2019-20 Chicago Wolves Game Notes IOWA AT CHICAGO NOVEMBER 16, 2019 7 P.M. MY50 CHICAGO HISTORY TENDS TO REPEAT 2019-20 Let’s start with the facts: The Chicago Wolves have dropped five of their last six games. It has been TALE OF THE TAPE a fortnight nobody has enjoyed. But it’s times like these when it’s important to note that tough REGULAR-SEASON SERIES stretches don’t seem to last for the Wolves. 1-0-0-1 Milwaukee | 1-1-0-0 Chicago LAST MEETING Take last year, for example. From Nov. 24 to Dec. 2, the Wolves went 0-4-1-0 and saw their record drop Nov. 7, 2019 to 10-9-2-1. In their next game, a Dec. 5 visit to Iowa, the Wolves fell behind 3-0. But Rocky Thompson’s squad clawed back and claimed a 4-3 overtime victory on a Nic Hague goal. That triggered a six-game winning streak and a 10-0-1-0 stretch that pointed the Wolves on their way to the Central Division title and (eventually) the Calder Cup Finals. 8-3-2-1 7-8-1-0 Need more historical evidence? In 2017-18, Thompson’s first season at the helm, the Wolves went L-L- L-L-L-SOL-OTL-OTL-W-L-OTL-L from Nov. 8 to Dec. 2. When the Wolves took to the ice on Dec. 6 against TOP SCORERS San Diego, they owned the worst record in the league at 5-11-4-1 (.375). Yet the Wolves earned a 3-1 IOWA CHICAGO win that night over the Gulls and proceeded to go 37-12-3-3 the rest of the way (.727) to capture the Skater G A Pts Skater G A Pts Central Division crown. Mayhew 8 4 12 Elvenes 5 16 21 Anas 3 8 11 Quinney 6 7 13 Menell 1 10 11 McGinn 4 5 9 There are just four players on this year’s roster who had any role on the 2017-18 team (defenseman Dumont 5 5 10 McKenzie 4 5 9 Jake Bischoff, goaltender Oscar Dansk, center Reid Duke and forward Keegan Kolesar), but that’s beside the point. Half of working your way out of a losing streak is believing that you can -- and the SERIES GAME-BY-GAME Wolves have the same coaches running the show and pointing the way up. Date Location Result SF-SA PP PK OH, BUT ARE YOU EXPERIENCED? Nov. 7 Wells Fargo Arena W, 3-0 15-35 1-3 5-5 Nov. 16 Allstate Arena 7 p.m. - - - For any given game recently, the Chicago Wolves have utilized a starting lineup that features six to Nov. 17 Wells Fargo Arena 5 p.m. - - - eight American Hockey League rookies. For example, Wednesday’s 6-3 loss at Milwaukee included Dec. 28 Wells Fargo Arena 6 p.m. - - - seven rookies: forwards Matt Boudens, Paul Cotter, Lucas Elvenes, Ben Jones, Jake Leschyshyn Jan. 4 Allstate Arena 7 p.m. - - - and Jermaine Loewen and defenseman Jimmy Schuldt. Feb. 25 Wells Fargo Arena 7 p.m. - - - April 4 Allstate Arena 7 p.m. - - - While the 20-year-old Elvenes, who played last year against grown men in the Swedish Elite League, April 5 Allstate Arena 3 p.m. - - - has shown an immediate ability to adapt -- he leads the AHL with 16 assists and ranks second in points with 21 -- the other rookies have been offering flashes that they’re equal to the AHL task. ALL-TIME RECORD BREAKDOWN Schuldt has posted two goals and two assists in the last five games and engaged in his first Seasons Home Road Overall professional fight Wednesday at Milwaukee when an Admiral instigated a battle after Schuldt’s heavy, 2013-19 19-6-2-1 20-5-3-1 39-11-5-2 but clean, open-ice hit to another Admiral. Cotter set up Curtis McKenzie’s opening goal Wednesday while Jones got some power-play time and posted an assist. WE ARE THE WOLVES Toronto Maple Leafs coach Mike Babcock confirmed LAST TWO GAMES Friday that goaltender Kasimir Kaskisuo will make his WEDNESDAY, NOV. 13 (AT) MILWAUKEE 6, CHICAGO 3 NHL debut tonight against the Pittsburgh Penguins. • The Admirals scored four power-play goals in the first period and finished with five for the night to erase an early Wolves lead at Panther Arena. When Kaskisuo takes the ice, he’ll become the 40th • Defenseman Dylan Coghlan produced a pair of power-play goals while Curtis McKenzie scored goaltender to play in the NHL and for the Chicago the game’s first goal. Wolves. That’s particularly impressive considering the Wolves have played just 57 goaltenders in their 26 • Goaltender posted 10 saves in 14 shots in the first period before giving way