By: Annie Nadin – 19.12.24.
Bring it home and regroup.
The Wranglers return to Calgary empty handed after their 2-1 loss to the Ontario Reign Wednesday night.
Sam Morton scored in the loss.
The night started as a slow burn, with both teams showing their best defensive chops in a tight first period.
The Wranglers managed just four shots on goal, while the Reign fired 12, but neither team could break through, thanks to strong performances in net.
Devin Cooley, who was arguably the star of the game for Calgary, stopped everything thrown his way in the opening 20 minutes.
The game began to pick up in the second period, with Calgary striking first after Morton found himself in the perfect spot.
Sam + Sam = Deadly 🚨 pic.twitter.com/90p6E4zCtR
— Calgary Wranglers (@AHLWranglers) December 19, 2024
Rookie Sam Honzek fed a precise pass to Morton on the left wing and with a quick release, Mortonscored  just past the midpoint of the period.
However, the lead would be short-lived.
The Reign responded, with Shawn Element scoring for Ontario late in the period to even things.
The Wranglers had given up just one goal, but they couldn’t sustain their lead long enough to build any real momentum.
The Reign outshot Calgary 26-8 in the middle frame, forcing the Wranglers to play catch-up.
With a 12-0-1 record this season when scoring first, the Wranglers had been resilient in similar situations.
Heading into the final period, the game was still anyone’s to win.
But it was Ontario who would take the lead in the third, as Charles Hudon found the back of the net for the game-winner.
The Wranglers fought for the remainder of the game, continuing to battle for scoring opportunities, but it was not enough.
Despite some quality chances, Calgary was unable to get the equalizer, and time ran out on their hopes of a comeback.
Cooley’s Stellar Performance in Vain
While the Wranglers came up short, they couldn’t have asked for a better performance between the pipes.
Cooley, in what could only be described as a workhorse effort, finished the game with a remarkable 36 saves.
The netminder has found his footing in Calgary, recently being called up to the Flames.
Despite the loss, Cooley’s performance served as a silver lining for Calgary.
The goaltender has consistently shown his ability to make game-changing stops, and his 36-save effort against Ontario was a perfect example of his resilience and skill.
