Chicago Wolves Game Notes
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2018-19 !!!!!CHICAGO!WOLVES ! GAME!NOTES CHICAGO at COLORADO OCTOBER 5, 2018 8 p.m. AHLTV THE!=>TH!ANNIVERSARY!SEASON 2018-19 After months of preparation and anticipation, the 2018-19 American Hockey League season finally has TALE!OF!THE!TAPE arrived for the Chicago Wolves. Tonight marks the start of the franchise’s 25th season overall and 18th year as part of the American Hockey League. It seems fitting to open the year against the Colorado REGULAR-SEASON SERIES 0-0-0-0 Colorado | 0-0-0-0 Chicago Eagles because it’s a milestone occasion for them as well. The Eagles are making their AHL debut as they were welcomed as the league’s 31st team earlier this year. LAST MEETING April 22, 2018 Just as the Wolves are known for being four-time league champions, the Eagles enter this year riding the momentum of back-to-back championships in the ECHL. They have become partners with the NHL’s Colorado Avalanche this season, so their roster does not bear much resemblance to the group that claimed the 2018 Kelly Cup. Only six Eagles return, but a good chunk of Colorado’s Opening Night 0-0-0-0 0-0-0-0 roster played for San Antonio last year as the Rampage served as the Colorado Avalanche’s NHL partner. That group includes former Wolves forward Andrew Agozzino (18 goals, 36 assists in 2016-17). TOP RETURNING SCORERS COLORADO CHICAGO Skater G A Pts Skater G A Pts THE!BANDCS!BACK!TOGETHER Joly 41 26 67 Tynan 15 45 60 Head coach Rocky Thompson and assistant coaches Chris Dennis and Bob Nardella welcome back Nantel 4 11 15 Pirri 29 23 52 the majority of the roster that captured the AHL’s 2018 Central Division title -- the Wolves being the De Jong 2 5 7 Hyka 15 33 48 only team in the AHL to defend its division crown. Fourteen of the 24 players on the Opening Night Meloche 1 0 1 Matteau 15 12 27 roster saw action for the Wolves last year. The Wolves’ forward lines feature returning standouts such as Brandon Pirri (29 goals in 53 games), SERIES GAME-BY-GAME T.J. Tynan (60 points in 70 games), Tomas Hyka (48 points in 52 games) and Stefan Matteau (15 goals Date Location Time SF-SA PP PK in 60 games). Forwards Reid Duke, Keegan Kolesar, Ryan Wagner and Tyler Wong are expected to Oct. 5 Budweiser Events Center 8 p.m. - - - carve out larger roles this year after making their professional debuts last season. Oct. 6. Budweiser Events Center 8 p.m. - - - The team’s defensive corps boasts returnees Nic Hague, Zac Leslie, Griffin Reinhart and Kevin April 6 Allstate Arena 7 p.m. - - - Lough, while Chicago’s goaltending is in the capable gloved hands of Max Lagace and Oscar Dansk. April 7 Allstate Arena 3 p.m. - - - They teamed up to play 43 games for the Wolves and 20 for the Vegas Golden Knights last season. THROWING IT BACK TO 1994 TALENTED!NEWCOMERS When the Wolves made their regular-season debut The Wolves ranked sixth in offense last season with 3.21 goals per game, but there’s potential to be on Oct. 1, 1994, with a 6-5 shootout loss at the Detroit Vipers, here was the world as we knew it: even stronger this year with the addition of forwards Curtis McKenzie, Daniel Carr, Brooks Macek • NHL commissioner Gary Bettman announced on Oct. and Gage Quinney. 1 that the season would not begin as scheduled. In McKenzie captained the Texas Stars to the Calder Cup Final as he led all postseason scorers with 11 other words, the players were locked out. goals in 22 games. He also scored 25 goals in 51 regular-season games. Carr split last season between • Sparked by a players strike that began on Aug. 12, the NHL’s Montreal Canadiens (6 goals in 38 games) and the AHL’s Laval Rocket (11 goals in 20 games). Major League Baseball did not hold any postseason Quinney posted 15 goals and 19 assists for the AHL’s Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins while Macek has games. It marked the only time since 1904 the World spent five professional seasons in Germany -- highlighted by his 2 goals and 2 assists for Germany’s Series has not been played. silver-medal team in the 2018 Pyeongchang Olympic Games. • The nation’s No. 1 song was “I’ll Make Love to You” The blue line boasts an infusion of talent, too, as Vegas 2017 first-round pick Erik Brännström, Dylan by Boyz II Men, which was enjoying its sixth of 14 Coghlan and Zach Whitecloud join the core. Brännström will be among the AHL’s youngest players consecutive weeks atop the Billboard charts. as he turned 19 on Sept. 2. • The TV show “Friends” premiered nine days earlier. • Movie classic “The Shawshank Redemption” was 13 days away from its premiere in theaters. • The Dow Jones Index closed on Sept. 30 at 3,843.19. PRESEASON!PLAYBACK • An average gallon of gas in 1994 cost $1.09. SATURDAY, SEPT. 29 CHICAGO 4, (at) MILWAUKEE 1 • There were only 2,738 web sites on the internet in • The Wolves opened and closed their exhibition schedule with a 4-1 win at UWM-Panther Arena. 