Chicago Wolves Game Notes TEXAS at CHICAGO OCTOBER 23, 2019 11 A.M
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2019-20 Chicago Wolves Game Notes TEXAS AT CHICAGO OCTOBER 23, 2019 11 a.m. AHLTV FERGUSON JOINS THE PANTHEON 2019-20 Rookie goaltender Dylan Ferguson made his American Hockey League debut Sunday afternoon TALE OF THE TAPE and backstopped the Chicago Wolves to a 3-2 shootout victory over the Milwaukee Admirals. The Lantzville, British Columbia, native rejected 35 of 37 shots during regulation and overtime before REGULAR-SEASON SERIES 0-0-0-0 Texas | 0-0-0-0 Chicago stopping both of the Admirals’ shootout attempts. LAST MEETING It was an impressive performance for anyone, but particularly for a 21-year-old who hadn’t played a March 22, 2019 professional game -- with the exception of a nine-minute stint during mopup time for the NHL’s Vegas Golden Knights on Nov. 14, 2017. “He’s confident – and that’s one of his biggest strengths,” Wolves head coach Rocky Thompson said 3-2-0-1 2-3-1-0 after the game. “He doesn’t let the moment take control of his emotions. People would call that a gamer. They love playing – it doesn’t matter the situation. If you’re under a big spotlight, they just TOP SCORERS want to play. That’s important. Probably the most important quality when you’re a goaltender.” TEXAS CHICAGO Skater G A Pts Skater G A Pts At 21 years and 30 days of age, Ferguson became the youngest goaltender to win a Wolves game Kero 0 5 5 Elvenes 3 6 9 since Stanley Cup-winning goaltender Jordan Binnington -- who was 20 years old when he helped Bleackley 3 1 4 Quinney 2 2 4 the Wolves earn a shootout win over the Rockford IceHogs on Jan. 5, 2014. But Binnington isn’t the Bayreuther 1 3 4 Brown 3 0 3 youngest goaltender in Wolves history to earn a win. x Gurianov 3 0 3 McKenzie 2 1 3 It’s a pretty impressive list that Ferguson joined: SERIES GAME-BY-GAME Date Location Result SF-SA PP PK GOALTENDER BIRTHDATE FIRST WOLVES WIN AGE Oct. 23 Allstate Arena 11 a.m. - - - Rick DiPietro Sept. 19, 1981 Oct. 7, 2000 at Cincinnati 19 years, 18 days Dec. 21 Allstate Arena 7 p.m. - - - Eddie Pasquale Nov. 20, 1990 Oct. 10, 2010 at Oklahoma City 19 years, 324 days Dec. 22 Allstate Arena 3 p.m. - - - Kari Lehtonen Nov. 16, 1983 Oct. 18, 2003 vs. Utah 19 years, 336 days Jan. 2 Allstate Arena 7 p.m. - - - Jan. 24 H-E-B Center 7 p.m. - - - Ondrej Pavelec Aug. 31, 1987 Oct. 6, 2007 at Houston 20 years, 36 days Jan. 25 H-E-B Center 7 p.m. - - - Jordan Binnington July 11, 1993 Jan. 5, 2014 vs. Rockford 20 years, 178 days March 20 H-E-B Center 7 p.m. - - - Dylan Ferguson Sept. 20, 1998 Oct. 20, 2019 vs. Milwaukee 21 years, 30 days March 21 H-E-B Center 7 p.m. - - - Michael Garnett Nov. 25, 1982 Jan. 17, 2004 vs. Manitoba 21 years, 53 days WELCOME BACK, ZACH ALL-TIME RECORD BREAKDOWN As a rookie last season, defenseman Zach Whitecloud led the American Hockey League in plus-minus Seasons Home Road Overall rating last season (+39) and played a crucial role on the Wolves’ Western Conference championship 2009-2019 10-12-2-2 11-11-3-0 21-23-5-2 squad. Whitecloud was contending for a job with the NHL’s Vegas Golden Knights this fall when he suffered an injury during an exhibition game. After working hard on his rehabilitation, Whitecloud was WE ARE THE WOLVES loaned to the Wolves by Vegas on Tuesday. In March 2012, the Chicago Wolves signed undrafted free agent defenseman Brad Hunt to a tryout contract. LAST TWO GAMES Hunt joined the team shortly after wrapping up his SUNDAY, OCT. 20 (AT) CHICAGO 3, MILWAUKEE 2 (SO) college career at Bemidji State -- and promptly looked • The Wolves battled back from a 2-0 deficit to earn the shootout victory as centersGage Quinney like he belonged. and Patrick Brown converted both of the team’s shootout attempts. • Brown scored both of the Wolves’ goals in regulation during the second period -- banging home a Hunt represented the Wolves in the AHL’s 2013 All-Star Game and made his NHL debut with the Edmonton rebound for the first one and knocking in aLucas Elvenes pass for the game-tying tally. Oilers a year later. After enjoying some time with St. • Goaltender Dylan Ferguson stopped 35 shots in regulation and OT to win his first AHL start. Louis, Nashville and Vegas, Hunt has found a home with the Minnesota