2018-19 Chicago Wolves Game Notes TUCSON AT CHICAGO DECEMBER 16, 2018 3 p.m. THE U TOO OWNING THE MIDDLE THIRD 2018-19 Every team wants to get their season off to a good start. And, of course, every team wants to finish TALE OF THE TAPE strong and head into the postseason on a roll. But what about the middle third of the schedule? Those REGULAR-SEASON SERIES games count just as much in the standings. 0-1-0-0 Tucson | 1-0-0-0 Chicago The Chicago Wolves opened the middle third of this year’s 76-game schedule with a 4-2 victory over the Tucson Roadrunners on Saturday night at Allstate Arena. That suggests this year’s team might be made of the same stuff as the last two Wolves squads that rode strong efforts in the middle third of the schedule to the Central Division title. Last season, Rocky Thompson’s Wolves posted a 17-5-2-1 record (.740) during Games 26-50 to vault 15-7-2-1 14-9-2-1 from last place to third in the Central Division. In 2016-17, Craig Berube’s Wolves earned a 15-7-1-2 record (.660) during the middle third of the season to climb from third to second. LEADING SCORERS TUCSON CHICAGO Skater G A Pts Skater G A Pts BON VOYAGE, BRÄNNSTRÖM Helewka 8 12 20 Pirri 14 22 36 Rookie Erik Brännström has been one of the top offensive defensemen in the AHL. Though he didn’t Capobianco 3 17 20 Carr 12 18 30 Garland 8 11 19 Macek 15 9 24 get on the scoresheet Saturday night, concluding his point streak at five games (1G, 6A), he still owns Bunting 6 12 18 Tynan 4 20 24 20 points (4G, 16A) in 24 games this season. He’s the only defenseman ranked among the Top 20 rookie scorers. Among all AHL defensemen, he ranks second in power-play points (12) -- trailing only perennial All-Star T.J. Brennan of Lehigh Valley. SERIES GAME-BY-GAME Date Location Result SF-SA PP PK Alas, Brännström won’t be with the Wolves for the next few weeks as the Eksjö, Sweden, native has Dec. 15 Allstate Arena W, 4-2 24-30 2-2 2-2 earned a spot on Sweden’s roster for the 2019 IIHF World Junior Championship that takes place Dec. Dec. 16 Allstate Arena 3 p.m. 26-Jan. 5 in Vancouver and Victoria, British Columbia. He left the Wolves Sunday morning to join his Jan. 11 Tucson CC Arena 8 p.m. countrymen in Kelowna, B.C., for some practice. The WJC is for players who are less than 20 years old. Jan. 12 Tucson CC Arena 8 p.m. THROWING IT BACK TO 1997 PIRRI TOPS THE CHARTS On Jan. 8, 1997, the Wolves hosted a team from Forward Brandon Pirri keeps putting distance between himself and the rest of the AHL in the scoring Arizona for the last time until the Tucson Roadrun- race. Pirri produced a goal and an assist during the third period of Saturday’s 4-2 win over Tucson, ners came into being for the 2016-17 season. The which gave him 36 points in 26 games this season. Texas’ Erik Condra is his closest pursuer at 31 Wolves handled the Phoenix Roadrunners 5-1 at points (14G, 17A). Allstate Arena as goaltender Wendell Young rejected 37 shots. What else was happening in the world at that time? Pirri also boasts 14 points (6G, 8A) during his ongoing seven-game point streak. That ranks as the • The body of JonBenet Ramsey, a 6-year-old beauty AHL’s second-longest active streak behind Utica’s Reid Boucher (8 games, 13 points). In his spare pageant queen, was found in her family’s Boulder, time, Pirri also leads the AHL in assists (22) and shots (105). Colorado, home two weeks earlier and the world was focused on finding her killer. Nearly 22 years later, the crime remains unsolved and considered an LAST TWO GAMES active case by the Boulder Police Department. • Toni Braxton’s “Un-Break My Heart” was in the SATURDAY, DEC. 15 (at) CHICAGO 4, TUCSON 2 middle of an 11-week run atop the Billboard Top 100. • The Wolves extended their winning streak to a season-high-tying four games as forwards Daniel “Macarena” dropped to No. 11 as it finally descended Carr and Brandon Pirri delivered third-period goals to catch the Roadrunners at Allstate Arena. the charts after nearly a year in the Top 10. • Defenseman Nic Hague and forward Keegan Kolesar staked the Wolves to a 2-1 