BRYAN WILSON – 11.17.2023
It went the distance, but Calgary picked up the two points.
The Wranglers (11-1-1) recorded their fifth-straight win with a 5-4 shootout victory over the Ontario Reign at the Toyota Center on Friday night.
Rory Kerins added a goal and an assist – and notched the shootout winner – while Cole Schwindt added a solo tally, and Ben Jones and Clark Bishop both scored their fourth goals of the season.
Jones now has nine points (3g,6a) on his current six-game point streak.
Dustin Wolf (6-1-0-1) was in between the pipes for the Wranglers for his first start since being assigned from the Flames, turning aside 20 shots for his sixth win.
It was an evenly matched opening frame, but the Reign took the lead at 10:55.
Parked in front of the Wranglers net, Akil Thomas took a pass from Alex Turcotte and whipped a pass by Wolf. 1-0.
The lead wouldn’t last long, however.
With the Wranglers on the powerplay, Jonathan Aspirot tossed a shot on net and Kerins got his stick on it in the high slot, redirecting the puck past netminder David Rittich – who last played in the AHL in 2017-18 when he was a member of the Stockton Heat.
1-1 at the break.
Rory is on 🔥 pic.twitter.com/g4Mfy2o5oi
— Calgary Wranglers (@AHLWranglers) November 18, 2023
The Reign would regain the lead early in the second period.
At the 3:42 mark, Andre Lee took a pass at the top of the circle and sent a quick shot glove side on Wolf. 2-1 Ontario.
Calgary would get even at the 10:32 mark, courtesy of Schwindt, who picked up a rebound at the side of the net and roofed it over Rittich to tie the game.
2-2 after 40 minutes.
Schwinny on the spot. pic.twitter.com/FlwZlZvNlo
— Calgary Wranglers (@AHLWranglers) November 18, 2023
The back-and-forth game continued in the third period.
Ontario took the lead once again at the 7:00 mark as Lee scored his second goal of the contest to give the Reign a 3-2 lead.
Calgary would respond just over a minute later, at 8:09, as Jones’ intital shot was blocked, the puck bounced back on his stick and, while down on one knee, hammered home the tying marker.
3-3.
Jonesy, of course! pic.twitter.com/HXDA1Av2X6
— Calgary Wranglers (@AHLWranglers) November 18, 2023
The Wranglers took their first lead of the game at the 16:06 mark when Bishop collected the puck and skated up the ice into the Ontario end, firing a shot off the rush the eluded Rittich.
4-3 Calgary.
Buried by Bish! pic.twitter.com/dEXZJEtYu9
— Calgary Wranglers (@AHLWranglers) November 18, 2023
However, with 1:17 left in the game, the Reign were pressuring in the offensive end and Turcotte finished a tic-tac-toe play to tie the game. 4-4.
It remained tied at the end of regulation… Overtime loomed.
The Wranglers killed off a penalty in the extra frame, but ultimately overtime solved nothing, so the game went to a shootout.
Kerins scored the lone goal for the Wranglers, while Wolf stopped all three shooters he faced to hold on for the win.
5-4 (SO) final.
