Wranglers Blank Firebirds 3–0 Behind Say’s 43 Save Shutout at the Saddledome
CALGARY — The Calgary Wranglers returned to the Scotiabank Saddledome and delivered one of their most complete performances of the season, shutting out the Coachella Valley Firebirds 3–0 in AHL game 352. With the win, Calgary leapfrogged Coachella Valley in the Pacific Division standings and tightened an already crowded Western Conference race.
Rookie goaltender Owen Say was the story of the night. Making his first professional shutout, he turned aside all 43 shots he faced, including a flurry of point blank chances during a heavy Firebirds push late in the second period and again in the final minutes with the net empty.
The intensity began early. Six minutes into the first period, Alex Gallant dropped the gloves with Firebirds defender Kaden Hemmell in a spirited fight that set the tone. The scrum spilled into the TV timeout, resulting in ten minute misconducts to Coachella Valley’s Ian McKinnon and Calgary’s Clark Bishop. The game had bite from the opening shift and never really cooled off.
Calgary opened the scoring shortly after. A clean three way rush started by Sam Morton and Matvei Gridin sent the puck into the middle for Aydar Suniev, who snapped home his sixth of the season at 11:43. It was Suniev’s second goal in as many games and gave the Wranglers the early lead despite Coachella Valley controlling the shot clock.
The Firebirds continued to press in the second period and were handed a 5-on-3 advantage after back-to-back Calgary penalties to Gallant and Cicek. Say stood tall through the sequence, turning away multiple high danger chances. Then, just moments later, the Wranglers doubled their lead when defenseman Danil Miromanov stepped into space and ripped home his fourth of the season at 3:53. Kerins and Stromgren picked up the assists as Miromanov extended his run to four points in his last five games.
Coachella Valley’s heaviest surge came late in the second period when Say was forced into a flurry of stops. He fought off two quick chances in tight, battled through a crease scramble, and made a save while down to preserve the 2–0 lead heading into the intermission. By the end of the middle frame the Firebirds held a 20–9 edge in shots but still had nothing past Calgary’s rookie goaltender.
The push continued in the third. Coachella Valley pulled their goalie with 2:44 left and fired from everywhere, driving the shot total above 40 and generating several near misses including one that sailed just wide of the far post. The Wranglers weathered the storm and blocked shots at key moments before sealing the win.
With thirty nine seconds remaining, Firebirds defender Jesper Froden lost an edge at the blue line, leaving Martin Firk with a clean lane toward an empty net. Calgary’s leading scorer hit the cage from a sharp angle for his 11th of the season and his 400th AHL career point. Morton recorded his second point of the night on the play.
The three stars of the game reflected the story:
1. Owen Say with his perfect 43 save shutout
2. Alex Gallant for his physical presence and first period fight
3. Aydar Suniev with the opening goal that set the tone
Calgary will face the Firebirds again on Thursday, December 11 at 7:00 pm MT back at the Saddledome. Fans can watch on AHLTV via FloHockey at the link provided by the team.
Upcoming Schedule
December 11 — 7:00 PM vs Coachella Valley Firebirds - Scotiabank Saddledome
December 13 — 6:00 PM vs Abbotsford Canucks - Scotiabank Saddledome
December 14 — 4:00 PM vs Abbotsford Canucks - Scotiabank Saddledome
December 19 — 7:00 PM vs San Diego Gulls - Scotiabank Saddledome