2018-19 Chicago Wolves Game Notes SAN ANTONIO AT CHICAGO JANUARY 5, 2019 7 p.m. CW50 POWER OUTAGE 2018-19 Four games and seven days ago, the Chicago Wolves ranked second in the American Hockey League TALE OF THE TAPE with 3.94 goals per game. Considering the Wolves were averaging practically four goals per game -- REGULAR-SEASON SERIES and hadn’t scored fewer than 2 goals in any of their first 32 games -- who would have dreamed they 3-0-0-0 San Antonio | 0-3-0-0 Chicago would score just four goals in their last four games? Friday night’s 3-0 home loss to San Antonio was the most recent struggle for the Wolves offense, though some of it makes sense considering No. 1 scorer Brandon Pirri has missed the last eight games while playing for Vegas (NHL), No. 1 scoring defenseman Erik Brännström has missed the last 10 games while playing for Team Sweden in the World Junior Championship and point-per-game forward Tomas Hyka has missed nearly all of the last four games due to injury. 17-17-1-0 20-12-3-1 Any number of these three vital Wolves could be back in the lineup tonight, but that’s not the only LEADING SCORERS IN SERIES encouraging sign for head coach Rocky Thompson. SAN ANTONIO CHICAGO Skater G A Pts Skater G A Pts “We’ve been fighting it a little bit here the last four games,” Thompson said after Friday’s loss. “I think MacEachern 3 0 3 Quinney 1 1 2 a lot of that was on us originally -- like trying to make an extra play, not having a shooter’s mentality Wotherspoon 1 2 3 Brännström 1 1 2 Nolan 2 0 2 Hyka 1 1 2 and not shooting for rebounds in non-scoring areas. Little things like that. But I think with about Kyrou/Reinke 1 1 2 Kolesar/McKenzie 1 0 1 seven minutes left in the second period, our fourth line (Tyler Wong, Matthew Weis and Marco Roy) went out there and had a really good shift...and then it started to snowball.” SERIES GAME-BY-GAME Date Location Result SF-SA PP PK WELCOME BACK, BRANDON PIRRI Oct. 28 AT&T Center L, 2-3 27-20 1-4 4-7 Forward Brandon Pirri was returned on loan by the NHL’s Vegas Golden Knights on Friday afternoon, Dec. 1 Allstate Arena L, 3-5 22-15 1-3 3-3 but did not make it to Allstate Arena for the game. Pirri posted six goals and three assists in seven Jan. 4 Allstate Arena L, 0-3 31-22 0-3 3-3 Jan. 5 Allstate Arena 7 p.m. games for Vegas. March 5 AT&T Center 10:30 a.m. March 16 Allstate Arena 7 p.m. The 27-year-old Toronto native, who was named to the 2019 AHL All-Star Classic roster on Thursday, March 23 AT&T Center 7 p.m. continues to pace the AHL in points (41) despite not playing in the league since Dec. 18. He ranks one March 26 AT&T Center 7 p.m. assist behind teammate T.J. Tynan and Toronto’s Jeremy Bracco for first in assists (24) and shares fourth in goals (17) with teammates Daniel Carr and Brooks Macek and three others. THROWING IT BACK TO 2014 On Jan. 5, 2014, goaltender Jordan Binnington Pirri returns to the AHL riding a nine-game point streak that featured nine goals and 10 assists from earned No. 2 Star honors as he directed the Wolves Nov. 28 to Dec. 18. He scored points in six of his seven games with Vegas, which included one goal and to a 4-3 shootout victory over the Rockford IceHogs one assist in each of his last two games (Dec. 30 at Arizona and Jan. 1 vs. Los Angeles). The Golden at Allstate Arena. What else was happening in the Knights posted a 5-0-2 record in the games Pirri played. world about that time? • Green Bay braced for sub-zero temperatures and a “polar vortex” storm, but sleeveless Colin Kaeper- HOW THE HOMESTAND BEGAN... nick and the San Francisco 49ers knocked off the Packers 23-20 in an NFC wild card game at Lambeau. FRIDAY, JAN. 4 SAN ANTONIO 3, (at) CHICAGO 0 • The top two songs on the Billboard Hot 100 were • San Antonio scored three goals in the final five minutes of the first period to take an “The Monster” (Enimen featuring Rihanna) and insurmountable lead at Allstate Arena “Timber” (Pitbull featuring Ke$ha). • The Wolves suffered their first shutout of the season as former Wolves goaltender Jordan • According to Wikipedia, fashion trends moved away Binnington saved all 31 shots he saw from bright and neon colors in order to