WINNIPEG, Manitoba – Chicago threw 41 shots on goal, but couldn’t solve goaltender Connor Hellebuyck in falling 5-2 to Manitoba Sunday afternoon at the MTS Center. The loss was just the second for the Wolves in the season series, which Chicago captured with a 6-1-1-0 record.
Scooter Vaughn and Emerson Clark scored for Chicago (23-22-2-2), while defenseman Andre Benoit turned in a solid defensive effort, breaking up three odd-man rushes in the game.
Manitoba (13-27-4-5) was led by Hellebuyck’s 39 saves in his first start since returning from the Winnipeg Jets. Josh Morrissey earned No. 1 Star honors with a four-point (1-3) effort.
The Moose opened scoring 2:22 into the first period when Morrissey’s slap shot caromed off the back boards and deflected off the pads of goaltender Jordan Binnington past the goal line.
The Wolves answered a minute, 20 seconds later as Scooter Vaughan snapped a wrist shot past Hellebuyck from the right faceoff circle. The goal was Vaughan’s first since Oct. 17. Matt Halischuk tallied a power play goal at 16:20 mark to give Manitoba a 2-1 lead after one period.
After a scoreless second period, Manitoba broke the game open with three goals in the third. Austen Brassard scored seven seconds into a power play, Nic Petan finished a give-and-go in the slot and Jiri Fronk buried a wrist shot from the left wing as the Moose overcame a 17-shot deficit (41-24) to pull out the win.
Clark knocked in a rebound to score his first AHL goal in just his second game with the Wolves to close the scoring with 47 seconds left in regulation.
Binnington (11-10-3) finished with 19 saves on the afternoon.
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