Chicago Wolves Game Notes CLEVELAND at CHICAGO MARCH 15, 2019 7 P.M
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2018-19 Chicago Wolves Game Notes CLEVELAND AT CHICAGO MARCH 15, 2019 7 p.m. THE U TOO 2018-19 HOME IS WHERE THE DUBS ARE The Chicago Wolves own one of the best records in the league over the last 10 games (8-1-0-1) and are TALE OF THE TAPE doing even better at Allstate Arena, riding an eight-game home winning streak into tonight’s action. REGULAR-SEASON SERIES The streak, dating back to the 5-2 win over Manitoba on Feb. 2, ranks among the best in team history. 1-2-0-0 Cleveland | 2-0-1-0 Chicago Last year’s squad set the regular-season franchise record, posting 13 straight home wins. 13: Dec. 6, 2017, to Feb. 15, 2018 9: March 1-26, 2003 9: Nov. 23 to Dec. 28, 2002 8: Feb. 2, 2019, to present 8: Feb. 4 to March 5, 2017 29-26-6-1 36-18-5-2 8: Dec. 30, 2009, to Jan. 27, 2010 LEADING SCORERS IN SERIES 8: March 8 to April 12, 1998 8: Nov. 2 to Dec. 5, 1997 CLEVELAND CHICAGO Skater G A Pts Skater G A Pts The Wolves are leading the Central Division with 79 points, three ahead of Grand Rapids and Iowa. Broadhurst 1 1 2 Macek 3 3 6 Robinson 1 1 2 Quinney 3 0 3 There’s a nine-point drop to fourth-place Texas (67 points) but Milwaukee (66 points), Manitoba (65 Cross 0 2 2 Carr 1 3 4 points) and Rockford (64 points) are all within easy reach of the division’s final playoff spot. San Clendening 0 2 2 FIVE TIED 1 1 2 Antonio, Saturday’s scheduled foe, rounds out the division with 60 points. Since playing Cleveland on Jan. 24 and 26, which also happened to be the last series before the All- SERIES GAME-BY-GAME Star Break, the Wolves have gone 12-4-0-1 and outscored teams 46-33. A huge piece of the puzzle has Date Location Result SF-SA PP PK been the play between the pipes from goaltenders Max Lagace and Oscar Dansk. The Wolves have Oct. 24 Allstate Arena W, 6-2 27-26 1-2 2-2 allowed two or fewer goals in 10 of the last 11 games and the goaltending duo has combined for a 1.92 Jan. 24 Quicken Loans Arena W, 5-1 30-29 0-2 4-4 goals-against average and a .929 save percentage since the All-Star Break. Jan. 26 Quicken Loans Arena OTL, 3-4 23-43 1-3 2-2 March 15 Allstate Arena 7 p.m. MACEK PICKS UP THE TORCH For most of this season, the name on top of the league’s scoring list has been one belonging to the THROWING IT BACK TO 2000 Wolves. Forward Brandon Pirri put up points consistently, averaging nearly a point and a half per Ninteen years ago, the Wolves secured a 5-4 victory game, and led the AHL with 42 points when he joined Vegas for good on Jan. 6. Forward Daniel Carr over the Utah Grizzlies, the 11th win of what would surpassed Pirri shortly thereafter and leads the AHL with 71 points (30G, 41A), but has been out with eventually become a program-record 12-game win- injury after a hit on March 5 that garnered San Antonio forward Jordan Nolan a two-game suspension. ning streak from Feb. 25 to March 17. Of the 12 wins, four came in a shootout and three were shutouts With Pirri and Carr unavailable, forward Brooks Macek has been doing his best to fill the void. Rank- posted by goaltenders Wendell Young and Andrei ing second on the team with 57 points, Macek scored two game-winning goals last weekend -- the first Trefilov. What else was happening in the world at the time? time he has had goals in back-to-back games since Nov. 2-3. He has not gone more than two games • University of Wisconsin senior Steve Reinprecht without a point since the start of 2019 and has 15 points (6G, 9A) in the Wolves’ 17 games since the finished the 1999-2000 regular season leading NCAA All-Star Break. hockey players in points with 66. An undrafted free agent, Reinprecht went on to play 12 seasons in the THE HOMESTAND SO FAR NHL and finished his North American professional SUNDAY, MARCH 10 (at) CHICAGO 2, MILWAUKEE 1 (OT) career with the Chicago Wolves in 2011-12. He scored 46 points in 61 regular and postseason games with • Forward Tye McGinn scored 1:43 into the overtime frame to lift the Wolves over the Admirals, the Wolves. extending the home winning streak to eight games while widening the team’s lead over the • The cover of Sports Illustrated featured White Sox Central Division to three points. first baseman/designated hitter