Wild. SATURDAY, OCT. 19 ROCKFORD 3, (AT) CHICAGO 2 (OT) • Rockford’s Tyler Sikura scored on a breakaway at 4:48 of overtime to give the IceHogs the Illinois Hunt scored a goal Tuesday night in Minnesota’s 3-0 Lottery Cup victory at Allstate Arena. win over Edmonton, which gives him a career-high • Forwards Lucas Elvenes and Curtis McKenzie scored to rally the Wolves from a pair of one-goal four goals this season (along with two assists) in just nine games. Hunt is on the list of the 367 current and deficits. former Wolves who have played in the NHL as more • Goaltender Garret Sparks posted 36 saves. than 57 percent of all Wolves have reached the NHL. 2019-20 Chicago Wolves Game Notes 2019-20 BY THE NUMBERS HOME-ROAD CONTRASTS Regular Season Home Away Difference Veteran center Patrick Brown became the first Wolves player this season to score multiple Goals For 3.33 1.33 2.00 goals in a game when he produced two goals in the 3-2 shootout win Sunday afternoon over Goals Against 4.33 2.33 2.00 2 Milwaukee (he scored in the shootout, too, for good measure). It hadn’t been that long since Brown’s previous two-goal effort. Last year while serving as the Charlotte Checkers’ captain, Brown RECORD BY DIVISION scored a pair when the Checkers clinched the Eastern Conference championship against the Toronto Marlies on May 26. Record Win % Atlantic 0-0-0-0 .000 Central 2-3-1-0 .417 The Texas Stars are serving as the opponent for the third time in a row and the fourth time North 0-0-0-0 .000 in the Chicago Wolves’ last five School-Day Games. The Wolves won the last meeting by a 3-1 Pacific 0-0-0-0 .000 3 count on Feb. 21 when Gage Quinney, Curtis McKenzie and Daniel Carr scored. The Wolves also earned a 6-1 victory on Dec. 18, 2018, as defenseman Zach Whitecloud scored twice and Carr, RECORD BY MONTH Keegan Kolesar, Brandon Pirri and Tomas Hyka also tallied. Record Win % October 2-3-1-0 .417 When the Wolves captured the Central Division title last April, they became the seventh November 0-0-0-0 .000 organization in the American Hockey League’s 83-year history to win back-to-back-to- December 0-0-0-0 .000 7 back division crowns. They joined the company of Toronto (2012-14), Rochester (1999-2001), January 0-0-0-0 .000 Philadelphia (1997-99), Hershey (1967-69), Quebec (1964-66) and Springfield (1960-62). If the Wolves February 0-0-0-0 .000 win the Central Division this year, they’ll become the first AHL franchise to win four straight titles. March 0-0-0-0 .000 April 0-0-0-0 .000 The last 16 times a Wolves opponent has gone on the power play, the Wolves’ penalty-kill units have slammed the door on their man-advantage group. This streak began during IN OVERTIME (0-1) 16 the second period of the Wolves’ second game of the season on Oct. 11 at San Antonio. Goaltender Saves-Shots SV% Head coach Rocky Thompson enters today’s game riding a 291-minute, 23-second streak without Dylan Ferguson (0-0) 3-3 1.000 allowing a power-play goal. Garret Sparks (0-1) 6-7 .857 When veteran forward Tye McGinn scored a goal in the Wolves’ opener against Grand Rapids on Oct. 5, it marked his 99th goal at the AHL level. Since making his professional IN THE SHOOTOUT (2-0) 99 debut on Oct. 8, 2011, for the Adirondack Phantoms, McGinn has delivered 99 goals and 85 assists in 379 regular-season games. He also owns 11 goals in 50 Calder Cup Playoff games, which Shooter Goals-Chances SH% includes six goals during the Wolves’ run to the 2019 Calder Cup Finals. The 29-year-old Fergus, Gage Quinney 2-2 1.000 Ontario, native has played 89 NHL games and contributed nine goals with eight assists. Patrick Brown 1-1 1.000 Nicolas Roy 0-1 .000 Veteran forward Curtis McKenzie played his 300th regular-season AHL game Sunday afternoon against the Milwaukee Admirals. McKenzie, who’s one of the Goaltender Saves-Shots SV% 300 three Wolves who wears the “A” on his sweater, ranks third on the squad in AHL Garret Sparks (1-0) 3-3 1.000 Dylan Ferguson (1-0) 2-2 1.000 games and owns 104 goals and 143 assists in those 300 games. He’s even better when the playoffs begin. He’s the only player to play in the last two Calder Cup Finals -- one with the Wolves and one with the Texas Stars -- and the only one to play in three of the last six Calder Cup Finals. He won the RECORD BREAKDOWN Cup with Texas in 2014.