Wolves open long homestand by beating Grand Rapids with goal in final minute
The Chicago Wolves kicked off a season-long, seven-game homestand with a thrilling 5-4 victory over the Grand Rapids Griffins on Saturday night at Allstate Arena.
Austin Wagner notched the game-winner in the third period, Juha Jaaska had a goal and two assists, Charles-Alexis Legault a goal and an assist and Skyler Brind’Amour and Joakim Ryan also scored to help the Wolves snap a four-game losing skid. Felix Unger Sorum and Domenick Fensore each chipped in with two assists in the triumph that pulled the Wolves to within five points of the Griffins for third place in the Central Division with three games in hand.
Midway through the first period, the Griffins took the lead on a goal by Ondrej Becher but the advantage was short-lived.
Just 10 seconds later, the Wolves tied it up thanks to a miscue by Grand Rapids goaltender Jack Campbell. While playing the puck behind his net, Campbell slipped and fell and the puck squirted to the side of the net where Jaaska swooped in, corralled it and tucked it into the empty net. The unassisted marker was Jaaska’s 10th of the season.
Grand Rapids again took the lead when Nate Danielson found the back of the net 32 seconds into the second period and extended it to 3-1 on a score by Brogan Rafferty.
Brind’Amour’s tally late in the second cut the deficit to 3-2. Legault threaded a pass between defenders to Brind’Amour and the forward didn’t miss, firing the puck from in close that beat Campbell to the stick side. Legault and Unger Sorum earned assists on Brind’Amour’s 13th goal of the season.
The Wolves kept coming and knotted the game at 3-3 early in the third when Legault unleashed a shot from the top of the right circle that found its way through traffic and past Campbell. On Legault’s third goal of the season, Unger Sorum and Yanick Turcotte were awarded assists.
With 4:47 remaining in the third, Ryan stepped into a loose puck in the high slot and blasted it by Campbell to the glove side. Jaaska and Fensore had assists on Ryan’s second goal of the season.
Austin Watson pulled the Griffins into a tie with just over a minute remaining but Wagner nailed the winner with 38 seconds remaining. The forward skated toward the net and solved Campbell from in close for his seventh goal of the season. Jaaska and Fensore earned helpers.
Dustin Tokarski (21 saves) picked up the win for the Wolves while Campbell (17 saves) took the loss for the Griffins.
Chicago moved to 28-23-3-0 on the season while Grand Rapids dropped to 29-22-4-2.