Firebirds strike three times in second period to defeat Wranglers 4–1
Calgary stayed level through one period before Coachella Valley tilted the afternoon with a three-goal surge in the middle frame. Justin Kirkland scored the Wranglers’ lone goal on the power play while Ivan Prosvetov handled a heavy workload in net. Calgary now sits six points outside of a playoff spot with 15 games remaining.
Photo by David Moll / Calgary Wranglers
PALM DESERT, Calif. — A scoreless opening period gave way to a decisive middle frame Sunday as the Coachella Valley Firebirds scored three times in the second period to defeat the Calgary Wranglers 4–1.
Both teams traded chances through the opening twenty minutes but neither side found the breakthrough.
Coachella Valley opened the scoring 2:27 into the second period when Eduard Šalé finished a play set up by Oscar Fisker Mølgaard and Lukas Dragicevic.
Calgary answered midway through the period. Justin Kirkland tied the game 5:39 into the frame, converting on the power play for his seventh goal of the season.
The tie lasted less than two minutes.
At 7:32, Kaden Hammell restored the Firebirds lead with assists from John Hayden and Mitchell Stephens, and Coachella Valley extended the advantage again at 12:28 when Logan Morrison scored his 26th goal of the season off passes from Jani Nyman and Jagger Firkus.
Šalé added his second of the afternoon into the empty net at 17:53, assisted by Lleyton Roed and Ty Nelson, sealing the 4–1 final.
Coachella Valley outshot Calgary 36–16 in the game.
Firebirds goaltender Victor Östman stopped 15 of 16 shots for a .938 save percentage, while Wranglers netminder Ivan Prosvetov made 32 saves on 35 shots (.914).
Calgary finished 1-for-4 on the power play, while the Wranglers penalty kill denied all four Firebirds opportunities.
Earlier in the day, the Calgary Flames recalled forward Matvei Gridin and defenceman Hunter Brzustewicz from the Wranglers.
Gridin has recorded 10 goals and 29 points in 37 AHL games this season and has also appeared in 18 NHL games with the Flames, posting three goals and seven points.
Brzustewicz has played 18 games for the Flames this season, registering one goal and two points, while contributing four goals and 14 points in 34 games with the Wranglers.
With the regular season entering its final stretch, Calgary now sits six points outside of a playoff spot in the AHL’s Pacific Division with 15 games remaining, keeping the Wranglers within striking distance of the postseason as the schedule winds down.
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Wranglers rally late but fall 4-2 to Firebirds in 40-shot effort
The Calgary Wranglers pushed the pace all night and outshot the Coachella Valley Firebirds 40-21, but a second-period surge led by Lucas Ciona and Dryden Hunt was not enough in a 4-2 setback in Palm Desert. Calgary controlled possession and generated chances throughout, yet Firebirds goaltender Nikke Kokko delivered a standout performance at Acrisure Arena.
Photo by David Moll / Calgary Wranglers
PALM DESERT, Calif. — After falling behind 3-0 midway through the second period, the Calgary Wranglers responded with back-to-back goals from Lucas Ciona and Dryden Hunt to cut the deficit to one, but ultimately fell 4-2 to the Coachella Valley Firebirds on Saturday night at Acrisure Arena.
Calgary controlled stretches of play and finished with a 40-21 advantage in shots but could not solve Firebirds goaltender Nikke Kokko, who stopped 38 attempts to help secure the win.
Coachella Valley opened the scoring at 7:19 of the first period when Logan Morrison recorded his 25th goal of the season, finishing a play set up by Jani Nyman and Gustav Olofsson.
The Firebirds extended the lead early in the second period. Nyman made it 2-0 just 56 seconds into the frame with assists from Morrison and Jagger Firkus, and Firkus added another at 8:48 off a feed from Nyman and Morrison to push the advantage to three.
The Wranglers answered late in the period with a surge. Ciona put Calgary on the board at 18:29 after a pass from Clark Bishop, and Hunt followed just 27 seconds later with his 15th of the season, finishing a play from Bishop and Hunter Brzustewicz to pull Calgary within one heading into the third.
Gustav Olofsson restored a two-goal cushion for Coachella Valley at 8:38 of the third period with assists credited to Oscar Fisker Molgaard.
Arsenii Sergeev made the start for Calgary and stopped 17 of 21 shots for an .810 save percentage.
