2020-21 Chicago Wolves Game Notes ROCKFORD AT CHICAGO MAY 15, 2021 7 P.M. AHLTV.COM THE GRAND FINALE 2020-21 The American Hockey League’s 85th season started four months later than usual. It ends one month TALE OF THE TAPE later than normal. In addition to wreaking havoc on the league’s traditional timetable, COVID-19’s effects messed with teams’ schedules all season long and canceled the Calder Cup postseason. REGULAR-SEASON SERIES 3-7-0-0 Rockford | 7-2-0-1 Chicago Through it all, every AHL team has needed to put safety first and be resourceful, dedicated and LAST MEETING May 14, 2021 disciplined just to get the games they’ve been able to play. For the Chicago Wolves, it has required a swift merging of the Carolina Hurricanes’ and Nashville Predators’ top prospects along with the Wolves’ and Milwaukee Admirals’ coaching staffs in order to make the most of their 33-game schedule. “I thought our players got better — and that’s what both organizations wanted,” said Wolves head 12-18-1-0 20-9-1-2 coach Ryan Warsofsky. “I’m not just saying that because I’m the head coach. I thought all our coaches worked well together on what we wanted to do and what the plan was. SERIES LEADERS “There was times where it was challenging — whether it was due to COVID issues that we had, lineup ROCKFORD CHICAGO changes where guys went up or injuries. But I thought ultimately it was a positive and success story. Skater G A Pts Skater G A Pts Obviously winning helps, but I know both organizations are happy with how it went.” McLaughlin 3 5 8 Tomasino 5 6 11 Busdeker 1 7 8 x Jeannot 5 5 10 When the 2021-22 AHL season begins, the Wolves will only be partners with Carolina while the Milwaukee Wilkie 3 4 7 Novak 2 6 8 Admirals will resume their longtime relationship with Nashville. Of course, it’s a bit humorous that the Franson 1 6 7 Cotton/Rees 5 1 6 Hurricanes and Predators will meet in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Their seven-game series opens Monday in Raleigh, N.C., and Wolves players will be joining both sides as black aces. SERIES GAME-BY-GAME Date Location Result SF-SA PP PK A FEW CARROTS GONE Feb. 6 Rockford MetroCentre W, 5-4 36-32 1-5 3-6 The Wolves’ 33rd and final game happens tonight. The Central Division crown — the Wolves’ fourth in Feb. 9 Wolves Training Facility W, 5-2 27-25 1-6 8-9 the last five years and the organization’s ninth division title since joining the AHL 20 years ago — was Feb. 16 Rockford MetroCentre W, 3-2 36-39 1-4 5-5 clinched Wednesday night. March 27 Wolves Training Facility W, 6-2 37-26 2-5 1-1 March 28 Rockford MetroCentre W, 5-4 33-24 0-3 2-5 The resulting loss of motivation might have played a role in Friday’s 4-1 loss at Rockford, though the April 3 Wolves Training Facility W, 4-2 35-33 1-1 3-3 Wolves still had a few achievements for which to play. If they could have earned 3 of 4 points against April 7 Rockford MetroCentre L, 3-4 33-17 1-2 4-4 Rockford this weekend, they would have broken the 1999-2000 squad’s team record for best points April 17 Rockford MetroCentre SOL, 3-4 26-41 1-2 2-2 percentage (.695). May 10 Wolves Training Facility W, 6-5 31-28 0-2 2-3 May 14 Rockford MetroCentre L, 1-4 37-24 0-2 3-3 However, if the Wolves earn a win tonight, they’ll finish with a .682 points percentage. That would rank May 15 Wolves Training Facility fourth in organization history behind the 2000 Turner Cup champions (.695), the 2008 Calder Cup champions (.694) and the 1998 Turner Cup champions (.689). ALL-TIME RECORD BREAKDOWN Seasons Home Road Overall This year’s squad also can set the franchise record for most goals per game, but it won’t be easy. The 2007-21 50-21-5-3 28-38-5-6 78-58-10-9 2006-07 team (led by AHL MVP Darren Haydar) averaged 4.14 per game. The Wolves need eight goals tonight to get to 4.15 per game. WE ARE THE WOLVES LAST TWO GAMES The Wolves haven’t played on May 15 since 2002. But in those days, the organization practically made it a FRIDAY, MAY 14 (AT) ROCKFORD 4, CHICAGO 1 habit of playing on May 15 as it did so in 1998, 1999, • Playing one skater short due to a rash of injuries, the Wolves fell behind 3-0 after two periods 2001 and 2002. and couldn’t