Flames prospect Stromgren shows potential with decisive playoff goal

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With a hint of trickery and then a burst of speed, Calgary Flames forward prospect William Stromgren darted between a pair of defenders and completed this run by taking the puck to his right and firing off a quick shot.

It was an outstanding goal, without a doubt.

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And it was more than just that. It also proved to be a series-clinching snipe as the Wranglers prevailed in a best-of-three and advanced to the next round of the AHL’s Calder Cup playoffs.

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“It’s the most important time of the year,” Stromgren, a 2021 second-round pick, told Postmedia before the Wranglers’ ousting of the Tucson Roadrunners. “So if you can step up and be a really good player in the playoffs and help the team, I’d say that’s probably more than just the regular season points.”

Very sure.

And in that case, Stromgren’s first stellar performance in Friday’s decider in Tucson is a great sign.

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The 20-year-old winger also assisted on Calgary’s first tally of the night, starting a tic-tac-toe sequence that was highlighted by Adam Klapka’s nifty no-look dish to Sam Morton for a man-advantage score.

Stromgren then pulled ahead about halfway through the third, scoring a crucial goal with that impressive solo effort. One of the characters he burned in that sequence has over 200 nights of NHL experience.

The Roadrunners clawed back points in the late stages, so Stromgren’s goal counted as the game-winner, as the seventh-seeded Wranglers earned a 4-3 victory, a 2-0 series sweep. and advanced to face the division-leading Coachella Valley Firebirds in a best-of-five matchup.

Flames clubbers will be home for Games 1 and 2 at the Saddledome (mark your calendars for Friday at 7 p.m. and Sunday at 4 p.m.) before the action heads south for Games 3 to 5. The Firebirds, the Seattle Kraken’s top affiliate, won six of eight against the Wranglers during the regular season.

“Like we said in the room, coming in here as an underdog and fighting this second-place team, it’s just great for the group,” Stromgren told Wranglers TV after Friday’s win in Tucson. “Everyone knows that we have a very tight group and everyone wants to win here. “It feels very good for the group to move on to the next (round).”

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While Stromgren posted a solid stat line in his rookie campaign, emerging as a regular contributor in the second half and finishing with 27 points in 68 outings, any talk about the skilled Swede is often served with a side of “might- coulda-shoulda.” That has nothing to do with the child.

When the Flames named Stromgren 45th overall in the 2021 NHL Draft, some fans expected to target Logan Stankoven, an undersized winger who had been filling out the net as one of Connor Zary’s junior teammates in Kamloops . Stankoven was eventually selected 47th overall by the Dallas Stars, and he’s already making a dent in the Big D.

Stromgren, listed at 6-foot-3 and 195 pounds, can’t control his draft position and the comparisons that arise as a result. To his credit, he continues to prove that he is also worth getting excited about, that he could be a factor in the future for the Flames.

It’s not worth it that Stromgren, who turns 21 in June, is the youngest guy in the Wranglers’ playoff lineup.

It’s also worth remembering that he spent last winter in the Swedish hockey league. There would surely be an adjustment to the smaller ice surface.

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There’s no doubt he has soft hands and intriguing offensive upside. He scored a goal in the shootout last month in Colorado that was just disgusting.

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“I must say that in some ways it surprises me. It’s really good,” praised the Wranglers’ Jakob Pelletier, who had Stromgren as his linemate in the latter stages of the regular season. “It’s fast. He is In fact fast. He is a thinker. He wants to make plays. He wants to play in the offensive zone. He is also not afraid to use his body.”

“He’s one of those kids you can never count him out,” echoed head coach Trent Cull during Friday’s postgame interview with Wranglers TV. “Because he has very good skill and can come up in those important situations.”

As he did to eliminate the Roadrunners.

As he will try to do against the Firebirds, who enjoyed a first-round bye.

“I would say from the beginning to Christmas, it was harder than I expected, for sure,” Stromgren said, recapping his progress as a rookie in the AHL. “But since the new year, I think I’ve gotten back to playing my game and I’ve played it better. It gives me confidence. I think the second half of the season has been much better than the first. It’s a different hockey here in Canada and you have to get used to that. I think the beginning was hard for me, but I have softened it in the second part.

“It’s just about learning this game and trying to be the best you can in the shortest amount of time, and I think it’s been getting better and better.”

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SERIES SCHEDULE

Game 1: Firebirds at Wranglers, Friday at 7 pm MT

Game 2: Firebirds at Wranglers, Sunday at 4 pm MT

Game 3: Wranglers at Firebirds, May 8 at 8 pm MT

x-Game 4: Wranglers at Firebirds, May 10 at 8 pm MT

x-Game 5: Wranglers at Firebirds, May 12 at 4 pm MT

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