Wranglers Trail Series

It was another tightly contested game on Wednesday night as the Wranglers and Coachella Valley Firebirds faced off for Game 3 of this best-of-five series.

However, double-minor for high-sticking was the Wranglers' undoing, as Coachella scored on both minor penalties in the third period to help give the Firebirds a 7-5 win and a 2-1 series lead.

Jeremie Poirier had a goal and two assists, while Jonathan Aspirot, Adam Klapka, Jakob Pelletier and Cole Schwindt also scored for the Wranglers, who now face elimination on Friday night back in Palm Desert, Calif.

It didn’t take long for the Wranglers to open the scoring on Wednesday as Aspirot struck late on their first powerplay on a shot from the point to make it 1-0.

Coachella Valley - like they did in Sunday - had a response, scoring two quickly to make it 2-1 Firebirds after one.

Calgary went back to the man-advantage early in the second period and once again, they found the net as Klapka pushed one in backdoor to make it 2-2.

Both teams traded penalties 17 seconds apart leading to 1:43 of 4-on-4 time. Coachella was able to capitalize quickly on the extra space making it 3-2.

The Firebirds took another penalty making it a 4-on-3 for 1:14 directly after their goal to take the lead. The Wranglers were unable to tie the game back up.

The Wranglers went back to the powerplay with just over one-minute to go in the middle-frame, which they would carry over to the final period.

Calgary capitalized early in the third as Poirier picked up his third point of the night on a spinning shot entering the zone that fooled Chris Driedger to make it 3-3.

Shortly after, the Wranglers gave the puck away in the offensive zone on the powerplay and the Firebirds went in on a 2-on-1, scoring shorthanded to give them a 4-3 lead.

Once again, the lead didn’t last long, as on that same powerplay, Schwindt grabbed his fourth goal of the postseason from the high slot to make it 4-4 at 7:03 - giving the Wranglers their third powerplay goal of the game.

Klapka took a double-minor for high-sticking with 12:06 remaining in the game and the Firebirds gained the lead for the fourth time of the night with a shot through traffic to make it 5-4, and then again on the second half of the infraction to go up 6-4.

The Wranglers wouldn’t go away, as Pelletier found the back of the net from the high slot to make it 6-5 with 8:16 remaining.

Calgary went on the powerplay just after the goal, but were unable to tie the game.

The Wranglers tried for the equalizer but Coachella was able to find the empty net with Dustin Wolf pulled to make the final 7-5 and give them a 2-1 series lead.

These two teams go back at it for Game 4 on Friday at 8 p.m. MT.

They Said It: