CHICAGO – The Chicago Wolves barely edged out the San Antonio Rampage with the victory Saturday night by the score of 6-5. The win leaves the Wolves undefeated at home but the wins cover up major issues that the team is facing.
The Wolves were great playing the first 40 minutes of the game allowing only three goals combined in the first seven games of the season, but they have allowed a disproportionate 16 goals in the final period. Tonight’s game was no exception to the trend as the Rampage scored three unanswered goals in the third to tie the game up at five before Jordan Schroeder drove to the net for the game winner from a rebound pass from Mike Davies with 2:58 left in the game.
Zach Kassian started the scoring for the Wolves tonight as he scored on a neutral zone possession giving him his fourth goal of the season. Ironically all four of his goals were the first scored by the Wolves in those particular games.
Forward Mike Davies, who has been a healthy scratch for most of the season and just recently recalled from a stint with the Wolves ECHL affiliate in Kalamazoo, scored the second goal of the period. The two teams battled for the puck along the boards, Davies got the puck at the goal line and shot a puck towards the net.
It hit the skate of Rampage goaltender Jacob Markstrom and ricocheted in to give the Wolves a two-goal lead. But late in the period San Antonio halved the score when center Jared Gomes backhanded a pass from behind the net to Eddie Lack who hit the bag.
In the second period, former Wolves player, Andre Deveaux ripped a one-timer with off a pass from Jason DeSantis on the power play to knot up the score at two each.
But the Wolves responded with three goals of their own to give Chicago a comfortable three goal lead heading into the third.
Defenseman Kevin Connauton scored from the blue line with a powerful wrister into the net at 15:56 and two minutes later Bill Sweatt caught a puck that bounced out and it was off to the races to the net as he fired one in from the far dot.
With seven seconds left and short-handed, right wing Andrew Gordon battled for the puck along the benches with defenseman Colby Robak. Robak fell and as he fell Gordon tripped over him but had momentum to chase the puck and fire it on in.
But in the third, almost like clockwork, San Antonio reeled of three goals in the first seven minutes. On top of the goals being scored in the third, they were all scored with the man-advantage.
This sinks them close to the bottom of the league, in this game alone, they allowed four power-play goals on ten chances. The team also ranks dead last on the power play converting only one goal on 31 tries.
The three stars of the game were Mike Davies, the third star with a goal and an assist; Jordan Schroeder with the game winner as the number two star; and Bill Sweat is the number one star with also a goal and an assist.
The Wolves will try to do it again as they face old friend and new division rival as the Grand Rapids Griffins come to town for a late afternoon tilt.
Contact the author at matt.chin@prohockeynews.com Follow us on Twitter: @ProHockeyNews
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