ROSEMONT, Ill. – A few months ago, the Chicago Wolves were just one point from being in last place in the AHL West Division and out of playoff contention. With a coaching change and a team finally in sync, the Wolves are now one of the hottest teams in the league and leading the division by five points.
They are only two points behind in the conference leader, Hamilton Bulldogs thanks to a high-octane, never-give-up approach that put the team on an eight-game winning streak and enabled Chicago to collect points in its last 14 games, winning all but two.
Sunday’s 7-4 win against the San Antonio Rampage was a prime example of everything that’s been going right for the team. It was the seventh game in 10 days for both teams and you would think that that both squads would be running low on energy. After an emotional game the night before, a 7-1 win on a night team honored former coach John Anderson, the team was bound for a letdown.
That showed as the Rampage scored the first two goals of the game. Kyle Turris took a wrister that careened off the crossbar and in for the first tally of the game five minutes into the game. Four minutes later, Wolves starting goaltender Peter Mannino tried to clear the puck out of the zone but Stu Bickel retrieved the puck and fired it on in that was inadvertently deflected by Wolves defenseman Mike Vernace.
Vernace quickly made up for it with a score of his own at the 12:48 mark off a rebound. The scoring didn’t stop there as San Antonio, on the 5-on-3 advantage, got a goal from center Kevin Porter, whose shot deflected off the pads of Mannino. But again the Wolves fought back. With five seconds left, defenseman Paul Postma fired a laser in to bring the team back within one.
In the second period the teams exchanged goal. San Antonio’s Chad Kolarik lifted a puck over Mannino’s shoulder and sent him to the showers with Drew MacIntyre replacing him 2:01 into the period. The Wolves again with the late period tally struck again. With twenty seconds left, Johnny Pohl got the dish in the slot from Jason Krog and slashed it in pass Justin Pogge to bring the Wolves within one.
From there, it was all Chicago in the third. Four unanswered goals by the Wolves buried the Rampage. Is was Postma again who fired a bouncing knuckler in over the pads 43 seconds in. Anthony Stewart posted a shot on goal which Kevin Doell promptly gathered the puck for the goal to give the Wolves the lead for good. Brett Sterling then collected his league leading 33rd goal as the recipient of a ping pong rebound. Postma then capped off the Wolves scoring with the hat trick at the 14:53 mark.
Postma, in his rookie season, became the second defenseman in Wolves history to score a hat trick. The League on Monday awarded his efforts by naming him the AHL Player of the Week. He tallied four goals for six points and accumulated a plus-6 rating in four games for the week. The honor by chance can on the blueliner’s 21st birthday.
The defensive pairing of youngster Arturs Kulda and veteran Chris Chelios combined for an astounding plus-72 rating, with a plus-35 and a plus-37, respectively.
With injuries to eight players, the Wolves have had to juggle their lineup.
Defenseman Jaime Hunt was moved to forward and this week scored his first three goals of the season.
The Wolves are getting it all together for their playoff run at the right time. Nothing seems to surprise the Chicago faithful since the fans have an expectation that the Chicago Wolves are winners on the ice and losing is not an option.
Contact the author at matt.chin@prohockeynews.com
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