Wolves dropped by Monsters in OT

CLEVELAND - Chicago Wolves right wing Danny Kristo posted 2 goals, but Lake Erie's Markus Hannikainen scored 1:14 into overtime to lift the Monsters a 3-2 victory over the Wolves in a taut Central Division battle Tuesday night at Quicken Loans Arena.

Kristo scored in each of the first two periods to give the Wolves (22-20-2-2) a pair of 1-goal leads, but the Monsters (25-16-4-3) answered both times. Hannikainen capped the rally in 3-on-3 overtime play when his wrister from the left circle clipped a Chicago stick and knuckled into the net.

Kristo gave the Wolves a 1-0 lead at 17:43 of the first period as Chicago's top line teamed up. Jordan Caron battled two Monsters behind the net and knocked the puck toward the right circle. Pat Cannone chased it down and tapped a backhand pass to Kristo, who had open space and waited patiently before steering the puck through goaltender Brad Thiessen's five-hole.

Lake Erie made it 1-1 with 18.4 seconds left in the first as the Monsters took advantage of a 5-on-3 situation. Wolves goaltender Jordan Binnington stopped Daniel Zaar's shot from the point, but right wing Oliver Bjorkstrand was uncovered on the rebound and flipped it home.

Kristo, Cannone and Caron struck again at 15:35 of the second to give the Wolves a 2-1 edge. Caron had a wrister turned away by Thiessen, but Cannone chased down the puck behind the net, spotted Kristo slicing through the left circle and set him up for a one-timer into the top right corner of the net.

Bjorkstrand matched Kristo at 2:28 of the third as he launched a slap shot from the top of the left circle that tipped off a Wolves stick and rose over Binnington's blocker for a 2-2 knot.

Binnington (10-8-3) finished with 26 saves while Thiessen (7-2-2) stopped 22 of 24 shots to pick up the win.

The Wolves face Lake Erie again at 6 p.m. Thursday as part of a four-game road trip.