CAVENDISH FARMS REPORT - 09.11.22

Not a bad run.
The Wranglers wrapped up their weekend with back-to-back wins on home ice, first on Friday with a 3-2 against the Tucson Roadrunners and then an 8-2 victory against the San Jose Barracuda on Sunday.
They then capped off their homestand with a 4-0 win against the Barracuda on Tuesday night, with Dustin Wolf picking up his fifth win of the season following a 24-save shutout.

Heading into Sunday's game against San Jose, the energy around the Scotiabank Saddledome just felt different. It was more than just the lingering afterglow of the Wranglers' first home win of the season; the feeling leading up to puck drop was palpable, almost electric.

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ANSWERING THE CALL:

The Flames (NHL) recalled Nick DeSimone and Dennis Gilbert Sunday, who joined the big club on their current road trip. As a result, the Wranglers called up defencemen Simon Lavigne and forward Rory Kerins from Rapid City (ECHL). Kerins drew into the lineup that same night, and scored a goal… well, sort of. The goal was called back due to goaltender interference, but it helped set the tone for the team early on in the game.
A big question heading into the game was directed towards the defensive group in particular. How would the Wranglers blueliners respond without two of their top defensemen?
Nicholas Meloche had two helpers in the contest and Ilya Solovyov added an assist, while Colton Poolman and Josh Brook stepped in and performed admirably after limited action so far this season. Brook recorded two shots, had two penalty minutes and was plus-1 in his first game this year. Jeremie Poirier led the way offensively with three assists and was named the third star of the game. He was happy with how the group performed despite DeSimone and Gilbert's absence.
"We had a good team effort and everyone contributed," said Poirier. "It's good for us to get a big win like that."
"When you lose two guys like that you just have to step it up a little bit and play as a group of six back there."

RECENT RESULTS:

PHILLY'S FLYIN':

There's certainly a well-deserved buzz around Matthew Phillips lately, who sits tied for first in league scoring with nine goals and 14 points in ten games so far this season. The 24-year-old is currently riding an eight-game point streak, with 12 points (7g,5a) in that span, including two game-winning goals and a hat-trick performance against the Barracuda on Sunday.
"It's fun to score a big goal like that, that's why I play the game, for big moments like that so it was a good feeling," Phillips explained.
"I think we have found an understanding of how we need to play, and to see that getting results, like two wins in a row, feels good."

ONE-TIMERS:

QUOTABLES:

Wranglers head coach Mitch Love on Ben Jones' two-goal performance.
"I liked Jones' game, not just because he had the two goals, but he was just more engaged in the hockey game physically. He won more battles, he's a big faceoff guy for us and I thought he did a good job there. If you go to the hard areas and win battles, wherever it's at on the ice sheet, you get rewarded offensively and that's a lesson for him and a lot of our guys."
Dustin Wolf comments on the game plan:
"The message has stayed the same. We're trying to put together a full-sixty minutes," said Wolf. "We did a better job of executing that plan and if we're able to play sixty minutes every night we're going to like our chances."