The Calgary Wranglers’ season once more ends in the desert. On Saturday night the Coachella Valley Firebirds rode a late second-period goal from Mitchell Stephens and a 23-save shutout by rookie goalie Nikke Kokko to a 2-0 win, finishing a two-game sweep of their Pacific Division opening series. Coachella Valley now advances to face the Abbotsford Canucks in the division semifinals.
Tight check, short bench, one breakthrough
For nearly 36 minutes the rematch felt like a goaltending duel. Kokko—working on only two days’ rest after a 102-minute marathon Tuesday—handled every Calgary look, while Wranglers netminder Waltteri Ignatjew matched him save for save. The stalemate cracked at 15:22 of the second period when rookie center Nathan Villeneuve led a four-on-two rush and dropped the puck to Stephens, who snapped a low wrister through Ignatjew’s blocker side. It was Stephens’s third consecutive Firebirds goal dating back to his double-overtime winner in Game 1.
From there the Firebirds leaned on their league-top-five penalty kill, snuffing out two Wranglers power plays to finish a perfect 11-for-11 in the series. Calgary pulled Ignatjew with 1:15 left, but veteran John Hayden stole a rim around the boards and lofted a 140-foot backhand into the empty net with 16.5 seconds remaining, sealing Kokko’s first AHL shutout.
Stephens’s redemption arc
Signed by Seattle last July and shuffled between the NHL and AHL all season, Stephens posted only six goals in 35 regular-season games. In this two-game set he delivered three—in overtime, the game opener, and the series clincher—reminding everyone why the Kraken bet on his playoff pedigree. His line with Jacob Melanson and David Goyette produced timely secondary chances all night, even as scoring leaders Jani Nyman and Ben Meyers were largely kept to the perimeter.
Kokko comes of age
Kokko’s calm has been the revelation of the opening round. After making 36 saves in the triple-OT classic, the 20-year-old Finn read every Calgary screen and tracked pucks cleanly through traffic, finishing the series with a 1.46 GAA and .958 save percentage. With Seattle searching for a dependable NHL backup next season, Kokko’s playoff poise is arriving at the perfect moment.
Special teams could tip the balance
Coachella’s penalty kill, which operated at 85.2 percent in the regular season, snuffed out all 11 Wrangler power plays and even generated momentum-swinging zone clears in both games. The Firebirds’ own power play, however, was held scoreless in the sweep. Against Abbotsford’s aggressive PK, cleaner entries and quicker puck movement are needed to tilt close games.
The road ahead
The Firebirds have now eliminated Calgary in three straight springs, but each victory has been followed by tougher opposition. Round 2 brings a fresh postseason matchup: the Abbotsford Canucks. Although this is the first-ever playoff meeting between the two Pacific Division clubs, the Firebirds dominated the regular-season series, winning three of four contests (3-1-0-0) and improving their all-time mark against Abbotsford to 12-3-0-1. The Canucks arrive with plenty of skill up front and a reliable goaltending tandem, but Coachella Valley counters with a rested Nikke Kokko, a suddenly clutch Mitchell Stephens, and the scoring punch of Jani Nyman—all key ingredients as the Firebirds continue their quest for that elusive Calder Cup.