Chicago Wolves crush Iowa to start five-game road trip

The Chicago Wolves kicked off a five-game road trip — the final contests away from home this regular season — by dismantling the Wild 5-0 on Wednesday night in Iowa.

Noah Philp (two goals), Evan Vierling (goal, two assists), Skyler Brind’Amour (goal), Bradly Nadeau (goal) and Joel Nystrom (two assists) provided the offense for goaltender Cayden Primeau, who made 30 saves to post his fourth shutout of the season. The win extended the Wolves’ points streak to four games in the 10th and final showdown between the Central Division rivals this season.

The Wolves started strong and seized the lead 2 minutes, 10 seconds into the opening period on Philp’s first marker of the game. The forward found open space in the left circle and when Vierling put a pass in Philp’s wheelhouse, the veteran ripped a shot past Wild netminder Cal Petersen to the glove side. Vierling and Nystrom earned assists.

That score held until just after the puck dropped in the second and Brind’Amour struck to make it 2-0. After winning a faceoff deep in the Wild zone, Brind’Amour spun and redirected a long shot from Ronan Seeley into the back of the net. Seeley had the lone assist on Brind’Amour’s 15th tally of the season.