The Calgary Wranglers (29-17-4-2) went winless on their three-game California road trip, getting shut out 4-0 by the San Diego Gulls on Wednesday night. On the rare occasion when Calgary outshot an opponent, they couldn’t solve newly acquired Ville Husso, who finished his first game with the Gulls by making 34 saves.
Two days ago, the Anaheim Ducks acquired the 30-year-old Finnish netminder and immediately assigned him to the Gulls. Tuesday was his first start. Interestingly, he had been playing with the Grand Rapids Griffins, compiling an 8-4-0 record in 12 games, including a victory on Feb. 21.
Meanwhile, the Wranglers remain winless since Jan. 31, when they defeated the Abbotsford Canucks 5-1. Moreover, Wednesday night marked the first time Calgary was shut out since the Henderson Silver Knights blanked them 3-0 on Dec. 22. Surprisingly, it’s only the second time the Wranglers have been shut out this season.
Back in goal for his ninth start in 11 games, 27-year-old Devin Cooley was playing in his 100th AHL game. He held the Gulls off the board in the first period, but Justin Bailey broke up Cooley’s shutout bid just four seconds into the second. About two minutes late at 2:07, Sasha Pastujov put San Diego up 2-0.
The middle frame gave the Gulls their best chances, as Cooley faced 13 shots, the only time they reached double digits in a single period. In the third, San Diego put the game out of reach with an Easton Brodzinski goal at 8:30 and sealed the win with a Nathan Gaucher unassisted tally at 14:31.
Even though each team had two power-play opportunities, neither took a penalty in the third period as the Wranglers bookended the game with the game’s first and last power-play chance.
Despite not breaking up Husso’s shutout, the Wranglers came out guns blazing with 17 first-period shots on goal, one of their most dominant opening periods recently. Parker Bell tied San Diego’s Nikita Nesterenko for the most shots with five. Overall, only four Calgary players failed to register a shot on goal, another indication that everyone in the lineup was trying to break the goose egg on the scoreboard.
The Wranglers are home for their next four games, starting with a Friday and Saturday shutdown with the Abbotsford Canucks, followed by a Tuesday and Wednesday set against the Coachella Valley Firebirds. Although each team plays someone else before their matchup next week, it will be an intriguing set to follow as the Wranglers and Firebirds are now tied with 64 points apiece in the AHL Pacific Division.
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