Wranglers End Season in Series Loss to Firebirds

The dust has settled from a hard-fought five games between the Calgary Wranglers & Coachella Valley Firebirds, and the Wranglers are the ones left going home. Calgary had their exit interviews on Tuesday, May 23 after being eliminated from the AHL Calder Cup Playoffs on Friday, May 19. Here’s a look at how this series played out.

Game 1

This heavyweight battle got started with a quick burst of scoring in Game 1 in Calgary. Being the higher seeded team, the Wranglers opted for home ice for the first two games of the series — something that some claim may have come back to bite them later in the series. 

Coachella Valley got things going early with two goals in the first five minutes of the game. The first came 1:48 into the period from Luke Henman; the second was from Jeremy McKenna 4:39 into the first. 

The Wranglers were able to get back on the board with a power play goal from Jakob Pelletier 5:04 into the period, but Coachella Valley’s two-goal lead was quickly re-established. Max McCormick scored for the Firebirds 7:11 into the first. The back and forth continued with a goal from Calgary’s Dryden Hunt at 8:19.

After the first, the score was 3-2 Firebirds. In the second, Kole Lind scored 35 seconds into the middle frame. Adam Klapka answered back for the Wranglers at 6:04, but that would be the last goal for Calgary on the night. Carsen Twarynski scored for Coachella Valley at 8:24 of the period, ending Dustin Wolf’s night between the pipes. 

Oscar Dansk came in relief in net and let a power play goal in shortly after. He kept everything else out, and the 6-3 score that remained after two periods stayed until the end of the game. The Firebirds took Game 1. 

Game 2

The second game of the series was also played in Calgary and had a much better result for the home team. Scoring took a little longer to get started, but Connor Zary was able to get on the board first for the Wranglers with his first of the postseason. This was a power play goal with just 1:58 left in the first period. 

Lind answered back before the end of the period as both sides went into the first intermission tied, 1-1. In the second period, Pelletier scored to retake the Wranglers lead 1:44 into the middle frame.

No other scoring took place until Brett Sutter scored 3:45 into the third. This first postseason goal by the captain would go onto be the game-winner. 7:59 into the third, Gustav Olofsson scored for Coachella Valley to put them within one, but it wasn’t enough for a full comeback. The Wranglers won Game 2 by a score of 3-2, tying the series 1-1.

Around The AHL

• Wranglers End Season in Series Loss to Firebirds
• Wranglers Advance, Set To Play Coachella Valley This Week
• Eagles Lose Game 5, Eliminated From Playoffs
• Expanded AHL Playoffs Don’t Quite Pay Off
• Firebirds Tie Series on True’s Shorthanded Stunner

Game 3

Game 3 was the longest of the series — a triple overtime decision for the first game in Palm Desert, CA. Klapka scored on the power play 8:25 into the game. Pelletier scored next 15:23 into the first and the Wranglers finished up the opening frame up, 2-0.

In the second period, the Firebirds got a goal back with a marker from Olofsson. That was the only scoring in that frame as Coachella Valley’s comeback continued into the third. McCormick scored 2:59 into the third and tied the game, 2-2. Regulation timed out with the same score and these two went to overtime. 

In overtime, the Wranglers had many opportunities to win it, outshooting the Firebirds 19-3. However, no one could beat Joey Daccord. In double overtime, shots were an even 7-7. But, with fatigue kicking in, neither side could find the back of the net in this frame either.

In triple overtime, the Firebirds outshot the Wranglers, 10-9. The 10th Coachella Valley shot was the game-winning goal from Ryker Evans. This game ended in a 3-2 triple overtime decision and put the Firebirds up 2-1 in the series. 

Game 4

This was the Wranglers’ first taste of possible elimination in this series. Things tightened up, with Calgary doing everything in their power to stay alive after falling in the hard-fought game a couple of nights before. No one was able to break open the scoring in the first period, but Cole Schwindt did find the back of the net with a power play goal 7:20 into the second period.

There was no other scoring in this game despite their best efforts from each side. Wolf earned a shutout in net and the Wranglers held on for another game in this best-of-five to tie the series, 2-2. 

Game 5

Game 5 is one Calgary would have liked at home, but due to the AHL’s way of scheduling playoff series, it was still in Coachella Valley’s barn. It was another decision that had to be taken out of regulation and was a high scoring game. 

Jesper Froden kicked things off for the Firebirds with a goal 13:28 into the first period. The Wranglers answered back early in the second period with a goal from Kristians Rubins, his first of the postseason. 33 seconds after Rubins’ goal, Ville Petman scored for Coachella Valley and put them ahead, 2-1. Calgary evened things up 6:09 into the second with a goal from Clark Bishop.

These two were tied 2-2 through the second, and scoring exploded in the third with one of the most eventful periods of the series. McKenna scored first 2:20 in, then Nick DeSimone scored for Calgary at 7:14. Olofsson scored 7:54 into the third, then Jeremie Poirier scored at 8:24. Calgary almost had a lead to hold with a goal from Schwindt at 13:02, but McKenna scored at 14:13 and this game was tied 5-5 by the end of 60 minutes. 

Exactly seven minutes into overtime, Andrew Poturalski scored a huge goal for Coachella Valley and won the game and the series for them. The Firebirds won the series 3-2 and won Game 5 by a score of 6-5.

The Western Conference Finals 

The Coachella Valley Firebirds advance to face the Milwaukee Admirals starting Thursday, May 25. The Wranglers ended their campaign as the best of the regular season, but were bested in the postseason by their division rival. They are left wondering what could have been with a close series loss and an incredible inaugural season ended so close to the finish line.