to Garret Sparks years as a franchise. Oscar Dansk, who stopped 17 of 19 shots. Kaskisuo joined the Wolves early in the 2017-18 season SUNDAY, NOV. 10 ROCKFORD 4, (AT) CHICAGO 1 after two Vegas goalies got hurt, which meant the • The Wolves and the IceHogs took a 1-1 score into the third period, but Rockford scored the go- Wolves’ Oscar Dansk and Max Lagace went to Vegas. ahead goal and then added two empty-net tallies to take the Illinois Lottery Cup contest. • Defenseman Dylan Coghlan scored on the power play to give the Wolves a 1-0 lead. Toronto loaned Kaskisuo to the Wolves and he deliv- ered a 13-13-0 record, 2.38 goals-against average and • Goaltender Garret Sparks set the franchise record for longest shutout streak at 191 minutes, 14 .914 save percentage in 28 games, which helped the seconds before allowing two goals on 36 shots. Wolves claim the Central Division crown. 2019-20 Chicago Wolves Game Notes 2019-20 BY THE NUMBERS HOME-ROAD CONTRASTS Regular Season Home Away Difference The Chicago Wolves and Grand Rapids share No. 1 in the American Hockey League in one Goals For 2.57 2.33 0.24 not-so-great category: Empty-net goals allowed. The Wolves and Griffins already have been Goals Against 3.14 2.89 0.25 1 victimized by seven ENGs apiece. To put into perspective how out of whack this total happens to be compared to the norm, the AHL’s other 29 teams have combined to allow 55 empty-net goals RECORD BY DIVISION -- or 1.9 per team. Another way to look at it: The Wolves have given up seven ENGs in 16 games this year, but allowed just nine in 76 games last season. Record Win % Atlantic 0-0-0-0 .000 Central 5-8-1-0 .393 Second-year defenseman Dylan Coghlan is heating up with three power-play goals in the North 0-0-0-0 .000 Wolves’ last two games. In Wednesday’s 6-3 loss at Milwaukee, Coghlan blistered a pair of Pacific 2-0-0-0 1.000 3 one-timers from virtually the same spot at the top of the left circle. All four of Coghlan’s goals this season have come on the power play, which continues the trend he set last year when RECORD BY MONTH he and Rochester’s 31-year-old Zach Redmond (who made his professional debut with the Wolves in Record Win % 2010-11) shared the lead among all AHL defensemen with 10 power-play goals. October 6-3-1-0 .650 November 1-5-0-0 .167 In the Wolves’ 6-3 loss Wednesday’s at Milwaukee, the Admirals went 4 of 4 on the power play December 0-0-0-0 .000 during the first period and ended up 5 of 6 for the night. The five power-play goals tied the January 0-0-0-0 .000 5 Wolves record for most PPGs allowed in one game -- the fifth time it had happened. The Texas February 0-0-0-0 .000 Stars did it most recently on Nov. 26, 2010, when the Wolves surrendered five PPGs during a nine- March 0-0-0-0 .000 April 0-0-0-0 .000 minute, 47-second stretch of the second period that featured one major penalty by Andre Deveaux and minors by Noah Welch and Boris Valabik. IN OVERTIME (0-1) When the Wolves captured the Central Division title last April, they became the seventh Goaltender Saves-Shots SV% organization in the American Hockey League’s 83-year history to win back-to-back-to- Dylan Ferguson (0-0) 3-3 1.000 7 back division crowns. They joined the company of Toronto (2012-14), Rochester (1999-2001), Garret Sparks (0-1) 6-7 .857 Philadelphia (1997-99), Hershey (1967-69), Quebec (1964-66) and Springfield (1960-62). If the Wolves win the Central Division this year, they’ll become the first AHL franchise to win four straight titles. IN THE SHOOTOUT (2-0) Rookie forward Lucas Elvenes racked up his 16th assist of the season Sunday afternoon when he helped on Dylan Coghlan’s power-play goal. Elvenes leads the AHL with those Shooter Goals-Chances SH% 16 16 assists and his 21 points rank second behind the league leader, Grand Rapids veteran Gage Quinney 2-2 1.000 forward Chris Terry (9 goals, 15 assists). If Elvenes maintains his pace, he’ll finish with 76 assists this Patrick Brown 1-1 1.000 season -- the most for the Wolves since Darren Haydar doled out a league-leading 81 assists in 2006- Nicolas Roy 0-1 .000 07 on his way to earning the AHL Most Valuable Player award.