Photo: Mike Zitek
For the third year in a row, the end of the Calgary Wranglers’ road is in Palm Desert, California.
Nikke Kokko made 23 saves and Mitchell Stephens scored his third goal of the series as the Coachella Valley Firebirds defeated the Wranglers, 2-0, to complete a two-game sweep of their Pacific Division first-round series on Saturday.
The Firebirds have eliminated the Wranglers in each of the teams’ three years of existence, closing out the series each time at Acrisure Arena.
Game 2 was scoreless until the latter stages of the second period, when Stephens – the triple-overtime hero in Game 1 on Tuesday – took a drop pass from Nathan Villeneuve on a four-on-two rush and wristed a shot past Waltteri Ignatjew with 4:38 to go in the middle frame.
Kokko and the Firebirds protected the lead until John Hayden stole the puck and hit the empty net with 16.5 seconds left in regulation. It was the first AHL shutout for Kokko; the 2024-25 AHL All-Rookie Team goaltender did not have one in the regular season.
Ignatjew stopped 18 of 19 shots for the Wranglers.
(Coachella Valley wins series, 2-0)
Game 1 – Tue., Apr. 22 – COACHELLA VALLEY 4, Calgary 3 (3OT)
Game 2 – Sat., Apr. 26 – COACHELLA VALLEY 2, Calgary 0
