Wolves fall in overtime to Rockford in season finale

The Chicago Wolves wrapped up their 2023-24 season by falling to the Rockford IceHogs 3-2 in overtime Sunday at Allstate Arena.

Josh Melnick and Chris Terry scored and Hudson Elynuik chipped in two assists but the Wolves’ rally from a two-goal deficit fell short when Rockford’s Louis Crevier scored 37 seconds into overtime. With the point for the overtime defeat, Chicago finished the season with a 23-35-7-7 record.

“They were fortunate to get a jump on us but we didn’t quit,” Melnick said. “We found ourselves in that position a lot of times this season. I’m just proud of the group for continuing to fight.”

The IceHogs opened the scoring midway through the first period on Antti Saarela’s goal and extended the lead to 2-0 heading into the intermission on Michal Teply’s tally.

The Wolves came alive in the second and knotted the game at 2-2 on goals by Melnick and Terry.

First, with the Wolves on the power play, Melnick — skating in his 300th career American Hockey League game — took a backhand dish from Elynuik and fired the puck from the slot past IceHogs goaltender Drew Commesso to the stick side. Elynuik and Cavan Fitzgerald earned assists on Melnick’s eighth goal of the season.

Terry knotted things a short time later when the captain camped out in front and redirected a cross-crease pass from Max Comtois into the net for Terry’s 21st goal of the season. Comtois and Elynuik had assists.

After a scoreless third, Crevier notched the winner in overtime.

Adam Scheel (24 saves) suffered the loss in goal for the Wolves while Commesso (32 saves) earned the win for the IceHogs.