2020-21 Chicago Wolves Game Notes GRAND RAPIDS AT CHICAGO FEB. 28, 2021 3 P.M. AHLTV.COM A NEW CHALLENGE 2020-21 The Chicago Wolves had virtually everything go their way during their first seven games. They scored TALE OF THE TAPE early. They scored often. They stopped 94 percent of the shots their opponents put on net. They never REGULAR-SEASON SERIES once went into the dressing room facing a deficit — not after the first, second or third periods. 1-2-0-0 Grand Rapids | 2-1-0-0 Chicago But when the Wolves hopped on the bus Friday night in Grand Rapids to complete the second leg of LAST MEETING their six-hour round trip to Michigan, it marked the first time they didn’t score early or often. They Feb. 26, 2021 stopped just 31 of 35 shots. And they trailed each time they headed into the locker room as Grand Rapids earned a 4-1 win and made the Wolves the final American Hockey League team to suffer a loss. So what now? Time for the Wolves’ band of young brothers to figure out quickly how to respond and 4-2-0-0 7-1-0-0 make adjustments as Grand Rapids make its own six-hour round trip to play at the Wolves Training Facility in Hoffman Estates. SERIES LEADERS One potential issue for the Wolves to solve? Who fills the role of powerful forward Tanner Jeannot, GRAND RAPIDS CHICAGO who was recalled to the Nashville Predators’ taxi squad prior to Friday’s loss. Not only did Jeannot Skater G A Pts Skater G A Pts rank third on the Wolves in points (3 goals, 5 assists), he seemed to rank first in the more subjective Barber 2 2 4 D. Cotton 2 1 3 categories of leadership and aggressiveness. Criscuolo 2 0 2 Jarvis 2 1 3 Cholowski 1 1 2 Fitzgerald 1 1 2 When there has been any disorder on the ice, Jeannot always has his teammates’ backs. And in the THREE tied 0 2 2 Tomasino 0 2 2 moments the general public can’t see, Jeannot has led the way as well. Rookie forward Jamieson Rees, who turned 20 Friday, lauded the 23-year-old Jeannot this week for the way he has treated the SERIES GAME-BY-GAME youngsters. Date Location Result SF-SA PP PK Feb. 5 Wolves Training Facility W, 3-1 29-23 1-4 4-5 “Coming in as young guys is definitely tough,” Rees said. “You don’t really know what to expect. Feb. 11 Wolves Training Facility W, 4-2 29-38 1-5 4-5 There’s things that come and go, kind of random all the time that you’re not ready for. So to have an Feb. 26 Van Andel Arena L, 1-4 23-35 0-5 4-4 older guy that’s kind of been through it already is definitely huge. ‘Jeanner’ definitely helps all the Feb. 28 Wolves Training Facility boys out a lot. He’s always there making sure everyone is comfortable. I think he has definitely made March 19 Van Andel Arena the process a lot easier for all of us.” March 23 Van Andel Arena April 1 Wolves Training Facility THE WARSOFSKY COMBO DEBUTS May 7 Van Andel Arena Thirty-year-old Defenseman David Warsofsky made his debut Friday night at Grand Rapids, which May 9 Wolves Training Facility means 33-year-old head coach Ryan Warsofsky became the first AHL boss to coach his brother since May 12 Van Andel Arena 1993-94 — when Marc Crawford coached his younger brother, Lou, for the St. John’s Maple Leafs. ALL-TIME RECORD BREAKDOWN “He’s going to be coached like every other brother,” Ryan Warsofsky said. “He’s going to be coached Seasons Home Road Overall like any other player. He’ll be challenged to be better...I think my older brothers (Adam and Jarod) 1996-2020 40-37-0-6-2 35-32-2-9-2 75-69-2-15-4 are on my side. I told my parents they can’t be cursing out the coach for not giving him enough opportunity anymore — because I will hear about it. No, it will be all good.” WE ARE THE WOLVES The Chicago Wolves have claimed three of the last LAST TWO GAMES four Central Division crowns. When they finished at the top of the heap in 2017, 2018 and 2019, they were FRIDAY, FEB. 26 (AT) GRAND RAPIDS 4, CHICAGO 1 aided by strong Februarys as those three teams • Grand Rapids’ Riley Barber scored 3:59 into the game and as the Griffins built a 3-0 lead on the combined for a 23-8-1-0 showing (.734) in the year’s way to handing the Wolves their first defeat of the