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.
Wranglers Storm Back, Seize Third-Period Lead, Settle for Point in 4-3 Shootout Loss to Abbotsford
After Carter King put Calgary ahead early in the third, Abbotsford pushed back hard. The Canucks controlled much of the final period, outshooting the Wranglers 11-5 and eventually tying the game when Nils Åman found the net just past the midway point of the frame, sending a tight game toward overtime.
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 Fall 3–2 to Abbotsford in Overtime After Back-and-Forth Battle
A tight-checking AHL Pacific Division matchup Saturday night at the Scotiabank Saddledome ended with the Abbotsford Canucks earning a 3–2 overtime win over the Calgary Wranglers, scoring 1:06 into the extra frame after Calgary forced overtime late in regulation.
CALGARY — The Abbotsford Canucks picked up a 3–2 overtime win over the Calgary Wranglers on Saturday night at the Scotiabank Saddledome, closing out a tightly contested American Hockey League matchup with a game-winner 1:06 into the extra frame.
Calgary struck first in the opening period. Rory Kerins capitalized on a defensive-zone giveaway and finished unassisted at the 6:28 mark of the first to give the Wranglers a 1–0 lead. It was Kerins’ ninth goal of the season and his 21st point in 23 games. Calgary protected the lead through the remainder of the period, including a successful penalty kill shortly after the opening goal.
The game turned in the second period as Abbotsford found its footing. Nick Poisson tied the contest at 11:53, finishing a play set up by Arnaud Durandeau and Danila Klimovich to make it 1–1. Later in the period, Abbotsford took the lead when Mackenzie MacEachern converted a feed from Ben Berard at 16:20, giving the Canucks a 2–1 advantage heading into the second intermission.
Abbotsford carried a slight territorial edge through forty minutes, holding a 23–19 shots advantage entering the third period.
Calgary responded in the final frame. The Wranglers pushed the pace and were rewarded with the tying goal in the third period, leveling the game at 2–2 and sending the contest beyond regulation. The equalizer capped a strong push from Calgary as the home side looked to reclaim control late.
Overtime was brief. Just 1:06 into the three-on-three session, Jonathan Lekkerimäki ended it, scoring the overtime winner for Abbotsford to secure the 3–2 victory.
The game featured contributions across both lineups, strong special-teams moments early, and timely execution late. Abbotsford earned the extra point on the road, while Calgary collected one after forcing overtime in front of a Saturday night crowd at the Saddledome.