ROSEMONT, Ill. – The Chicago Wolves needed to play extra for the second consecutive game in the series but the results were in their favor as they defeated the Texas Stars by the score of 4-3 in double overtime to tie up the series at one game apiece.
“It’s disappointing, you control most of the game and they battled back,” said Wolves Head Coach Don Lever, “That is the type of team they are. We just backed off, but we battled.”
Chicago Wolves right wing Anthony Stewart was the star of the game scoring the game-winner for the second of his two goals. Brett Sterling made the initial poke at the goal with Stewart right at his side in a battle around the far post where a rebound inched out with sticks flying where it eventually went in on Stars netminder Brent Krahn.
The goal was scored at the 12:21 mark of the second overtime.
“I was just trying to get it on net,” said Stewart, “I got in front there and just took a couple of pokes on it. I think the [defense] pushed me, I was falling back and I think I got my backhand on it. Didn’t know it really went in until I saw Sterling celebrating. First OT goal and it’s definitely a good feeling.”
The first goal of the game was a costly one for the Wolves. Behind the net, Wolves center Kevin Doell was leveled by Stars defenseman Garrett Stafford and laid flat as the play was happening in front of the net. Referee Kyle Rehman stood in the area as he called the goal in from a deflected shot off Spencer Machacek from defenseman Arturs Kulda at 8:36 into the game.
Doell was taken to the hospital and was being evaluated.
So how was Lever able to manage a team for almost eighty minutes short a forward, “We got some minutes out of Patrice [Cormier] and Kozy [Andrew Kozek]. They almost won it for us the shift before, but it was getting tough and we were running out of juice. They had that extra line that gives you a little bit of a benefit, but one good side of it, I was getting [Jason] Krog and [Tim] Stapleton on the ice a lot more.”
In the second, with 3:51 gone, Krog won the faceoff and passed the puck back to defenseman Ivan Vishnevskiy who set and fired the puck towards the net where a slight deflection with Krog’s stick put the biscuit in past Krahn to put the Wolves up by two.
Texas was able to get that one back late in the period where center Greg Rallo fired a point-blank shot on Peter Mannino who thought he gathered the puck in his gear but in fact rebounded to his right where Aaron Gagnon was able to sweep it in on the open sided net.
Chicago struck first in the period again as Stapleton tried for the wraparound goal but it just happened to bound away directly to Stewart for his first score of the night on the power play 1:32 in.
Texas rallied for two goals in the second half of the period to tie up the game and eventually send it into overtime. Defenseman Andrew Hutchinson ripped a top shelf shot to bring the Stars within one. Then with fifty-four seconds left, center Warren Peters was able to score on the battle in front of the net.
“Our team showed a lot of character, that’s important,” as Texas Stars Head Coach Glen Gulutzan commented, “These games in these series are long and they’re hard. You are playing every second night you have got to show some resolve and I thought we did that tonight.”
Krahn faced 42 shots while stopping 42 while on the other end of the ice Mannino went 35 of 38 in the match. Texas did not convert any of the three power play chances they had as Chicago went 1 for 2.
The series now travels to Austin, Texas at the Cedar Park Center for the second leg of the 2-3-2 series on Tuesday.
Three Stars of the Game: Andrew Hutchenson (Texas), Third Star with a goal and and assist; Peter Mannino (Chicago), Second Star stopping 35 shots for the win; and Anthony Stewart (Chicago) with two goals in the game and the game-winner.
Stewart had some motivation in the game as his little brother Chris was in the crowd. Chris Stewart had an outstanding year with the Colorado Avalanche with 77 games in the regular season with 28 goals. His season ended in the playoffs with a defeat to the San Jose Sharks, but in his six games he had three goals. “I had to show him that big brother still has it”
West Division Finals CHICAGO vs. TEXAS
Series Even at One Game
Game 1 – Fri Apr 30, TEXAS 4 at Chicago 3 OT Game 2 – Sun May 2, Texas 3 at CHICAGO 4 2OT Game 3 – Tue May 4, 7:30 PM Chicago at Texas Game 4 – Wed May 5, 7:30 PM Chicago at Texas *Game 5 – Fri May 7, 7:30 PM Chicago at Texas *Game 6 – Sun May 9, 3:00 PM Texas at Chicago *Game 7 – Tue May 11, 7:00 PM Texas at Chicago
* if necessary, All Games Central Time
Contact the writer at matt.chin@prohockeynews.com
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