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Tale of the Tape: Game 2 of Western Conference Semifinals

The Chicago Wolves look to even up the series after dropping Game 1 of the Western Conference Semifinals to the Toronto Marlies at Allstate Arena.

GAME 2

No. 3 Toronto Marlies (1-0) at No. 2 Chicago Wolves (0-1)
7 p.m. Saturday
Allstate Arena
TV: U-Too 26.2, XFinity 248 and 360, RCN 35, WOW 170
Radio: AHLLive.com

WOLVES   MARLIES
3.0 Goals per game 4.5
3.33 Goals allowed per game 1.5
32.7 Shots per game 31.8
23.3 Power-play percentage 28.6
68.8 Penalty-kill percentage 94.4
2 Shorthanded goals 2

RELIVING GAME 1

The Chicago Wolves wanted to avoid penalties, but they were assessed the game’s first three penalties in the opening minutes. Toronto turned those into two power-play goals that triggered a 3-0 lead and an eventual 5-2 victory Friday night at Allstate Arena.

The Wolves fired 39 shots — tying their postseason best — but former Wolves goaltender Drew MacIntyre stopped 37 of them in his first game against Chicago since his 2009-11 stint with the franchise.

NUMBERS TO RECITE

  • Friday’s loss marked the 13th time the Wolves have lost Game 1 in a seven-game series during their 20-year history. They rallied to win five of the first 12 series.
  • Friday’s loss marked the Wolves’ 16th loss since the second half of the American Hockey League’s regular season began on Jan. 18. After the first 15 losses (which includes the Wolves’ pair of Western Conference Quarterfinals defeats), the team responded with 13 wins, 1 overtime loss and 1 shootout loss.
  • The Wolves have allowed 10 power-play goals in six playoff games. They never allowed more than eight PPG during any six-game stretch in the regular season and gave up 49 for the entire 76-game regular-season schedule.

 

PLAYERS TO WATCH:

Hanson Christian

Wolves center Christian Hanson

The 28-year-old veteran scored Chicago’s first goal in Game 1, which gave him two goals in the last three games. Hanson spent more time in Toronto’s organization than any other Wolves player as he went straight from Notre Dame to the Maple Leafs in 2008-09. He split the next two seasons between the Maple Leafs and Marlies and delivered 25 goals and 40 assists in 96 games for the Marlies.

Peter HolandMarlies center Peter Holland

The 23-year-old Holland led everyone in Game 1 with 3 points (1G, 2A) as he made his professional postseason debut. The Caledon, Ont., native was Anaheim’s first-round pick in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft and split the 2013-14 season between the NHL and AHL. After being swapped from Anaheim to Toronto on Nov. 16, he posted 5 goals and 5 assists in 39 games for the Toronto Maple Leafs and 5 goals and 5 assists in 14 regular-season games for the Marlies.