into the intermission.
The momentum shifted quickly after the break. Daniil Miromanov tied the game at 1:41 of the second period, finishing a play created by William Strömgren and Nick Cicek. Less than three minutes later, Strömgren put Calgary in front with his ninth goal of the season, igniting a stretch in which the Wranglers controlled possession and tempo.
Martin Frk extended the lead midway through the period, posting his 19th of the year, assists from Rory Kerins and Étienne Morin, to give Calgary a 3-1 advantage. San Jose responded late in the frame as Wahlstrom struck again on the power play, cutting the deficit to one before the second intermission.
The Barracuda forced overtime when Brendan Hoffmann found the equalizer with just over four minutes remaining in regulation, setting up a sudden-death finish between the Pacific Division rivals.
Calgary wasted little time settling matters in the extra frame. Just 48 seconds into overtime, Strömgren finished a setup from Kerins to secure the win, capping a three-point performance that earned him first-star honors.
The Wranglers outshot San Jose 43-36, with Ivan Prosvetov stopping 33 of 36 shots for a .917 save percentage. Laurent Brossoit made 39 saves on 43 shots (.917) for the Barracuda.
Calgary returns to Scotiabank Saddledome on Tuesday for a rematch with the Barracuda.
Wranglers push late but fall 3–2 in Abbotsford rematch
A one-goal game came down to a single third-period strike as Calgary outshot Abbotsford late but could not find the equalizer. Dryden Hunt and Matvei Gridin drove the Wranglers offense, while Arsenii Sergeev kept the game within reach with an .864 save percentage in a tight Pacific Division battle.
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.
Tucson posts 5-2 win over Wranglers as Kerins ties franchise point streak record
Calgary got goals from Rory Kerins and Lucas Ciona, but Tucson pulled away as the Roadrunners earned a 5-2 win Friday night at Scotiabank Saddledome.
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.