Wolves roll to 6-2 win over Milwaukee
MILWAUKEE - The Chicago Wolves scored 4 goals in the second period and rolled to a 6-2 Amtrak Rivalry triumph over the Milwaukee Admirals on Friday night at the Bradley Center.
The Wolves (17-11-3-0) produced at least 5 goals for the third game in a row as forwards Shane Harper, Jeremy Welsh, Ty Rattie, Philip McRae and Cody Beach and defenseman Brent Regner scored.
Jordan Binnington (10-4-1) rejected 24 of 26 shots as he and the Wolves earned their third win in five days.
The Wolves opened the scoring at 14:06 of the first period as Terry Broadhurst passed the puck to himself off the defensive half-boards and used his speed to race down the left wing and set up a 2-on-1 with Harper. Broadhurst dished the puck across the slot when the defenseman committed to him and Harper one-timed it past Magnus Hellberg's blocker.
Chicago seized a 2-0 lead on Welsh's power-play goal at 9:48 of the second. Jake Chelios and McRae worked the puck to Welsh just outside of the crease. Welsh tried to backhand a pass to Benn Ferriero across the slot, but Milwaukee defenseman Joe Piskula's sliding attempt to break up the play backfired as the puck ricocheted off Piskula's skate into the top left corner of the net.
Just 35 seconds later, Regner pushed the margin to 3-0 as he accepted a pass from Beach at the point, zigzagged into the right faceoff circle and snapped a shot through traffic and past Hellberg.
Rattie made the score 4-0 with a highlight-reel goal at 15:25. Welsh battled for possession along the end wall and fed it into the slot for Rattie, who spun around and lifted a backhand over Hellberg's blocker with his back turned to the goalie.
Milwaukee (15-11-0-3) finally got on the board with 1:49 left in the second when Miikka Salomaki corralled a rebound in the slot and shoveled it home, but the Wolves answered with 34 seconds to go in the period when McRae rifled home a shot from the point that tipped off Hellberg's glove.
Beach added an insurance goal on the power play with 1:26 left in the game as Colin Fraser and Matthew Register picked up assists. Twelve Wolves got on the scoresheet for the night.
Hellberg (7-3-2) posted 12 saves on 17 shots before being replaced for the third period by Marek Mazanec (7 saves).
The Wolves travel to Rockford for an Illinois Lottery Cup contest Sunday before returning to the Allstate Arena at 7 p.m. Tuesday to face the Grand Rapids Griffins.