AHL All-Star Devin Cooley returned to the Calgary Wranglers lineup on Sunday, but the San Diego Gulls spoiled the party with a 5-4 win.
Watching the Calgary Wranglers (28-13-2-0) play the San Diego Gulls (12-21-4-2) is not for the faint of heart. Every time these two meet, the games usually go down to the wire, including Sunday's contest which required overtime to determine the winner.
In All-Star Devin Cooley's return to the crease, he got beat just 1:31 into overtime as the Gulls split their weekend series with the Wranglers thanks to a 5-4 win.
Heading into the third, Calgary spotted the visitors a 3-2 lead but rallied with two goals, one from Martin Frk at 8:10 and then a game-tying lamplighter from Lucas Ciona at 13:17.
After playing five disciplined periods against San Diego, the Wranglers took two costly penalties, including one in overtime. Ultimately, the Gulls went up 4-3 on a power play goal and eventually won the game on another.
Meanwhile, in his first action since Jan. 10, Cooley finished the afternoon with 27 saves for a .844 SV%, one of his lowest totals of the season. At the other end, former Wranglers backstopper Oscar Dansk made 24 saves.
Following a big 7-5 win on Saturday night, Calgary opened the scoring at 8:09 when Adam Klapka lit the lamp for his 13th of the season on the power play.
Tyson Barrie picked up his first assist in Wranglers' sweater, while William Stromgren had the second helper as the pair combined to get the puck on the net, where Klapka pounced on a loose puck In the crease for the game's first goal.
The Gulls tied things at 1-1 at 18:39 before Sam Morton opened the second period with his second goal in two games at 4:17. His second goal in as many games also came on the power play with a perfectly placed wrist shot. Both Barrie and Stromgren earned assists for the second straight goal.
However, the Wranglers' lead evaporated, with San Diego getting the game's following two goals from Rodwin Dioncio (7:37) and Nico Myatovic (12:52).
Frk tied things at 3-3 at 8:10 thanks to another Stromgren assist, his third, and Hunter Brzustewicz. Playing pass with one another, Frk fed it back to the point, circled into the slot, untouched, received the pass back, and sniped it home.
Then, with Jeremie Poirier off for slashing, Tristian Luneau restored the Gulls lead with his first of two power-play goals.
Once Ciona tied things up at 4-4 with a wraparound goal, Jeremie Poirier was whistled for a tripping penalty, allowing San Diego to end things in regulation.
Unable to capitalize on the man advantage, the two teams returned to 3-on-3, but Barrie took a holding penalty, setting the stage for Luneau to end the game at 1:31.
Although special teams helped the Wranglers win on Saturday, they weren't as effective on Sunday. They went 2-for-4 on the power play and only killed off two of their four penalties.
Despite a third-period push that saw Calgary register 12 shots on goal, the Gulls outshot the home team 32-28.
Sunday marks the last Wranglers' home game until Feb. 15 and 17, when they host the Ontario Reign. Their next game is Saturday, Feb. 1, in Abbotsford, where they face the Canucks.
