The opposition may have been a bunch of Roadrunners, but it was the Wranglers who put the pedal to the metal early Friday night, then hung on for a 4-2 victory over Tucson at the Saddledome.
Calgary jumped to a 2-0 first period advantage, getting goals from William Stromgren 17 seconds in, followed by Jonathan Aspirot.
Following a scoreless second period, Martin Frk scored to build the Wrangler lead to 3-0.
Tucson staged a third period rally, getting a pair of goals from Egor Sokolov and 6’9” Curtis Douglas to make it a one-goal game heading into the final minutes before Dryden Hunt scored into an empty net to provide the final margin of victory for Calgary.
The towering Douglas also traded haymakers with Wrangler enforcer Alex Gallant in the second period.
Next up for Calgary is a Roadrunner rematch at the Saddledome.
Puck drop is scheduled for 6 p.m.