Wranglers Snap Losing Streak, Defeat Canucks 3-2
The Calgary Wranglers (30-17-4) avoided a winless February with a 3-2 victory over the Abbotsford Canucks on Friday night at the Scotiabank Saddledome. The victory was the their first since defeating the Canucks on Jan. 31.
Things looked bleak for the Wrangles to start the game, as not only did the Canucks open the scoring at 5:45, but they outshot the home team 13-5 in the first period.
Calgary went long stretches without getting a puck on goal, firing it wide and high, ultimately leading to a break the other way.
However, they turned things around in the second period. At the tail end of a 5-on-3 power play, Rory Kerins scored his 23rd of the season thanks to helpers from William Strömgren and Martin Frk.
Rory Kerins 👏 Rory Kerins 👏 pic.twitter.com/AnBGUTVtZK
— Calgary Wranglers (@AHLWranglers) March 1, 2025
Kerins and Frk, the Wranglers' leading scorer with 46 points, had been pointless in the past two games. Their three-game point streaks were snapped on the weekend.
Meanwhile, the Canucks took another penalty at 16:44 when Sammy Blais went off for tripping. Despite not scoring on the man advantage, the Wranglers had Abbotsford scrambling in their zone and took advantage of a player without a stick.
Six seconds after returning to 5-on-5, Parker Bell fired one home to give Calgary their first lead of the game at 18:50. Defensemen Jeremie Poirier and Hunter Brzustewicz had assists.
Wranglers head coach Joe Cirella speaks to the teams effort after snapping their losing streak. pic.twitter.com/wGUSYeUPG6
— Calgary Wranglers (@AHLWranglers) March 1, 2025
After 40 minutes, the Canucks had doubled up the Wranglers in shots, 24-12, but the home team went into the dressing room with one goal lead.
A little over five minutes into the third, Brett Davis scored his first AHL goal when he beat two Canucks players to the slot to bury a feed from Yan Kuznetsov and Lucas Ciona at 5:37.
Brett Davis notches his first AHL career goal! pic.twitter.com/jdhl5bcceh
— Calgary Wranglers (@AHLWranglers) March 1, 2025
At 7:35, the Canucks made things interesting when Danila Klimovich scored to make it 3-2 with 13 minutes to go.
The Canucks pulled Nikita Tolopilo on an icing call with three minutes to play. Morton scored into the empty net at 2:05, but the goal was immediately waved off for a hand pass, despite Frk arguing it went off his shin and not his glove.
With 53.5 seconds left, Waltteri Ignatjew robbed Max Sasson in the slot, snuffing out any chance Abbotsford had to tie the contest.
Starting against the Canucks for the first time in his career, Ignatjew finished the night with 36 saves on 38 shots. He is now 10-4-3, improving his GAA to 3.51 and SV% to .890.
Meanwhile, Tolopilo ended the game with 19 saves on 22 shots and is 12-13-2 in 27 games.
Highlights | 02.28.25 The Wranglers took a 3-2 victory over the Abbotsford Canucks in game one of the weekend series.
These two Western rivals play again on Saturday evening at the Saddledome. The two points catapulted the Wranglers into a tie for first place in the Pacific Division.
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