2020-21 Chicago Wolves Game Notes CHICAGO AT GRAND RAPIDS APRIL 26, 2021 3 P.M. AHLTV.COM AT LONG LAST 2020-21 For more than a month, the Chicago Wolves and Grand Rapids Griffins have been trying to get together TALE OF THE TAPE at Van Andel Arena. REGULAR-SEASON SERIES Originally, they were slated to play on Friday, March 19. Couldn’t work as the Wolves observed the 1-4-0-0 Grand Rapids | 4-1-0-0 Chicago American Hockey League’s COVID-19 protocols. They were supposed to meet March 23. No go for the LAST MEETING April 1, 2021 same reason. Once of those games was shifted to April 13. Couldn’t do it as the Griffins observed COVID-19 protocols. So the game was moved to April 15, but not for long as that became the fourth time the Wolves and Griffins couldn’t be in the same arena at the same time. 11-6-3-0 15-5-1-2 But this is the week (hopefully) that everything works out. In addition to playin tonight, the Wolves SERIES LEADERS are planning to return to Grand Rapids on Thursday. If both games get played, then both teams will be caught up. GRAND RAPIDS CHICAGO Skater G A Pts Skater G A Pts Barber 4 3 7 x Jarvis 3 2 5 ARE THE NETS BIGGER ON THE ROAD? Hirose 1 5 6 Tomasino 1 4 5 Today’s contest marks the seventh of eight consecutive road games for the Wolves. It’s the franchise’s x Cholowski 2 3 5 Cotton 3 1 4 longest road trip since the 2014-15 season — when head coach John Anderson’s crew visited Milwaukee, Criscuolo 3 1 4 Richard 3 1 4 Grand Rapids, Iowa, Utica, Rochester and Adirondack Nov. 2-21 and posted a 5-3-1 record. The first six games of the current trip have resulted in a rarity for the Wolves: They have allowed four SERIES GAME-BY-GAME goals or more in six consecutive games for the first time since the 2000-01 season. During that final Date Location Result SF-SA PP PK International Hockey League season, Chicago allowed 35 goals during a 0-6-0 stretch from Dec. 23, Feb. 5 Wolves Training Facility W, 3-1 29-23 1-4 4-5 2000, to Jan. 3, 2001. Grand Rapids happened to be the opponent for three of those games. The Wolves Feb. 11 Wolves Training Facility W, 4-2 29-38 1-5 4-5 recovered that year to reach the Turner Cup Finals. Feb. 26 Van Andel Arena L, 1-4 23-35 0-5 4-4 Feb. 28 Wolves Training Facility W, 8-4 35-33 2-4 1-4 The Wolves’ opponents have recorded 25 goals over the six games, but some context seems April 1 Wolves Training Facility W, 5-2 27-45 1-3 5-5 appropriate. Six have come with opponents on the power play, yet the Wolves have killed 78 percent April 26 Van Andel Arena of their short-handed situations (21 of 27). Two came in the waning minutes when the other team, April 29 Van Andel Arena trailing by one, pulled its goaltender to add an extra attacker and set up a 6-on-5 advantage. One May 7 Van Andel Arena came with the net empty. One occurred during 3-on-3 play during overtime. One was added to the May 9 Wolves Training Facility overall total when Rockford won a shootout on April 17. May 12 Van Andel Arena NOTHING IN THE SECOND? ALL-TIME RECORD BREAKDOWN Entering Sunday’s game at Cleveland, the Chicago Wolves led the American Hockey League in second- Seasons Home Road Overall period goals per game with 36 goals in 22 games (1.64 per game). When the Wolves did not score 1996-2021 42-37-0-6-2 35-32-2-9-2 77-69-2-15-4 during the second period Sunday, it marked just the fourth time this season that the team did not tally during the middle stanza. The first three times happened against Grand Rapids: Feb. 26, April 1 WE ARE THE WOLVES and April 3. Prior to this season, the Wolves had never played a regular-season game later than April 21. That hap- LAST TWO GAMES pened in 2013 when the Wolves capped their season SUNDAY, APRIL 25 (AT) CLEVELAND 4, CHICAGO 2 with a 3-1 home loss to Grand Rapids. • Rookie forward Tyler Angle scored two goals for the second day in a row to steer Cleveland to the From 2000 to 2018, the Wolves have been a part of weekend sweep over the Wolves. nine playoff games on April 26. The organization owns • Defenseman Max Lajoie and forward Anthony Richard scored goals for Chicago while rookie a 6-3 record on this date, though one of the losses center Zach Solow earned