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Recap: Moose earn comeback but Wranglers still secure 5-4 overtime win
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Photo credit: Eric Boldt/Calgary Wranglers
Paige Siewert
Jan 4, 2025, 10:00 ESTUpdated: Jan 4, 2025, 02:55 EST
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The Calgary Wranglers hosted the Manitoba Moose on Friday to kick off their second series of the week. They swept the Abbotsford Canucks in their previous two games on Monday and Wednesday and looked to continue in that same trend. Their scoring didn’t take any breaks in this game and they kept a healthy lead for most of the game.
Unfortunately, the Moose made a full comeback and forced this game to overtime. The Wranglers still secured the win and beat the Moose 5-4 in overtime.

Lineup notes

For just a two day break between games, there was a lot of lineup changes for Calgary. Jonathan Aspirot was back from the Spengler Cup and in the game. Also back on the blue line was Artem Grushnikov, who missed a couple of games with an injury. Deni Goure made it to Calgary and made his AHL debut on the fourth line.
The Wranglers also provided an injury update at the start of this game that confirmed that Jarred Tinordi has moved from week-to-week status to day-to-day. Parker Bell is also listed as day-to-day with a lower body injury that has kept him out of the last three games.

Wranglers lines

William Stromgren – Rory Kerins – Dryden Hunt
Sam Honzek – Clark Bishop – Martin Frk 
Lucas Ciona – Sam Morton – Adam Klapka 
Alex Gallant – David Silye – Deni Goure
Hunter Brzustewicz – Yan Kuznetsov
Jonathan Aspirot – Ilya Solovyov 
Artem Grushnikov – Jeremie Poirier 
Waltteri Ignatjew

Game at a glance

With four games this week, it made sense Joe Cirella would change things up in net. Waltteri Ignatjew got his first start of 2025 and was against Kaapo Kahkonen on the visiting end. Prior to puck drop, there was a special guest visitor who was representing the Next Generation theme of the game. Nazem Kadri came out for the puck drop and joined the captains at center ice.
The game got started with the Wranglers on the penalty kill early when Clark Bishop was called for hooking just 1:15 in. The home team was able to kill off this penalty and just past the eight minute mark of the first, they put the first goal on the board. Jeremie Poirier passed up to William Stromgren, who walked into the zone and scored with ease.
The Wranglers kept the pressure on after this goal and scored the next one at 11:35. Martin Frk was in tight for Sam Honzek’s rebound and slipped it past Kahkonen. Clark Bishop also picked up an assist on this goal.
Just over a minute later, the Moose answered back with their first tally of the game from Axel Jonsson-Fjallby. Jonsson-Fjallby scored off a quick release and cut the Wranglers’ lead in half. Calgary went to the penalty kill shortly after and got a power play of their own in the last two minutes of the period. 
With just 11 seconds to go in the frame, Dryden Hunt scored off a set up from Adam Klapka William Stromgren also picked up the secondary assist on this tally. 
By the end of the first, the Wranglers had a 3-1 lead and shots were an even 9-9. Manitoba made a goaltending switch to start the second and Thomas Milic came in for Kahkonen. The Moose were able to get another goal on the board at 3:37 when Parker Ford scored on a one-timer.
Calgary kept the pressure and didn’t want the Moose to use that goal as a comeback tally and ended up scoring at 7:53 off of David Silye’s third lamp lighter of the year. His top corner marker was assisted by Martin Frk and Yan Kuznetsov.
The scoring slowed after Silye’s goal and instead, a back and forth of penalties took place between both sides. By the end of the second period, the score remained 4-2 Calgary and shots were 11-9 favouring Calgary in this frame. 
In the third period, a bit of the emotions of the game started to show themselves but it was nothing to warrant a minor or major penalty of any kind. Instead, they continued to exchange minor penalties for the opening half of the period. In the second half, the Wranglers had the better of the chances and David Silye nearly scored his second of the game. 
The Moose were able to get another goal on the board at 17:20 from Chaz Lucius. Brad Lambert earned the lone assist when Lucius banked the puck off the far post. Manitoba looked to even up the score and took a timeout with 1:37 to go in regulation. After this pause in play, they pulled Thomas Milic for the extra attacker.
It paid off for them as Mason Shaw scored on the doorstep at 18:36. Jonathan Aspirot was falling in front of Ignatjew and prevented him from moving his pad across the crease, but Shaw may have had that one anyway based on his positioning.
The Wranglers lost their 4-2 lead and were all of a sudden working with a tie for the first time this game. That score carried to the end of regulation and these two went to overtime. 
In just the second overtime shift, Clark Bishop patiently got control of the puck and gave his linemates time to set up. He got the puck up to Martin Frk, who delivered the overtime winner just 1:15 into the extra frame. This gave Frk three points on the night and six in his last three games.
This game finished in a 5-4 decision for Calgary and shots finished 31-28 for the home team. The three stars went to Martin Frk for the first, William Stromgren with the second and Dryden Hunt for the third, who played in his 300th AHL game.

Scoring stat summary

Jeremie Poirier – 1A
William Stromgren – 1G, 1A
Dryden Hunt – 1G
Clark Bishop – 2A
David Silye – 1G
Martin Frk – 2G, 1A
Yan Kuznetsov – 1A
Sam Honzek – 1A
Adam Klapka -1A

Highlights

Next up

The Wranglers and Moose go toe to toe again on Sunday for a rare evening game. Usually, they’re in the matinee slot on Sundays. They’ll look to complete this two game sweep with a 6:00 p.m. MT puck drop.

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