Wranglers Rally Late to Edge Canucks 3-2 in Road Trip Thriller
The Calgary Wranglers returned to action Tuesday night in Abbotsford, shaking off a quiet Thanksgiving weekend and delivering a dramatic 3-2 win over the Canucks in game seven of their ten-game road trip. It wasn’t the prettiest start, but when the third period rolled around, the Wranglers found their legs-and their scoring touch-just in time.
Lineup Shifts Pay Off
Calgary welcomed back a couple of key pieces for this one. Aydar Suniev, who missed the last outing due to illness, and William Stromgren, sidelined with a lower-body injury, both slotted back into the lineup.
That meant Carter Wilkie and Andrew Basha came out up front, while on the blue line, Simon Mack drew in for Jeremie Poirier. It was a bit of a shuffle, but the fresh legs made a difference down the stretch.
Goaltending Duel Early On
Ivan Prosvetov got the nod in net for Calgary, facing off against Ty Young for Abbotsford. The first period was a tightly contested chess match, with both teams trading rushes but neither able to break through. Abbotsford edged Calgary in shots, 11-8, but the scoreboard stayed clean after 20 minutes.
Things got a little chippy late in the first. Lucas Ciona dropped the gloves with Jujhar Khaira after a series of cross-checks and scrums sparked by a takedown of Parker Bell. It was the kind of scrap that can tilt momentum, but both teams stayed locked in defensively heading into the second.
Canucks Strike First, Wranglers Weather the Storm
The second period belonged to Abbotsford. Calgary struggled to maintain possession and found themselves on the penalty kill more than they’d like.
Back-to-back infractions led to a brief 5-on-3 for the Canucks, and they capitalized. At 13:35, Mackenzie MacEachern found space glove side on Prosvetov, who was sliding across the crease and left just enough room for the puck to sneak through.
The Wranglers managed to draw a late penalty and carried a power play into the third, but the second period was all Canucks-both on the ice and on the shot clock, where they outpaced Calgary 18-5.
Third Period Turnaround
Whatever was said in the Wranglers’ locker room during the intermission worked. Calgary came out with energy and urgency, and it didn’t take long to pay off.
Just over five minutes into the third, Clark Bishop came flying off the bench and fired a low shot from the point that slipped through Young’s pads. Matvei Gridin picked up the assist, and just like that, the Wranglers were back in it.
But Abbotsford wasn’t done. At 12:24, Vilmer Alriksson restored the Canucks’ lead on a play that forced Prosvetov to stretch across the crease.
The Wranglers' netminder looked to tweak something-possibly a shoulder or leg-and needed help off the ice. Owen Say stepped in cold off the bench with the game on the line.
Late-Game Heroics Seal the Deal
Calgary didn’t blink. Less than three minutes after Prosvetov exited, Justin Kirkland tied things up with a bit of chaos and creativity.
His stick snapped on the shot, but the puck still found twine-and the broken blade flying past the net a moment later was just the exclamation point. Stromgren notched the assist.
Then, with just 31 seconds left in regulation, the Wranglers completed the comeback. Turner Ottenbreit let a shot fly from the point, and Carter King got the final touch to redirect it past Young for the go-ahead goal. Daniil Miromanov also picked up an assist on what would stand as the game-winner.
Abbotsford pulled their goalie for the final 19 seconds, but Calgary held strong to secure the 3-2 victory. Despite being outshot 36-23, the Wranglers made their chances count-and got the saves they needed when it mattered most.
Stars of the Night
- Ivan Prosvetov: Named the game’s first star after a gutsy performance before his injury exit.
- Turner Ottenbreit: Earned second star honors with a clutch assist on the game-winner and steady play on the back end.
Scoring Summary
- Clark Bishop - 1 goal
- Justin Kirkland - 1 goal
- Carter King - 1 goal
- Matvei Gridin - 1 assist
- William Stromgren - 1 assist
- Turner Ottenbreit - 1 assist
- Daniil Miromanov - 1 assist
What’s Next
The Wranglers won’t have much time to rest-or regroup. They’re right back at it Wednesday night for a rematch against the Canucks.
The big question now: Will Prosvetov be available? If not, Calgary could be scrambling to call up Arsenii Sergeev or Connor Murphy from Rapid City, or they might even dip into emergency backup options.
Puck drops at 8:00 p.m. MT. Calgary’s road trip continues, and if Tuesday’s third period is any indication, this team still has plenty of fight left in them.