The Calgary Wranglers faced off against the Henderson Silver Knights on Thursday, wrapping up their season series in a game that was nothing short of dramatic. Despite a valiant effort to claw back into contention, the Wranglers ultimately fell 8-3, a result shaped by a flurry of power play goals and a chaotic third period.
Lineup Changes
Calgary shuffled their roster a bit for this matchup. Simon Mack and Alex Gallant returned to the lineup, while Carter Wilkie and Turner Ottenbreit stepped out. Notably, the top forward line remained intact from Tuesday’s game.
Wranglers Lines
- Dryden Hunt - Justin Kirkland - Martin Frk
- William Stromgren - Sam Morton - Aydar Suniev
- Brennan Othmann - Clark Bishop - Carter King
- Parker Bell - David Silye - Alex Gallant
Defense pairs included:
- Artem Grushnikov - Daniil Miromanov
- Nick Cicek - Gavin White
- Etienne Morin - Simon Mack
Arsenii Sergeev got the nod in goal.
Game Overview
The Wranglers turned to Arsenii Sergeev, while Henderson countered with Carl Lindbom. The Silver Knights came out strong, capitalizing on an early power play to open the scoring with Mitch McLain finding the net at 6:38. They maintained pressure, adding another goal at 11:03.
Calgary’s first shot didn’t come until 13:12, courtesy of Dryden Hunt, but the Silver Knights struck again on the power play at 18:07 with Tanner Laczynski scoring. By the end of the first period, the Wranglers were down 3-0, managing just one shot to Henderson’s 13.
The second period began with the Wranglers still on the penalty kill, and McLain wasted no time, netting his second of the night just 51 seconds in. Calgary showed signs of life when David Silye scored his second of the year at 6:40, assisted by Parker Bell and Nick Cicek.
Captain Clark Bishop injected further energy into the Wranglers with a breakaway goal at 13:03, thanks to assists from Brennan Othmann and Gavin White. Despite this momentum, Henderson regained control, ending the second period with a 4-2 lead.
In the third, Calgary crept closer with a goal from Martin Frk at 8:16, assisted by Daniil Miromanov and Justin Kirkland. However, Henderson quickly responded with goals from Alexander Holtz and Viliam Kmec, widening their lead once more.
The game took a turn for the wild when Alex Gallant’s hit sparked a line brawl, leading to multiple penalties and ejections. In the ensuing chaos, the Silver Knights capitalized on a five-on-three advantage, scoring their eighth goal and fifth power play tally of the night at 12:55.
When the dust settled, the Wranglers were left short-handed and unable to mount a comeback, eventually falling 8-3 with shots heavily favoring Henderson at 44-19.
Scoring Summary
- Gavin White: 1 Assist
- Clark Bishop: 1 Goal
- Parker Bell: 1 Assist
- Justin Kirkland: 1 Assist
- David Silye: 1 Goal
- Daniil Miromanov: 1 Assist
- Brennan Othmann: 1 Assist
- Martin Frk: 1 Goal
- Nick Cicek: 1 Assist
Looking Ahead
With their homestand concluded, the Wranglers hit the road for two games this weekend, facing Bakersfield on Saturday and the San Diego Gulls on Sunday. They’ll be eager to shake off this loss and bounce back strong.
Stay tuned as the Wranglers aim to regroup and finish the season on a high note.