catch up in the IceHogs’ home finale. • Center Tommy Novak pushed his point streak to nine games with a third-period goal that was The Wolves won all four of those games — starting assisted by Brandon Hickey and Luke Evangelista. with a 6-4 win over Long Beach in Game 1 of the 1998 • Goaltender Beck Warm posted 20 saves. IHL Western Conference Final. WEDNESDAY, MAY 12 CHICAGO 7, GRAND RAPIDS 0 Wendell Young also backstopped the 2-1 Game 5 win • Rookie forward David Cotton recorded the team’s first hat trick of the season and the first of his over Houston in the 1999 Western Conference Final. career as the Wolves clinched their fourth Central Division title in five years. Richard Shulmistra handled the 2001 Western Confer- • Forwards Sean Malone and Sheldon Rempal and defensemen Max Lajoie and Frederic Allard ence Final clincher at Manitoba, then Pasi Nurminen also scored goals while rookie forward Phil Tomasino handed out three assists. delivered a 4-1 win in Game 3 of the 2002 Western • Rookie goaltender Beck Warm stopped 35 shots to earn his second professional shutout. Conference Final vs. Houston. 2020-21 Chicago Wolves Game Notes 2020-21 BY THE NUMBERS HOME-ROAD CONTRASTS Regular Season Home Away Difference With one game left in the season, the Wolves are virtually guaranteed to lead the American Goals For 4.40 3.71 0.69 Hockey League in goals per game for the first time since the 2008 Calder Cup champions Goals Against 2.67 3.12 0.45 1 accomplished the feat. If the Wolves (4.03 goals per game) fail to score tonight, the second- place Syracuse Crunch (3.71) would still need 11 goals at Rochester tonight to overtake the Wolves. RECORD BY OPPONENT Record Win % Exactly five months from today, the 2021-22 American Hockey League season is slated to Cleveland 0-2-1-1 .250 begin. The AHL announced earlier this month that the league’s 86th regular season begins Grand Rapids 7-3-0-0 .700 5 Friday, October 15, and concludes Sunday, April 24. The AHL expects to have 31 teams for next Iowa 6-2-0-0 .750 season. Rockford 7-2-0-1 .750 Wolves center Tommy Novak scored with 5:03 left in regulation to do two things: Ensure RECORD BY MONTH the Wolves would not be shut out for the first time this season...and extend his season- Record Win % 9 best point streak to nine games. The 24-year-old Wisconsin native owns five goals and eight February 8-1-0-0 .889 March 4-1-0-1 .750 assists during his streak that began April 26. His spree has boosted his season’s totals to eight goals April 6-3-1-1 .636 and 22 assists in 26 games — or 1.15 points per game. May 2-4-0-0 .333 It’s fair to suggest the Wolves boast the most productive special teams in the AHL. Chicago has scored 32 power-play goals while allowing just 23. That +9 margin is tied IN OVERTIME (1-1) 14 for second in the league behind Cleveland (+10). However, the Wolves share the league lead in short-handed goals (7) while giving up just two shorties. That makes the Wolves a net +14 on Goaltender Saves-Shots (10-11) SV% Antoine Bibeau (1-0) 3-3 1.000 special teams, which leads everyone. Cleveland stands next at +13. Connor Ingram (0-0) 5-5 1.000 Beck Warm (0-1) 7-8 .875 Nineteen-year-old rookie forward Phil Tomasino did not score a point Friday night, which marked just the second time in his last 16 games that he did not dent the IN THE SHOOTOUT (0-2) 31 scoresheet. A further indignity happened earlier Friday when he lost an assist from Wednesday night’s game as a Sean Malone tip was added on David Cotton’s third goal, which took Shooter Goals-Chances (0-5) SH% away Tomasino’s secondary. Nonetheless, he still leads the team in scoring with 31 points and could Dominik Bokk 0-1 .000 join Ty Rattie (48 points in 2013-14) and Lucas Elvenes (48 points in 2019-20) as the only rookies to Patrick Harper 0-1 .000 Tommy Novak 0-1 .000 pace the Wolves in scoring. David Cotton 0-2 .000 The Wolves have required 45 players to get through their 32 games, which will fall two Goaltender Saves-Shots (2-5) SV% players shy of tying the franchise record for the most used in a regular season. The Antoine Bibeau (0-1) 2-3 .667 45 2010-11 crew needed 47 players to complete an 80-game schedule.