Wolves win, lead series 3-0

WILKES-BARRE/SCRANTON, Pa. – The Chicago Wolves are one game closer to sweeping the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins after they took Game Three of the Calder Cup championship by a score of 6-1. But the game didn’t start off too cheery for the visiting team.
 
As we have seen all through the playoffs, scoring first is always an important momentum builder especially when you are playing on your own

house and the Penguins did that. Center Kurtis McLean took a centering-pass from Tim Brent on the odd-man rush and was able to shoot the puck on in low past Wolves netminder Ondrej Pavelec by the near post at the 10:44 mark. The first period was dominated by the Penguins as they were able to stay close to the Wolves and pinch them away from the puck. Both team showed discipline as only two penalties were called with one given to each team. The Penguins dominated the shots with a 12 to 5 margin.
 
But the Wolves didn’t give up, and boy did they not give up. You almost felt the sorry for the 6,419 diehard fans in the Wachovia Arena in Scranton as a large pin deflated any chance for the team in the game as the Wolves put up an amazing five spot on the board in the middle frame. If we said that the Penguins dominated the first, what can we say what the Wolves did in the middle frame? It could be said they took out their weapons of mass destruction and fired at will into the Penguins net.
 
The scoring onslaught began as defenseman Joel Kwiatkowski registered a goal off a feed from Guillaume Desbiens. This was Kwiatkowski’s sixth straight game with a goal and his tenth of the playoffs.
 
In a play reminiscent of a jai-alia game, Bryan Little took the puck over the blueline in the far lane with some pressure. He spun around and lofted a backhanded pass toward the net where Jesse Schultz scooped the puckin the air in one motion and was able to get the puck in the net past Wilkes-Barre netminder John Curry without the biscuit ever hitting the ice. This goal gave the Wolves their first lead of the game 6:20 into the period.
 
Just over seven minutes later, Schultz did it again as Captain Darren Haydar drove to the net and made Curry commit to the player and not the puck. At that point Haydar dished a saucer-pass to Schultz who was waiting next to the open net for the score.
 
Persistence and perseverance paid off for the Wolves as the Penguins couldn’t get the puck out of their zone. Chicago battered Curry in front of the net as Jordan LaVallee poked the puck while diving over Deryk Engelland. Curry made the initial save but as Engelland dove to move the player, the rebound appeared to hit his stick and bounced in over the goalie’s pads. The goal was given to LaVallee.
 
The scoring in the period ended as the Wolves fourth-line got into the scoring action. Center Andre Deveaux drove to the net with all the Penguins players trailing. He got the shot off but the Penguin’s tried to clear the puck out but in came center Matt Anderson who charged toward the net and was able to force the puck in. This was the third goal in a three minute timeframe.
 
What a difference this period was. After being out-shot in the first, the Wolves came back with 19 shots on goal to the Penguin’s 7.
 
In the third winger Mike Hamilton, making only his fourth appearance in a Wolves uniform, took the puck from blueline to blueline and headed toward the net. He put on the breaks, slowed down and found his spot in past David Brown who had replaced Curry at the start of the period.
 
P:avelec by far had one of his best games in this series as he stopped 24 of the 25 shots he faced, including two spectacular one on one opportunities. On the other side Curry had his worst as he was 19 of 24 while Brown stopped 7 of 8.
 
This game by far was the least penalized of the series with each team having two power play chances with the Penguins as the only team to score on the man-advantage.
 
A look at the names on the scoring table showed names that you normally don’t see scoring. And for the Wolves to score six goals with three important players out with injuries is just amazing. With everyone else scoring, league MVP Jason Krog hasn’t scored a goal in the last five games but is able to assist as the team has pulled together and taken any slack if that is considered the only negative with the team.
 
Hamilton moved up a line and contributed to the only goal of the third while Guillaume Desbiens came in for the first time in the playoffs due toan injury to Steve Martins. Brett Sterling and Joe Motzko were still held out of the game as they are still day to day.
 
Game Notes:
 
Jesse Schultz, with his two goals, became the fifth Wolves player to have a multiple goal game in this year’s playoffs.
 
The AHL made a scoring change in the last game and gave an assist to Penguins defensemen Alex Goligoski on the team’s first goal. That broke the league record for points in a playoff season by a defenseman and with the addition of one point tonight his total is 27. Goligoski has a point in every goal scored by the Penguins in the series while putting one in by himself.
 
This loss was the Penguins tenth consecutive loss in the Calder Cup Final appearances which ties the futility record set by New Haven.
 
With an assist tonight Jason Krog tied a Wolves record in playoff points that is held by Rob Brown.