Chicago Wolves let Game 1 slip through their paws

It had been three years and 11 days since the last Calder Cup Finals game was played, which saw the Charlotte Checkers win the American Hockey League championship on the ice at Allstate Arena. The Chicago Wolves were on the losing side to the Carolina Hurricanes affiliate. As they took the ice for the fourth straight Calder Cup Finals game played in Rosemont, IL, this time, they are the Hurricanes affiliate.

Game 1 marked the first time in AHL history the Wolves and Springfield Thunderbirds played each other. However, with the number of veterans in each lineup, there was a lot of familiarity between the league’s Conference Champions.

The Wolves and Thunderbirds did not need much of a feeling-out process as both teams generated prime scoring chances in the opening minutes. Wolves’ head coach Ryan Warsofsky said he had too many “passengers” on his team, who was surprised a bit by the quick start to the game.

“We thought it might be a little more tiptoe and feeling each other out, but it was attack, attack, attack,” he said of pace right after the opening draw. “It was big chances after big chances, probably not what both of us don’t want. So, we’ve got some things to clean up. We aren’t getting to our game quick enough.”

Shortly after killing off a penalty of their own, Jack Drury put Chicago up 1-0 with a power-play goal from the right dot.

Springfield did not let this early setback deter them, as they scored twice in the final six minutes of the first period to grab a 2-1 lead. With former Blackhawk Richard Panik in the penalty box for the second time in the opening frame, Chicago native Hugh McGing scored a power-play goal off a rebound to even up the score. The Wolves allowed just one power-play goal to the Stockton Heat in the Western Conference Finals in 28 chances but gave one up in just their second chance on Sunday.

Matthew Peca, son of former NHL center Michael Peca, gave the visitors their first lead of the series in the final seconds of the first period. He drove hard to the net and deposited a pass from defenseman Brady Lyle behind Alex Lyon for his sixth goal of the playoffs.

Blackhawks fans forever hold 17 seconds near to their hearts, and Wolves struck twice in that infamous amount of time to grab a 3-2 advantage early in the middle frame. Panik made up for his two first-period penalties by tying the game seconds after the Wolves killed off an Andrew Poturalski penalty.

“I thought he was our best player tonight,” Warsofsky said of Panik. “When he’s going, he’s heavy; he’s physical. He sets a tone when he gets going. A big goal that can hopefully keep him going into Game 2.”

Moments after Panik’s game-tying goal, David Gust broke the tie right off a faceoff when his wrist shot from the left dasher beat Charlie Lindgren for his fourth postseason goal.

There were some fireworks early in the third period, literally and figuratively. Stefan Noesen set off the pyro with a power-play goal just 29 seconds into the final stanza. He skated by the front of the net and got his stick on Josh Leivo’s shot from the point for his eighth goal of the playoffs. However, it took defenseman Tommy Cross all of 24 seconds to answer with a goal through heavy traffic.

Another Springfield defenseman struck with just 1:28 left in regulation to force overtime. With Lindgren on the bench for an extra attacker, the puck rolled to the high slot where Lyle hammered a shot through traffic and in behind Lyon.

The Thunderbirds got their third straight goal from a defenseman at 5:09 of extra time to steal a Game 1 victory. Matthew Kessel, no relation to Phil and Amanda, moved down in the right circle, took a pass from James Neal, and snapped the puck past Lyon for his first professional goal.

“He had an outstanding game for us as a young defenseman,” Springfield head coach Drew Bannister said about Kessel, who turned pro this spring after his college career ended. “It’s amazing where he’s come from, having just a week or two with us at the end of the season. Over the last month, his play has just skyrocketed.”

Now that one game is in the book, the two teams can begin to play the chess game within a series and make adjustments.

“They’re a team that likes to go,” Wolves captain Poturalski said. “When they’ve got possession, they send all their guys and go for offense. We’ve got to be ready for that. We’ve got to be responsible and track the puck better. We’ve got to stick to our game plan. It’s more about us playing our game better.”

The Wolves and Thunderbirds will have a quick turnaround as Game 2 is at the Allstate Arena later on tonight.

Photo courtesy of the Chicago Wolves

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