his first pro assist. might be the game that sticks out the most. • Goaltender Connor Ingram stopped 19 of 22 shots. SATURDAY, APRIL 24 (AT) CLEVELAND 5, CHICAGO 4 (OT) On April 26, 2018, the Wolves played the longest game • The Wolves rallied from a 4-2 deficit in the third period to force extra time, but rookie forward in franchise history when they hosted Rockford in Tyler Angle scored on a 2-on-0 breakaway 4:06 into overtime to give Cleveland the extra point. Game 3 of the Western Conference Quarterfinals. • Rookie forward Zach Solow scored his first goal as a professional while rookie forwards Phil Goaltender Max Lagace posted a franchise-record Tomasino and Cole Smith and defenseman Josh Healey also scored for the Wolves. 72 saves before the IceHogs earned the 4-3 win with • Goaltender Beck Warm posted 25 saves in regulation and seven in overtime. Victor Ejdsell’s goal at 17:22 of the third overtime. 2020-21 Chicago Wolves Game Notes 2020-21 BY THE NUMBERS HOME-ROAD CONTRASTS Regular Season Home Away Difference For almost the entire season, the Wolves have ranked No. 1 in the American Hockey League Goals For 4.82 3.50 1.32 in scoring. Chicago owns 95 goals in 23 games, which works out to 4.13 goals per game. For Goals Against 2.36 3.42 1.06 1 the first time since the first week of the season, this year’s squad is not on pass to break the franchise record for goals per game. The only Wolves team that has averaged more than 4 per game RECORD BY OPPONENT is the 2006-07 crew that paced the AHL with 4.14 per game. Record Win % Cleveland 0-2-1-1 .250 When the Wolves played Saturday, it kicked off a stretch where they’re scheduled to play Grand Rapids 4-1-0-0 .800 six games in an eight-day stretch. This marks the first time since the 2004-05 sesaon that Iowa 5-1-0-0 .833 6 a Wolves squad has been asked to do this. From Nov. 24 to Dec. 1, the Wolves posted a 4-1-1 Rockford 6-1-0-1 .813 record as they hosted two games and traveled to Grand Rapids, San Antonio and Utah. Kari Lehtonen backstopped four of the six games as the Wolves built their way to the 2005 Calder Cup Finals. RECORD BY MONTH Record Win % Forward Tanner Jeannot scored last Monday night against the Chicago Blackhawks to February 8-1-0-0 .889 March 4-1-0-1 .750 earn his second NHL goal in five games since being recalled by Nashville (NHL). In essence, April 3-3-1-1 .500 8 Jeannot has maintained the hot streak he built with the Wolves. The 23-year-old holds an May 0-0-0-0 .000 eight-game goal streak that’s the longest in the AHL this year. If Jeannot suits up for the Wolves again, he can tie Brett Sterling’s franchise record for the longest goal streak. Jeannot also can tie the AHL’s longest streak over the last nine years. Norfolk’s Tyler Johnson reeled off a nine-game goal IN OVERTIME (1-1) streak March 3-24, 2012. Perhaps most important: The Wolves own a 12-1-0-0 record with Jeannot in the lineup, but 3-4-1-2 when he’s not. Goaltender Saves-Shots (10-11) SV% Antoine Bibeau (1-0) 3-3 1.000 Connor Ingram (0-0) 5-5 1.000 Wolves defenseman Cavan Fitzgerald shares fourth among all AHL defensemen (and Beck Warm (0-1) 7-8 .875 stands tied for ninth among all AHL players) with a +15 plus/minus rating that he has 15 fashioned over 21 games. Nineteen-year-old forward Phil Tomasino owns a +14 plus/ IN THE SHOOTOUT (0-2) minus rating, which ranks fourth among AHL rookies and 11th overall. Shooter Goals-Chances (0-5) SH% Rookie center Ryan Suzuki leads all active AHL players in shooting percentage. The Dominik Bokk 0-1 .000 unselfish 19-year-old, who was the Carolina Hurricanes’ first-round pick in the 2019 Patrick Harper 0-1 .000 Tommy Novak 0-1 .000 42 NHL Draft, has connected on 5 of his 12 shots this season (41.7 percent) during his 20 David Cotton 0-2 .000 games. There’s one player listed above Suzuki in the league’s shooting percentage standings, but he hasn’t played in the AHL since February. That player is former Wolves center Rem Pitlick, who Goaltender Saves-Shots (2-5) SV% buried 8 of 18 shots during the season’s first four weeks to take the AHL lead in goals and capture Antoine Bibeau (0-1) 2-3 .667 the AHL Player of the Month award.