Frank Thomas, who • Forward Curtis McKenzie tallied the Wolves’ game-tying goal in the second period. was preparing for a season that saw him finish sec- • Goaltender Oscar Dansk recorded 16 saves. ond in MVP voting and win the AL Comeback Player SATURDAY, MARCH 9 (at) CHICAGO 4, IOWA 1 of the Year Award with a career-high 43 home runs and 143 RBI while leading the Sox to the playoffs. • The Wolves broke out to a 4-0 lead on the way to a victory that enabled the team to maintain a 1-point lead in the Central Division. ALL-TIME RECORD BREAKDOWN • Rookie defensemen Dylan Coghlan and Nic Hague and forwards Brooks Macek and T.J. Tynan scored goals while center Gage Quinney handed out two assists. Seasons Home Road Overall • Goaltender Oscar Dansk stopped 28 shots. 2007-2018 23-6-2-0 13-13-4-2 36-19-6-2 2018-19 Chicago Wolves Game Notes 2018-19 HOME-ROAD CONTRASTS BY THE NUMBERS Regular Season Home Away Difference The Wolves’ prowess during even-strength play shows up in the league’s plus/minus rat- Goals For 3.22 3.40 0.18 Goals Against 2.48 2.60 0.12 ings as Chicago owns the top three spots and four of the top five. Gage Quinney earned a 3 +2 Saturday night and leapfrogged over former linemate Daniel Carr (+35) to take over the league lead at +37. Rookie defensemen Zach Whitecloud is just below Carr at +34. Bakersfield for- RECORD BY DIVISION ward Patrick Russell ranks fourth (+28) while rooke defenseman Nic Hague holds fifth at +27. Record Win % Central 29-17-4-2 .615 Goaltender Max Lagace owns fourth place on the AHL’s goals-against average list with a North 2-0-1-0 .833 career-low 2.30 GAA. Over his last seven starts, the Quebec native has produced a 6-0-1 Pacific 5-1-0-0 .833 4 record with an 0.98 GAA and a .963 save percentage. Neither Lagace nor goaltending part- ner Oscar Dansk have allowed more than two goals in a game during the team’s eight-game home winning streak. RECORD BY MONTH Record Win % October 6-2-0-1 .722 The Wolves’ 2-1 overtime victory on Sunday against the Milwaukee Admirals pushed the November 4-5-2-0 .455 home winning streak to eight games, tied for the fourth-longest in team history. The team December 10-3-1-0 .750 8 record was set last season when Rocky Thompson’s Wolves posted 13 straight home wins January 4-4-2-0 .500 ffrom Dec. 6 to Feb. 15. Starting with the 5-2 win over Manitoba on Feb. 2 that ignited this streak, the February 8-3-0-0 .727 Wolves have outscored their opponents 24-10. March 4-1-0-1 .767 April 0-0-0-0 .000 Heading into tonight’s matchup, the Wolves need just 16 points in 15 remaining games to clinch the franchise’s 20th playoff berth in 25 years. Only Bakersfield (10) has a lower IN OVERTIME (8-5) 16 number in the Western Conference. The magic number is reduced each time the Wolves earn standings points, as well as each time teams outside the playoff picture fail to earn points. Goaltender Saves-Shots SV% Oscar Dansk (4-2) 7-9 .778 Max Lagace (4-3) 7-10 .700 The Wolves are outscoring their opponents by 40 goals this season (202-162), which trails only Syracuse and Bakersfield for the best goal differential in the AHL. Most of IN THE SHOOTOUT (0-2) 40 that advantage has been piled up during the first period, when Chicago has out- scored its foes 69-43. Nobody in the AHL is close to that +26 margin. Shooter Goals-Chances SH% T.J. Tynan 1-2 .500 When T.J. Tynan scored in the third period Saturday night, the Wolves became Erik Brännström 0-1 .000 the first Western Conference team to reach the 200-goal mark this season Daniel Carr 0-1 .000 and the fourth AHL team overall. The Wolves are on pace to score 251 goals Reid Duke 0-1 .000 200 Brooks Macek 0-1 .000 during the 76-game regular season, which would be the franchise’s highest total since the AHL Stefan Matteau 0-1 .000 moved from 80 to 76 games prior to the 2011-12 season. Brandon Pirri 0-1 .000 Gage Quinney 0-1 .000 If you’ve suited up for the Wolves, chances are better than 50/50 that you’ve also played in the National Hockey League. When 19-year-old defenseman Goaltender Saves-Shots SV% Erik Brannstrom made his NHL debut Thursday night for the Ottawa Senators, Oscar Dansk (0-1) 5-7 .714 357 Max Lagace (0-1) 1-3 .333 he became the 357th player (out of 620 Wolves all-time) who have competed for the Wolves and in the NHL.