Wolves get themselves ready for playoff run
The Chicago Wolves are set to open their 14th postseason run in 16 years, and Wednesday night's opponent also is a familiar one - the Milwaukee Admirals.
The the West Division semifinal at the Allstate Arena gets under way at 7 p.m., and these two clubs have met five times in postseason action with the Wolves posting wins in four of the series.
Here's a quick look at some key players to watch on the Wolves:
• Jason Krog led the Wolves in scoring and ranked second in the AHL with 61 assists. He led the Wolves with 75 points in 78 games this season.
• Peter Mannino was third in the AHL with a .921 save percentage and ranked sixth in the league with a 2.34 goals-against average, which represents the third-lowest single-season average in franchise history. In his 38 appearances this season, Mannino collected 26 wins.
• NHL veteran Chris Chelio ranked second on the team and shared sixth in the AHL with a +34 plus/minus rating in 46 games this season. Chelios also ranked third among Wolves defensemen with 17 assists.
• Tim Stapleton finished second on the Wolves and 10th in the AHL with a career-high 30 goals in 73 games.
Series rewind: The Wolves posted a 7-2-1-0 record against Milwaukee during the regular-season series, which includes a 4-1-0-0 mark at the Allstate Arena. The teams met twice in the final three games of the regular-season, with each team claiming a victory on home.
By the numbers: The Wolves matched a franchise high 29 home wins this season (29-8-0-3). The Wolves have recorded a 21-2 mark in playoff series that begin at home, with the only two losses coming in the 2005 Calder Cup Finals against Philadelphia and the 2007 Western Conference Final against Hamilton.
Wolves defenseman Arturs Kulda established a franchise record with his +46 plus/minus rating, which shared first in the AHL.
Wolves playoffs
All playoff games between the Wolves and Milwaukee Admirals will be telecast live on Comcast:
Today: Allstate Arena, 7 p.m.
Friday: Allstate Arena, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday: at Milwaukee, 7 p.m.
Monday: at Milwaukee, 7 p.m.
April 21: Allstate Arena, 7 p.m. *
April 22: at Milwaukee, 7 p.m. *
April 26: Allstate Arena, 7 p.m. *
* If necessary