Wolves hammered by Rockford

The Chicago Wolves' season-opening four-game points streak came to an end with Tuesday’s 6-1 loss to Rockford in Rosemont.

Rockford came out blazing, scoring four goals in the first period and two in the opening minute, 36 seconds of the morning tilt at Allstate Arena.

Rockford started the scoring :54 into the contest as IceHogs forward Oliver Moore chipped the puck from the left boards over to Brett Seney, who found a streaking Nick Lardis at the right circle for a one-timer that beat Wolves netminder Nikita Quapp.

Under a minute later, the IceHogs doubled their lead with forward Jackson Cates redirecting a shot in the crease off the pass from defenseman Ryan Mast. Lardis earned the secondary assist on Cates' second goal of the season.

The visitors continued their first-period offensive surge with additional goals from Moore and Lardis' second and third points of the period.

Rockford added two more in the second from forwards Joey Anderson and Samuel Savoie.

Midway through the period the Wolves broke the IceHogs' Drew Commesso's shutout bid with a Noel Gunler marker.

Off an offensive-zone faceoff, Wolves defenseman Gavin Bayreuther's point shot sailed wide of the net, then recovered by Felix Unger Sorum, who turned on a dime at the bottom of the right circle, and feathered a pass to an open Gunler from the left circle for a blistering one-timer that beat Commesso to the blocker side.

On Gunler's first of the season, Unger Sorum extended his team-leading points streak to five games (three goals, two assists). Bayreuther added the secondary assist as well.

Both teams were held scoreless in the third as Rockford secured the 6-1 victory.

Quapp (eight saves) and Amir Miftakhov in relief (18 saves) suffered the loss for the Wolves while Commesso (21 saves) took the win for the IceHogs.

Chicago suffered its first regulation loss of the 2025-26 campaign, standing at 3-1-1-0 while Rockford improved to 6-2-0-0 on the season.