Chicago Wolves close in on Checkers
The Chicago Wolves pulled within 3 points of first place in the Midwest Division with a 5-2 victory over the first-place Charlotte Checkers on Sunday afternoon before 6,096 at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont.
The Wolves’ Mark Mancari netted the game’s first 2 goals to increase his team-high total to 14. Tim Miller added his ninth and 10th goals.
Goaltender Eddie Lack posted 32 saves as the Wolves (19-12-1-3) earned their 10th win in the last 13 games.
“It was a very good weekend for our team,” said Wolves coach Craig MacTavish. “We are starting to dig ourselves out of the hole we got into at the beginning of the season.”
Mancari opened the scoring 3:12 into the game. Nathan Longpre led an odd-man rush and tried to thread the puck to Steve Reinprecht skating toward the net. Charlotte goaltender Mike Murphy came out to break up Reinprecht’s one-handed tap just outside the crease, but he could not stop Mancari’s follow-up.
Mancari scored again at the 16:49 mark of the first period when he tipped home Longpre’s wrister from the right circle. Longpre and Reinprecht picked up their second assists of the period.
The Wolves pushed their advantage to 3-0 at 1:17 of the second period. Byron Bitz’s wrister from the top of the right circle deflected off Murphy’s pads directly to Miller, who scored. Bitz and Victor Oreskovich earned assists.
The Checkers (21-13-2-1) cut their deficit to 3-1 in the final minute of the second period on center Zac Dalpe’s breakaway with the Wolves on the power play.
The Checkers pulled within 3-2 at 4:29 of the third when Nicolas Blanchard’s wrister in the high slot rang off the post past Lack (9-8-3).
The Wolves earned a crucial insurance goal at 12:01 of the third as Mancari, fresh from a stint in the penalty box, zipped past two Checkers to set up an odd-man rush. Mancari fed Miller for a backhander that beat Murphy.
Darren Haydar added an empty-net goal at 18:08 of the third.
The Wolves return to action at 11 a.m. Wednesday when they host Rockford.