CAVENDISH FARMS REPORT - 11.03.23

The Wranglers are post-season bound.
With a 2-0 win over the Ontario Reign on Friday night, Calgary officially clinched a playoff spot in their inaugural season and will compete for the Calder Cup this spring.

There is just over a month left in the AHL regular season - which wraps up on April 16 - but even with that 'X' by their name, there is still plenty for the Wranglers to play for down the stretch.
Calgary has won four in a row and are the first team to 40 wins this season, however, they are still in a tight race for first place overall in the league standings. The Wranglers currently occupy the number one spot with 85 points, but Pacific Division rivals, the Coachella Valley Firebirds, are five points back with six games in-hand. The Toronto Marlies are also in contention with 79 points out of the east.
The Wranglers currently sit first in the standings and are eyeing a potential first-round bye into the postseason.
Expectations are high in Wranglers country.

PREVIOUS RESULTS:

PLENTY OF MOVES:

The Flames acquired (D) Kristians Rubins from the Ottawa Senators on March 10 and assigned him to the Wranglers.
Earlier, Calgary acquired forward Dryden Hunt in a trade with Toronto that sent Radim Zohorna the other way. In his first game with the Wranglers against Colorado on March 4, Hunt scored a goal and added an assist, and says his transition has been smooth so far.
"I was actually really excited," explained Hunt, when asked about his Wranglers debut. "It's been a long year for me, a couple different teams, so to be coming to a place where I'm familiar, with guys I'm familiar with, I was really excited."
The Wranglers made a series of minor transactions this week, as well:

DANSK BACK BETWEEN PIPES:

Calgary got a boost with the return of goaltender Oscar Dansk, who was sidelined for over a month after a collision in the crease in Bakersfield on Feb. 3.
Dansk made his return on March 7 against the Colorado Eagles, making 34 saves to pick up his sixth win of the season and third 'W' in his last four appearances.
"Felt good. It's always a bit nervous when you come back in there, but I've got a great team in front of me and they did a good job protecting me," said Dansk.
Dansk wore a custom mask during the game that he is auctioning off at the end of the season in support of the Ronald McDonald House. It features a mix of drawings created by the Ronald McDonald House Calgary kids, plus his favorite Star Wars characters and, of course, his beloved dog Bodi.
"Super cool project," expressed Dansk. "All the finishing touches were brought to me by Dave Froed, so all three parts coming together created a great mask that I'm really proud of."

ONE TIMERS:

• Dustin Wolf registered his 34th win of the season on Wednesday March 9, turning aside 34 shots in a 2-0 win against the Reign. Wolf leads all AHL goaltenders in wins this season and shutouts, with five.
• Adam Klapka was a force for Calgary in the recent four-game set against the Eagles. He notched three points (1g, 2a) and a fighting major in that span.
• Josh Brook scored his first goal as a member of the Wranglers and added an assist against the Eagles, for his first multipoint game of the season.

QUOTEABLE:

Ben Jones talks about playing in front of Dustin Wolf this season:
"He bails us out at least once a period… Having that extra security blanket back there is big for us and the confidence he gives us is huge."
Mitch Love comments on the buy-in from the group this season:
"I think the guys are starting to understand where they fit, what their jobs are and what they need to do."