1994 and 11.7% of U.S. homes had internet access. • Forwards Tomas Hyka and Gage Quinney set up each other to give the Wolves a 2-0 lead in the second period, then rookie defenseman Erik Brännström scored late in the second period and ALL-TIME RECORD BREAKDOWN forward Brooks Macek added an empty-net goal in the final two minutes. Season Home Road Overall • Goaltender Max Lagace posted 32 saves to earn the win. 2018-19 0-0-0-0 0-0-0-0 0-0-0-0 2018-19 !!!!!CHICAGO!WOLVES ! GAME!NOTES 2017-18 !!!!BY!THE!NUMBERS HOME-ROAD CONTRASTS The Wolves were the only team in the American Hockey League to defend their division title Playoffs Home Away Difference last season. When Chicago clinched the Central Division, it marked the franchise’s ninth Goals For 1.00 2.00 -1.00 M division crown. The Wolves have earned five AHL division titles since Wendell Young was hired Goals Against 2.00 5.00 -3.00 as general manager in August 2009: the 2010 West, 2012 Midwest, 2014 Midwest, 2017 Central and Regular Season Home Away Difference 2018 Central. Goals For 3.37 3.05 0.32 Goals Against 2.50 2.97 -0.47 The Opening Night roster features seven AHL rookies: centers Reid Duke and Matthew Weis, right wing Ryan Wagner and defensemen Erik Brännström, Dylan Coghlan, Nic RECORD BY DIVISION Hague and Zach Whitecloud. While Duke, Wagner and Hague made their Wolves and Record Win % H Central 32-16-4-3 .645 professional debuts during the final month of last season, the others have yet to play a professional Pacific 10-6-3-1 .600 game in North America with the exception of Whitecloud. The 21-year-old from Brandon, Manitoba, made his pro debut on April 5 in the Vegas Golden Knights’ next-to-last game of the regular season RECORD BY MONTH and posted a +3 plus/minus rating. Right wing Brooks Macek also awaits his North American pro debut. The 26-year-old already has five pro seasons under his belt, but all of them came in Germany Record Win % October 3-4-1-0 .438 where he also earned a silver medal in the 2018 Olympic Games. November 2-6-2-1 .318 December 9-2-2-1 .750 The Wolves’ Opening Night roster boasts 10 players with NHL experience: Forwards January 8-3-1-0 .708 Daniel Carr, Tomas Hyka, Curtis McKenzie, Stefan Matteau, Brandon Pirri and T.J. February 7-3-0-0 .700 Tynan, defensemen Griffin Reinhart and Zach Whitecloud and goaltenders Oscar March 9-3-1-1 .714 G April 4-2-0-1 .643 Dansk and Max Lagace. Pirri has seen the most NHL action with 60 goals and 41 assists in 228 games. Hyka, Matteau, Pirri, Whitecloud, Dansk and Lagace all saw time last season with the Vegas Golden Knights -- with Lagace posting a 6-7-1 record and 3.92 goals-against average in 16 games and IN OVERTIME (4-7) Dansk notching a 3-0-0 record and 1.78 GAA in four games. Goaltender Saves-Shots SV% C.J. Motte 3-3 1.000 Since the Chicago Wolves were founded, 48 National Hockey League first-round Oscar Dansk 19-21 .905 draft choices have suited up for the team. That list includes a pair of No. 1 overall Max Lagace 5-6 .833 picks in center Patrik Stefan (1999 by the Atlanta Thrashers) and goaltender Rick Kasimir Kaskisuo 1-3 .333 LG Michael Leighton 0-2 .000 DiPietro (2000 by the New York Islanders). The most recent first-rounder to debut with the Wolves is defenseman Griffin Reinhart, who was the No. 4 selection in the 2012 draft. Center Stefan Matteau and defenseman Erik Brännström are the other first-round picks on the Opening Night roster. IN THE SHOOTOUT (3-4) Shooter Goals-Chances SH% The Wolves have produced a .604 winning percentage on Opening Night, Philip Holm 1-1 1.000 which almost matches the franchise’s .596 winning percentage in all Brandon Pirri 4-6 .667 T.J. Tynan 1-2 .500 IJKL games since the inaugural contest on Oct. 1, 1994. The Wolves own a 12-7-2- Tomas Hyka 1-5 .200 3 mark in season openers, which includes a 6-6-1-3 showing on the road.