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.
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 Drop 4–1 Decision to Barracuda on Hockey Fights Cancer Night at the Saddledome
The Calgary Wranglers dropped a 4–1 decision to the San Jose Barracuda on Hockey Fights Cancer night. Egor Afanasyev and Kasper Halttunen led the way for San Jose, while Lucas Ciona scored Calgary’s lone goal. Gabriel Carriere turned aside 20 shots in net, frustrating the Wranglers' power play and sealing back-to-back wins at the Saddledome.
CALGARY — The Calgary Wranglers fell 4–1 to the San Jose Barracuda Saturday afternoon at the Scotiabank Saddledome, as San Jose completed the two-game sweep in front of a strong crowd for the team’s annual Hockey Fights Cancer game.
The Barracuda struck first at the 8:00 mark of the opening period, when Egor Afanasyev (#11) cut in over the blue line and snapped a low shot far side past Ivan Prosvetov. The goal was the first of the season for the 6'4" left winger from Tver, Russia, who was drafted 45th overall by the Nashville Predators in 2019 and traded to San Jose earlier this year.
San Jose added to their lead after Calgary forward Rory Kerins was called for interference. On the power play, Pavol Regenda (#84) sent a puck into traffic that eventually found Kasper Halttunen (#14), who buried it to make it 2–0. Just minutes later, Halttunen scored again — this time on a clean shot from the left circle for his second of the game and third of the season. The Helsinki-born forward was a second-round pick (36th overall) in 2023 and is currently in the final year of his three-year entry-level contract.
Calgary’s best chance of the first came in the dying seconds, when a Wranglers forward broke in alone, but goaltender Gabriel Carriere stood tall. San Jose outshot Calgary 11–5 in the first.
Tempers flared late in the period as Alex Gallant and Anthony Vincent dropped the gloves, although the fight didn’t escalate beyond a quick exchange. Jimmy Huntington, who had earlier laid a heavy hit on Hunter Brzustewicz, was involved in a scrap of his own later in the second with Calgary’s Nick Cicek — possibly in response to that earlier collision.
Calgary found some life late in the second. After several chances turned away by Carriere, the Wranglers finally broke through with 2:17 left in the period. Aydar Suniev’s shot from the right dot deflected off Sam Morton and then off Lucas Ciona (#17), who redirected it in for his first goal of the season. That cut the deficit to 3–1 heading into the third.
The Wranglers had two power play opportunities in the game but were unable to convert, falling to 6-for-40 on the season (15.0%). San Jose went 1-for-2, improving their power play efficiency to 13-for-50 (26%).
In the third, Calgary pushed hard. Parker Bell had multiple rushes, Matvei Gridin had several looks, and Brzustewicz nearly scored on a wraparound. Carriere was sharp throughout, including a glove save on Regenda shorthanded and a key stop on Brzustewicz walking in from the point.
With time running down, Calgary pulled Prosvetov for the extra attacker, but Colin White sealed the game with an empty net goal — his second goal of the year — making it 4–1 San Jose.
After the game, Barracuda GM Joe Will praised his forward depth, saying several players could contribute at the NHL level this season. He also noted confidence in both of San Jose’s AHL goalies — Carriere and Škarek — to step in and help the big club if needed.