Kokko finished with 37 saves on 40 shots for a .949 save percentage and was named the game’s third star. Morrison, who recorded a goal and two assists, earned first-star honours, while Nyman was named the second star.
The Wranglers return to action Sunday afternoon for a rematch with the Firebirds in Palm Desert. Puck drop is scheduled for 4 p.m. MT.
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Wranglers Rally, Fall in Six-Round Shootout to Abbotsford
Calgary erased a two-goal deficit in the third period before falling 3–2 in a six-round shootout to Abbotsford, outshooting the Canucks 38–19 and collecting a point with 17 games remaining in the regular season.
Photo by David Moll / Calgary Wranglers
CALGARY — The Calgary Wranglers erased a two-goal deficit Sunday afternoon at Scotiabank Saddledome but fell 3–2 in a six-round shootout to the Abbotsford Canucks, earning a point in a game with Pacific Division playoff implications.
Calgary entered the day three points outside a top-seven playoff spot in the division and pushed this one to the limit before settling for a single point.
Abbotsford opened the scoring at 2:04 of the first period. Danila Klimovich snapped a loose puck blocker-side shot for his ninth of the season. Chase Wouters recorded the assist to make it 1–0.
Joe Arntsen extended the lead at 9:59 of the second after Chase Stillman found the defenseman joining the rush down the left side. Arntsen beat Arsenii Sergeev under the glove for his second of the year, with Nils Åman adding the secondary assist to make it 2–0.
Calgary responded late in the third. Aydar Suniev cut the deficit at 14:27, wiring a shot from the right side near the top of the circle to beat Young for his 13th of the season and his third goal in four games. Dryden Hunt and Turner Ottenbreit collected the assists.
Just 1:24 later, Justin Kirkland tied it at 15:51 after Daniil Miromanov’s pass slid underneath the goaltender directly to Kirkland, who was waiting on the other side. He made no mistake from in close, scoring his sixth of the season. Martin Frk added the secondary assist.
Calgary finished with a 38–19 edge in shots.
Overtime carried urgency. William Stromgren broke in alone and appeared to slide the puck across the goal line while being hauled down, crashing into the goaltender in the process. The play was waved off, and the extra frame continued. Both netminders held firm through a series of odd-man chances, sending the game to a shootout.
The shootout extended six rounds before Jett Woo sealed it for Abbotsford.
Sergeev stopped 17 of 19 shots for a .895 save percentage. At the other end, Young turned aside 36 of 38 for a .947 mark.
The Wranglers have now gone beyond regulation in six of their last 10 games and 23 times this season. Sergeev made his second straight start Sunday, while Dryden Hunt has recorded two points in two games since returning from injury.
With 17 games remaining and division rivals in action later Sunday, including Henderson hosting Colorado and Tucson visiting San Jose, the Pacific Division playoff race remains fluid.
Calgary earned a point. The chase continues.
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Sergeev Stops 40, Frk Hits 20 as Wranglers Fall 3–2 in Shootout to Abbotsford
A four-goal third period sent the game to a shootout, where Sergeev’s 40-save effort and Frk’s 20th goal were not enough as Calgary fell 3–2 at the Saddledome.
(Photo by David Moll / Calgary Wranglers)
CALGARY — A four-goal third period sent Friday’s matchup to a shootout, where the Calgary Wranglers fell 3–2 to the Abbotsford Canucks at Scotiabank Saddledome.
Arsenii Sergeev stopped 40 of 42 shots for a .952 save percentage, and Martin Frk tied the game midway through the third with his 20th goal of the season, reaching that mark for the fourth consecutive AHL campaign.
The point moves Calgary to within three points of a Pacific Division playoff spot as the stretch drive continues.
Abbotsford broke through 52 seconds into the third period when Ben Berard scored his 12th of the season. Calgary responded quickly. Sam Morton tied the game at 3:36, finishing off a play set up by Dryden Hunt, who recorded his 27th assist in his return to the lineup.
Lukas Reichel restored Abbotsford’s lead at 9:28 of the third before Frk answered again at 11:13, wiring his 20th goal of the season off feeds from William Strömgren and Justin Kirkland.
Neither side converted in overtime, sending the game to a shootout. Abbotsford converted on both of its attempts to seal the extra point.
