The Chicago Wolves finally reap the benefit of their Midwest Division championship by returning to Allstate Arena for the remainder of the Western Conference Quarterfinals. The Wolves are 22-1-3-2 (.875) on their home ice since Dec. 8.
GAME 3
No. 7 Rochester Americans (1-1) at No. 2 Chicago Wolves (1-1)
7 p.m. Thursday
Allstate Arena
TV: U-Too 26.2, XFinity 248 and 360, RCN 35, WOW 170
Radio: AHLLive.com
WOLVES | AMERICANS | |
3.0 (T-3) | Goals per game (AHL rank) | 3.0 (T-3) |
3.0 (T-9) | Goals against per game (rank) | 3.0 (T-9) |
33.5 (7) | Shots per game (rank) | 30.0 (T-10) |
2 of 10 (9) | Power plays (rank) | 3 of 11 (5) |
8 of 11 (12) |
Penalty kills (rank) | 8 of 10 (8) |
1 (T-2) | Shorthanded goals (rank) | 0 (T-6) |
7:29 | Regulation time with lead | 72:55 |
RE-SETTING THE SCENE
All four of the Western Conference’s better-seeded teams opted to hit the road last weekend for the first two games of their best-of-five Western Conference Quarterfinals series. While No. 1 Texas, No. 3 Toronto and No. 4 Grand Rapids each swept their pair of games, the Wolves and Americans split in Rochester.
While Wolves coach John Anderson will never become a fan of winning a division and then being “rewarded” by starting a playoff series on the road, that’s not why he believes his team should be happy they escaped Blue Cross Arena with a split. “We didn’t play as good as we should have — or as hard as we should have,” Anderson said. “We were in regular-season mode. They were in postseason mode. “
PLAYERS TO WATCH:
Wolves forward Adam Cracknell |
Americans defenseman Chad Ruhwedel |