introduce • Goaltender Oscar Dansk stopped 5 of 8 shots in the first before giving way toMax Lagace. subdued and monochromatic clothes. • NHL commissioner Gary Bettman was two months away from meeting with the first of two prospective WEDNESDAY, JAN. 2 IOWA 3, (AT) CHICAGO 1 ownership groups in Vegas. • The Wolves scored less than two minutes into the first game of the new year, but special teams proved to be the difference in the home loss. ALL-TIME RECORD BREAKDOWN • Defenseman Dylan Coghlan scored Chicago’s only goal in the opening minutes of the contest, Seasons Home Road Overall but the Wild clamped down after that to keep the home team at bay. 2002-2018 33-16-1-1-1 27-19-3-0-2 60-35-4-1-3 • Goaltender Max Lagace saved 23 shots. 2018-19 Chicago Wolves Game Notes 2018-19 HOME-ROAD CONTRASTS BY THE NUMBERS Regular Season Home Away Difference Goals For 3.67 3.47 0.20 The Wolves will have three representatives - forwards Brandon Pirri and Daniel Carr and Goals Against 3.39 3.37 0.02 defenseman Erik Brännström - at the 2019 AHL All-Star Classic, joining the San Jose Bar- 3 racuda as the only other team to have three players selected. It will be Pirri’s third appear- ance at the AHL All-Star Classic while Carr and Brännström are first-time selections. RECORD BY DIVISION Record Win % The Wolves’ prowess during even-strength hockey can be seen at the top of the AHL’s plus/ Central 15-12-3-1 .548 minus ratings -- where they own four of the top seven spots. Left wing Daniel Carr and North 1-0-0-0 1.000 4 rookie defenseman Zach Whitecloud are tied for the league lead with a +20 plus/minus. Pacific 4-0-0-0 1.000 Center Gage Quinney shares fourth place with Syracuse’s Cameron Gaunce at +18 while rookie de- fenseman Nic Hague shares sixth place with a +17. RECORD BY MONTH Record Win % Rookie defenseman Erik Brännström has been the quarterback of the Wolves’ power play October 6-2-0-1 .722 virtually from Day 1. But since he left the team on Dec. 16 to join Team Sweden for the WJC, November 4-5-2-0 .455 the Wolves scored just 5 power-play goals in 39 chances (12.8 percent). Prior to Bränn- December 10-3-1-0 .750 5 January 0-2-0-0 .000 ström’s departure, the Wolves converted 28 of 122 chances (23.0 percent) and ranked fourth in the league. He did not dress for Friday’s game, but he might be available tonight. February 0-0-0-0 .000 March 0-0-0-0 .000 April 0-0-0-0 .000 The San Antonio Rampage roster features a whopping nine former Wolves: forwards Sam- uel Blais, Conner Bleackley, Jordan Kyrou, Mackenzie MacEachern and Adam Musil, de- 9 fensemen Chris Butler and Jake Walman and goaltenders Jordan Binnington and Ville Hus- IN OVERTIME (4-3) so. Bleackley, MacEachern and Walman each played roles on the Wolves’ 2016-17 and 2017-18 Central Goaltender Saves-Shots SV% Division champions while the others all helped the 2016-17 team captained by Butler. Oscar Dansk (2-1) 7-8 .875 Max Lagace (2-2) 4-6 .667 For the first time all season,Rocky Thompson made a goalie switch on Friday night. Max Lagace entered for Oscar Dansk after the first period and saved all 14 shots he saw. 14 That continued Lagace’s recent strong work as over his last three games, he has posted IN THE SHOOTOUT (0-1) a 1-1-0 record with a 1.11 goals-against average and a .950 save percentage. Shooter Goals-Chances SH% Despite the Wolves’ recent scoring issues, they continue to lead the AHL with 130 T.J. Tynan 1-1 1.000 goals -- four more than Syracuse. The Wolves also continue to boast three of the Erik Brännström 0-1 .000 Daniel Carr 0-1 .000 130 league’s top 10 scorers: League leader Brandon Pirri (17A, 24A), No. 2 Daniel Reid Duke 0-1 .000 Carr (17G, 23A) and No. 7 Brooks Macek (17G, 17A). Brooks Macek 0-1 .000 Stefan Matteau 0-1 .000 If you’ve suited up for the Wolves, chances are better than 50/50 that you’ve Brandon Pirri 0-1 .000 also played in the National Hockey League. When left wing Tye McGinn made his Wolves debut Friday, he became the 355th player (out of 617 Wolves all- Goaltender Saves-Shots SV% 355 Oscar Dansk 5-7 .714 time) who have competed for the Wolves and in the NHL. That 57.5 percent overall success rate is even higher among goaltenders.