Jiří Patera stopped 32 of 34 shots for the Canucks, posting a .941 save percentage in the victory.
Calgary’s penalty kill units went 1-for-1, while they finished 0-for-3 on the power play.
The two clubs meet again Sunday afternoon at the Saddledome.
Barracuda answer quickly, defeat Wranglers 4-2 in Calgary
Calgary erased a two-goal deficit in the second period, but the tie lasted only 25 seconds as San Jose responded immediately and pulled away late.
(Photo by David Moll / Calgary Wranglers)
San Jose Barracuda struck early and responded immediately when challenged, defeating Calgary Wranglers 4-2 Wednesday night at Scotiabank Saddledome.
Patrick Giles opened the scoring shorthanded at 4:00 of the first period, and Mattias Havelid extended the lead at 7:12 as San Jose built a 2-0 cushion through 20 minutes.
Calgary pushed back in the second.
Aydar Suniev cut the deficit in half on the power play at 4:25, and just over three minutes later the Wranglers pulled even on a rush that began deep in their own zone. Etienne Morin disrupted play with a kick and poke forward to spring Ryan Chyzowski up ice, creating a 2-on-1 with Suniev as a passing option. Chyzowski kept it, snapping a top-shelf shot to the glove side past Gabe Carrier at 8:07 to make it 2-2.
The tie lasted 25 seconds.
Oliver Wahlstrom restored the Barracuda lead at 8:32, swinging momentum back to San Jose almost immediately. Egor Afanasyev added insurance at 2:14 of the third period, finishing a sequence from Kasper Halttunen and Jimmy Huntington to seal it.
Chyzowski’s goal highlighted the scoring touch he has displayed this season with Rapid City of the ECHL, where he has 22 goals in 41 games. Wednesday marked his first AHL appearance of the year.
By the numbers
Calgary finished 1-for-4 on the power play (.250) and was perfect on the penalty kill, holding San Jose scoreless on three opportunities (1.000).
San Jose outshot Calgary 38-24, generating double-digit shots in each period. Ivan Prosvetov made 34 saves on 38 shots for Calgary (.895 save percentage).
Afanasyev, who recorded a goal and an assist, was named first star. Huntington earned second star with two assists, while Chyzowski was recognized as third star for Calgary.
Suniev’s goal marked back-to-back games with a tally, while Chyzowski scored in his Wranglers debut.
Barracuda Rally Past Wranglers with Four-Goal Third, 5-3
Calgary carried a 3-1 lead into the third period behind goals from Aydar Suniev, Rory Kerins and Nick Cicek before a four-goal surge from San Jose flipped momentum late at Scotiabank Saddledome. Kerins recorded a multi-point night as the Wranglers opened a four-game homestand against the Barracuda.
Photo: David Moll / Calgary Wranglers
CALGARY — A strong two-period effort slipped away in the third as the San Jose Barracuda scored four unanswered goals to defeat the Calgary Wranglers 5-3 at Scotiabank Saddledome in the opener of a four-game homestand.
Calgary opened the scoring early when Aydar Suniev tucked away his 11th goal of the season just 2:10 into the first period, assisted by Sam Morton and Carter King. Lucas Carlsson answered late in the frame to send the teams to intermission tied.
The Wranglers regained control in the second. Rory Kerins restored the lead at 5:18 off a setup from Clark Bishop, and Nick Cicek extended it at 14:00 with a wrister from the blue line through heavy traffic, beating a screened Laurent Brossoit. William Strömgren and Kerins collected assists as Calgary carried a 3-1 advantage into the third. Kerins finished with a multi-point night, recording a goal and an assist.
San Jose shifted momentum early in the final period. Braden Hache cut the deficit to one at 3:19, and Anthony Vincent tied the game less than two minutes later before adding his second of the night at 10:49 to give the Barracuda their first lead. Carlsson sealed the comeback with an empty-net goal at 19:23.
Despite limiting San Jose to 9 shots against in the third, Calgary could not halt the momentum swing, surrendering control of a game they had dictated through much of the first two periods.
Arsenii Sergeev made 25 saves on 29 shots (.862) for Calgary, while Laurent Brossoit stopped 28 of 31 shots (.903) for San Jose.
The Wranglers return to Scotiabank Saddledome tomorrow night for the second half of the weekend set against the Barracuda.