Wolves hang on to tip Rockford

ROCKFORD — The Chicago Wolves opened a two-game road trip with a 3-2 victory over the Rockford IceHogs on Saturday night at BMO Center.

Tyson Jost had a goal and an assist while Brendan Lemieux and Noel Gunler also scored — all in the first period — to help the Wolves snap a four-game losing skid in the first of 12 meetings between the Central Division rivals.

The Wolves wasted little time getting on the scoreboard as Jost ripped a shot from the high slot that beat Rockford goaltender Mitchell Weeks to the stick side just 1 minute, 52 seconds into the opening period. Justin Robidas and Josiah Slavin recorded assists on Jost’s first goal of the season.

After the IceHogs knotted it at 1-1 a short time later on a power-play goal by Brett Seney, the Wolves exploded with two goals 58 seconds apart.

First, Brendan Lemieux notched his second goal of the season when the veteran forward pounced on a rebound of a Scott Morrow shot from the point and fired the puck past Weeks. Morrow picked up the lone assist on the score.

The Wolves kept coming and extended the lead to 3-1 on Gunler’s tally. The forward took a touch pass from Jost and ripped a shot from the between the rings that sailed by Weeks to the stick side. Jost and Joakim Ryan were awarded assists on Gunler’s first goal of the season.

Early in the second, the IceHogs pulled to within 3-2 on a goal by Gerry Mayhew and that’s the way it stood heading into the third period.

Neither team scored in the third and when the dust settled, the Wolves had snapped their losing skid.

Ruslan Khazheyev (21 saves) earned his first AHL victory in goal for the Wolves while Weeks (19 saves) suffered the loss for the IceHogs.

Chicago improved to 2-4-1-0 on the season while Rockford fell to 3-4-0-0.