The defence recently received a boost from a familiar pair of bruising blueliners, with Nick DeSimone and Dennis Gilbert returning from their stints with the Flames. DeSimone has two goals and two assists since returning to the Wranglers, and Gilbert has played one game since being recalled, but fought three times in seven games with the big club, and adds an integral infusion of grit and strength into the lineup.
Oh and look out world, Jeremie Poirer is really starting to settle in.
The Flames third-round draft pick (No.72) in 2020 has six points (2g, 4A) in his last six games, including scoring the overtime winner against Abbotsford. Poirier currently leads all rookie defencemen in scoring with 15-points (3g,12A) in 18 games this season.
The goaltending in this recent stretch has been outstanding. Dustin Wolf now leads the league in goaltender wins with 10, with a 2.59 goals-against average (GAA) and a 0.915 save-percentage (Sv%). He has played the second-highest minutes of any goaltender in the league this season at 810:34.
Meanwhile, Oscar Dansk posted his first win with the Wranglers last week, making 28-saves against the Abbotsford Canucks on Nov. 25 and was named the Second Star of the game.
He admitted to feeling the nerves a little prior to the start.
"Excited and nervous … I think both," Dansk revealed.
"I felt better and better through the whole game. I think the guys played really well in front of me and made it simple for me and able to see the shots and make the appropriate reads. I'm really proud of the way we played."
