Wranglers Collapse in Wild Second Period, Fall 7-3 to Roadrunners
The Calgary Wranglers came into Friday night’s matchup against the Tucson Roadrunners looking to flip the script in a season series that’s been anything but kind to them. With a 1-3-2-0 record against Tucson heading into the game, Calgary had a point to prove - and for a brief moment, it looked like they might do just that.
They came out with energy, took an early lead, and had the home crowd buzzing after 20 minutes. But then came the second period - and with it, a full-blown meltdown.
Tucson rattled off five goals in under 10 minutes, turning a tight contest into a runaway. By the end of the night, Calgary had dropped its fourth straight, this one by a 7-3 scoreline.
New Faces in the Lineup
The Wranglers got a bit of a roster shakeup ahead of this one. Matvei Gridin and Hunter Brzustewicz were reassigned from the Flames following Calgary’s final NHL game before the Olympic break. Both slotted into the lineup, while Parker Bell and Simon Mack came out to make room.
Here’s how the Wranglers lined up:
Forwards:
- Dryden Hunt - Sam Morton - Matvei Gridin
- William Stromgren - Rory Kerins - Martin Frk
- Clark Bishop - Justin Kirkland - Aydar Suniev
- Carter King - David Silye - Lucas Ciona
Defense:
- Nick Cicek - Hunter Brzustewicz
- Artem Grushnikov - Daniil Miromanov
- Turner Ottenbreit - Gavin White
Goaltender:
- Arsenii Sergeev
A Promising Start
Arsenii Sergeev got the nod in net for the second straight game, and early on, he looked sharp. Calgary earned a power play right out of the gate after Max Szuber was called for holding. Brzustewicz took over quarterback duties on the man advantage, but despite some puck movement, the Wranglers couldn’t generate a shot.
Tucson responded with some pushback, but Calgary held firm. Their best chance of the first came at 14:06, when Aydar Suniev fired a shot glove-side on Matthew Villalta, who was solid between the pipes for Tucson.
A scary moment followed when Gridin and Tucson’s Sammy Walker got tangled near the Wranglers’ bench. Gridin popped back up, but Walker went hard into the boards and had to be helped off the ice.
Calgary got another power play opportunity at 15:19, and this time they cashed in. Suniev, who had been buzzing all period, ripped one from the slot to open the scoring. Daniil Miromanov and Martin Frk picked up the assists.
Sergeev closed the period strong, turning away a late breakaway from Kevin Rooney. Calgary took a 1-0 lead into the intermission, despite being outshot 12-9.
Second Period Spiral
The second period started with a carryover penalty to Nick Cicek, but Calgary killed it off thanks in part to a big save from Sergeev. Unfortunately, that would be one of the few bright spots in the middle frame.
At 3:23, Austin Poganski found Noel Nordh with a slick drop pass, and Nordh buried it to tie the game. Just over a minute later, Ben McCartney hammered home a one-timer to give Tucson the lead.
Calgary responded quickly. Sam Morton continued his hot streak, scoring his fifth goal in four games off a partial breakaway. The play started with a breakup by Dryden Hunt, a pass from Brzustewicz, and a nice feed from Lucas Ciona to set Morton up.
But just when the Wranglers looked like they might stabilize, the wheels fell off.
At 9:38, Poganski pounced on a loose puck in front to make it 3-2. Less than a minute later, Jack Ricketts added another after Sergeev failed to fully control a rebound.
Then came a tripping penalty to Stromgren, and Tucson didn’t waste time. Dmitri Simashev made it 5-2 on the power play, and that was it for Sergeev.
Ivan Prosvetov came in to relieve him.
Lucas Ciona tried to spark something, mixing it up with Montana Onyebuchi at 16:18. He took a few punches but showed some fire - and it might’ve worked.
Just over a minute later, Clark Bishop set up Miromanov for a point shot that found twine and cut the deficit to two. Justin Kirkland added the secondary assist.
By the end of the second, the scoreboard read 5-3 in favor of Tucson. The damage had been done.
Tucson Closes the Door
Calgary opened the third with some early pressure, but momentum was halted at 7:14 when Ciona was called for interference. Tucson made them pay again. Prosvetov stopped the first chance, but the puck slipped through and Simashev tapped it home for his second of the night.
At 12:46, Ricketts forced a turnover in the Wranglers' zone and went coast-to-coast, finishing with a slick shot over Prosvetov to make it 7-3.
From there, it was mostly academic. Calgary mustered a few more shots, but the gap was too wide. The final horn sounded with the Wranglers on the wrong end of a 7-3 score.
Postgame Reaction
Head coach Brett Sutter didn’t hold back after the game, saying the team was trying to be “too cute” - perhaps a nod to the influx of talent and the temptation to overcomplicate plays.
Sam Morton, one of the few bright spots with another goal, summed it up with some honest reflection:
“Yeah, I think that’s how it’s been going lately. We give up one, then two, take a penalty - there’s three.
It’s a hard hole to climb out of. It happened fast.
I think our team just needs to find a way to keep our cool and respond after we get scored on. Next shift, build some momentum.
Not collapse like that.”
Scoring Summary - Wranglers
- Goals: Aydar Suniev (1G) Sam Morton (1G) Daniil Miromanov (1G, 1A)
- Assists: Martin Frk (1A) Hunter Brzustewicz (1A) Lucas Ciona (1A) Clark Bishop (1A) Justin Kirkland (1A)
What’s Next
The Wranglers won’t have to wait long for a shot at redemption. They’re back on the ice Saturday night for the second half of the back-to-back against Tucson.
It’s their final game before the AHL All-Star break, and puck drop is set for 6:00 p.m. MT.
If Calgary wants to head into the break on a high note, they’ll need to tighten up defensively - and fast. Friday’s second period was a harsh reminder that no lead is safe when the structure breaks down.