Patrick WilliamsTheAHL.com Features Writer
Why leave quietly? The Chicago Wolves are not playing yet.
This is a team fighting back in the Calder Cup playoffs. They’re expected to play Game 5 of the Calder Cup finals tonight (7 p.m. ET,
, Sportsnet 360, NHL Network, SiriusXM NHL Network Radio).
The Wolves are used to dealing with the emotional struggles of the Calder Cup playoffs. Going back to the Central Division semifinals against the Texas Stars, Chicago took a two-goal lead with eight minutes left in Game 4 before the Stars rallied in overtime to tie the game in Game 5. The Wolves regrouped and defeated the Stars 6-1 to advance.
Next up is the Grand Rapids Griffins, a team that led the regular season by 20 points over the second-place Wolves. Any thoughts that the series was a mere formality were quickly put to rest as the Wolves came into Grand Rapids and took Games 1 and 2 before eventually eliminating the Griffins in four games.
Their most notable performance came in the Western Conference Finals against the Colorado Eagles. The 7-3 win at home in Game 5 set up a daunting task: coming into Colorado with two wins at Blue FCU Arena – and doing it with the starting goalie injured. Kayden Primo. Amir Miftakhov He took over in Game 6 and made 36 saves, then stopped 39 shots in Game 7 to shut out the Eagles.
All of this saw Wolves reach the Calder Cup final, beating the Marlies. But two close losses at home — both after giving up a lead — and a 1-0 loss in Game 3 brought Chicago and its season to the brink.
Things got even more dangerous in Game 4 at Coca-Cola Stadium, where the Calder Cup awaited a possible showcase. In front of a full crowd in Toronto, the Wolves faced an onslaught from the Marlies in the first quarter, who beat them 21-5. However, Primo managed to keep them under control and Wolves escaped with a 2-1 victory. They regrouped in the second half and the Marlies took a 3-1 lead. Ryan Twilberg The goal came with 1:55 left in the game.
However, here comes the Wolves.
Dominic Fenthalrising left circle shooting rhythm Artur Akhtyamov. After just 1 minute and 05 seconds, the game was allowed to be interrupted. Justin Robidas Wrap it up. The score was 3-3, the Mali team called a timeout, and the Wolves regained the initiative in the game. Victor Nyuchev At 3 minutes and 16 seconds of overtime, Akhtiamov shot and completed the reversal.
Have a celebration.
‘Our approach is a Game 7 mentality,’ Wolves coach Spiros Anastas Said after the fourth game. “We went 4-0 in the knockout rounds. This is who we are. This is our team. This is our team.”
“We will not give up; we will fight back.”
About two decades in the American Hockey League, TheAHL.com feature writer Patrick Williams also currently covers the league for NHL.com and FloSports and is a regular contributor to SiriusXM NHL Network Radio. In 2016, he received the AHL’s James H. Ellery Memorial Award for outstanding coverage of the league.