lead after one • The Chicago Bulls owned a 29-4 record on their way period while Brooks Macek handed out two assists. to their fifth championship in seven years. • Goaltender Oscar Dansk recorded 28 saves. • The Green Bay Packers were on their way to the Su- per Bowl XXXI title as they prepared for a 30-13 win SATURDAY, DEC. 8 CHICAGO 4, (at) ROCKFORD 0 over the Carolina Panthers in the NFC title game. • The Wolves toppled Rockford in Illinois Lottery Cup action, securing the fourth game in franchise history with both a shutout and a hat trick. ALL-TIME RECORD BREAKDOWN • Forward Brandon Pirri led the Wolves to a victory with his three goals while defenseman Nic Seasons Home Road Overall Hague also scored for Chicago. 2016-2018 2-1-0-0 1-0-1-0 2-1-1-0 • Goaltender Oscar Dansk recorded 32 saves for the team’s first shutout this season. 2018-19 Chicago Wolves Game Notes 2018-19 HOME-ROAD CONTRASTS BY THE NUMBERS Regular Season Home Away Difference Goals For 3.69 4.00 0.31 Among AHL players who’ve competed in more than two games this season, Wolves Goals Against 3.85 2.85 1.00 forward Daniel Carr shares the lead in points per game as he owns 30 points (12G, 1.5 18A) in 20 games. Carr’s 1.5-points-per-game average is matched only by Syracuse’s Cory Conacher (11 points, 19 assists) in 20 games. RECORD BY DIVISION Record Win % Rookie defenseman Nic Hague scored the opening goal in Saturday’s game, which pushed Central 10-9-2-1 .523 his goal streak to four games. That’s the longest active streak in the AHL and pushes him North 1-0-0-0 1.000 4 within two of the league’s longest streak all year -- Texas’ Denis Gurianov scored in six Pacific 3-0-0-0 1.000 straight Oct. 12-26. Hague owns five goals over the last four games as his shot totals have surged as well. After firing 43 shots in the Wolves’ first 21 games, Hague has launched 21 shots in the last five RECORD BY MONTH games -- and at least four shots in each of those games. One last Hague stat: Only two defensemen have scored more goals this year: Rochester’s Zach Redmond (14) and Milwaukee’s Matt Donovan (9). Record Win % October 6-2-0-1 .722 November 4-5-2-0 .455 The Wolves have racked up 11 power-play goals in the last six games as they’ve delivered December 4-2-0-0 .667 at least one power-play tally in each of those games. If that sounds like a lot in a short January 0-0-0-0 .000 period of time, that’s because it is. Chicago hasn’t stacked up 11 power-play goals in a six- February 0-0-0-0 .000 11 March 0-0-0-0 .000 game stretch since Nov. 23 to Dec. 4, 2010, when Jason Krog and Darren Haydar sparked the attack. April 0-0-0-0 .000 Forward Daniel Carr shares the top spot in the AHL in power-play points with 16. Springfield’s Jayce Hawryluk (5G, 11A) also has 16, while the Wolves’ Brandon Pirri is IN OVERTIME (3-2) among the group that owns 15. Carr scored a power-play goal midway through the third 16 Goaltender Saves-Shots SV% period Saturday to re-take the league lead in PPGs with 8. Carr’s importance to the Wolves can be Oscar Dansk (2-1) 7-8 .875 explained by the team’s points percentage when he plays and when he doesn’t. The Wolves posted a Max Lagace (1-1) 1-2 .500 1-4-1-0 record (.250) while Carr was with the NHL’s Vegas Golden Knights, but the Wolves are 13-5-1-1 (.700) when Carr is in the lineup. IN THE SHOOTOUT (0-1) The Wolves are outscoring opponents 40-23 in the first period this season, a 17-point differential that is the largest among AHL teams in the opening frame. The Wolves have Shooter Goals-Chances SH% 17 collected an 11-4-2-0 record in the 16 games in which they have scored first and a 10-1-2-1 T.J. Tynan 1-1 1.000 record when leading after the first period. On the other side of the ice, Tucson has a 5-3-0-0 record Erik Brännström 0-1 .000 when trailing after one -- which includes the loss in Saturday’s game as the Wolves led 2-1 after one. Daniel Carr 0-1 .000 Reid Duke 0-1 .000 Brooks Macek 0-1 .000 If you’ve suited up for the Wolves, chances are better than 50/50 that you’ve Stefan Matteau 0-1 .000 also played in the National Hockey League.