Boo! Wolves not thrilled with play vs. Monsters

The Chicago Wolves have the AHL's top record, and they also might be the league's most self-critical team.

Darren Haydar scored on a power play, part of a 4-goal avalanche in the third period, to help the Wolves escape the Lake Erie Monsters in a 6-3 win at the Allstate Arena on Friday night.

The Wolves (46-14-2-2) trailed by a goal to start the third but overcame a ragged and rugged start in their first meeting against the expansion Monsters (22-30-4-7).

Despite having 96 points, along with 15 wins and 1 loss in regulation in their past 19 games, the Wolves should be playing better, according to Haydar.

"I don't think we played that well as a team for 60 minutes," Haydar said. "We had bits and pieces of a game. For us to win consistently in the this league, we have to play 60 minutes. We didn't do that tonight. Fortunately, we won anyway."

Brett Sterling scored his 33rd goal, Jason Krog his 31st and Haydar his 14th. Krog added 3 assists.

The Wolves began 0-for-5 on power plays before Lake Erie's Vladimir Denisov was called for tripping and unsportsmanlike conduct with about five minutes remaining in the third period and the score tied at 3-3.

Taking advantage of a four-minute power play, Haydar's one-timer from Sterling and Krog with 4:27 to go, and Brian Fahey's one-timer from Steve Martins and Chad Denny 30 seconds later gave the Wolves a 5-3 cushion.

"We knew it was a great chance to, at least, get the lead if not 2 goals," Haydar said. "Our power play had struggled."

Jesse Schultz added an empty-net goal with about 90 seconds to go to cap the scoring.

The Wolves appeared sluggish in the first period, unable to keep control of the puck for much of an early power-play opportunity, and they were a man down when Lake Erie's Dan DaSilva's goal gave the Monsters a 1-0 lead midway through the period.

The Wolves looked not at all like a team priming itself for home-ice advantage in the playoffs.

"I think we've had it a couple of times and won championships with it," Wolves coach John Anderson said. "It's difficult to win in another team's building in the playoffs."

Haydar said the Wolves try to be best all of the time, which is not so easy.

"Our standards are pretty high," Haydar said. "We always expect to play well. We're having lapses where we're not playing our best. In the gray areas, we're turning the puck over and allowing teams chances. And we found out, last year, that in playoffs, those are the things that are going to bite you."