season. second month. • Center Rem Pitlick scored in the opening minute of the third — assisted by Anthony Richard and Frederic Allard — to pull the visitors within 3-1. Now, this season is unconventional — what with • Goaltender Antoine Bibeau rejected 31 of 35 shots. February being the season’s opening month instead of its fifth — but what this year’s squad has done could be one for the Wolves history books. SUNDAY, FEB. 21 (AT) CHICAGO 4, IOWA 1 • Center Morgan Geekie scored two goals in the first period as the Wolves set a franchise record If the Wolves earn two points today, they’ll finish with for fastest start to the season as they improved to 7-0-0-0. an .889 points percentage for February. That would • Center Rem Pitlick added his sixth goal of the season — tied for the AHL lead — while Tanner eclipse the record set by the 2007-08 Calder Cup Jeannot added an empty-net goal and defenseman Joey Keane handed out two assists. champs and tied by the 2009-10 squad. Both posted a • Goaltender Beck Warm stopped a career-high 40 shots in the win. 10-1-1-1 mark in February (.846). 2020-21 Chicago Wolves Game Notes 2020-21 BY THE NUMBERS HOME-ROAD CONTRASTS Regular Season Home Away Difference The Wolves rank first in the American Hockey League in goals (35) and goals per game (4.38). Goals For 5.20 3.00 2.20 Head coach Ryan Warsofsky’s crew has found the summit despite ranking in the middle of Goals Against 1.60 3.33 1.73 1 the pack with 29.6 shots per game, which means they own a shooting percentage of 14.8. The Wolves’ rise is a dramatic departure from last year, when the team ranked 29th among the AHL’s RECORD BY OPPONENT 31 teams in goals per game (2.54) and dead last in shots (26.79). The team’s production has been Record Win % split relatively evenly between the 18 veteran skaters (20 goals) and the 10 rookie skaters (15 goals). Cleveland 0-0-0-0 .000 Grand Rapids 2-1-0-0 .667 By scoring the Wolves’ lone goal Friday night at Grand Rapids, second-year center Rem Iowa 2-0-0-0 1.000 Pitlick moved to the top of the AHL goal-scoring list with seven markers. The Plymouth, Rockford 3-0-0-0 1.000 7 Minnesota, native averages one goal per game. Pitlick owns five even-strength goals, one power-play tally and one shorthanded goal. It’s not uncommon for the 23-year-old to lead his squad RECORD BY MONTH or league in goals. As a junior at Minnesota (2018-19), he led the Gophers with 21 tallies. He also Record Win % tied for the Big Ten goal-scoring crown with 13 in 24 league games. Pitlick shared Minnesota’s goal- February 7-1-0-0 .875 March 0-0-0-0 .000 scoring title in 2017-18 with 12 markers. April 0-0-0-0 .000 May 0-0-0-0 .000 Center Morgan Geekie made the most of his whirlwind stay in Chicago. He was loaned to the Wolves Thursday, showed up Friday, scored 19 seconds into his team debut Saturday 17 (part of a two-goal, one-assist effort) and scored twice in the first period Sunday. For his IN OVERTIME (0-0) efforts, he earned the AHL’s Player of the Week award Monday — right around the time he learned the Carolina Hurricanes recalled him. It marked the 17th time the franchise has reaped the Player Goaltender Saves-Shots (0-0) SV% Antoine Bibeau (0-0) 0-0 .000 of the Week honor since Chicago joined the AHL prior to the 2001-02 season. Geekie joins a list that Jeremy Helvig (0-0) 0-0 .000 consists of J.P. Vigier (2004-05), Darren Haydar (2006-07, 2012-13), Jason Krog (2006-07, 2007-08), Beck Warm (0-0) 0-0 .000 Cory Larose (2006-07), Ondrej Pavelec (2008-09), Peter Mannino (2009-10), Paul Postma (2009- 10), Nigel Dawes (2010-11), Ty Rattie (2014-15), Pat Cannone (2015-16), Brad Hunt (2016-17), Kenny IN THE SHOOTOUT (0-0) Agostino (2016-17), Teemu Pulkkinen (2017-18) and Oscar Dansk (2018-19). Shooter Goals-Chances (0-0) SH% The Wolves have killed off their last 20 shorthanded situations to move into the AHL’s top N/A 0-0 .000 10 for penalty kills. Assistant coach Patrick Dwyer heads up the PK unit that hasn’t been 20 dented since Grand Rapids’ Kyle Criscuolo scored at 16:20 of the second period on Feb. Goaltender Saves-Shots (0-0) SV% N/A (0-0) 0-0 .000 11.