Tale of the Tape: Game 4 of Western Conference Semifinals

The Chicago Wolves aren’t enjoying the ideal situation as they prepare for tonight’s Game 4 in Toronto, but they’re trying to break down their task into bite-sized morsels instead of trying to take down the Marlies whole. The latest on The Hunt is here:

GAME 4

No. 2 Chicago Wolves (0-3) at No. 3 Toronto Marlies (3-0)

6 p.m. Friday

Ricoh Coliseum
TV: U-Too 26.2, XFinity 248 and 360, RCN 35, WOW 170
Radio: AHLLive.com

WOLVES (3-5)		MARLIES (6-0)
2.88	Goals per game	4.33
3.5	Goals allowed per game	1.83
32.6	Shots per game	29.8
12.8	Penalty minutes per game	9.0
24.3	Power-play percentage	29.0
68.6	Penalty-kill percentage	88.0
2	Shorthanded Goals	2

SO YOU’RE TELLING ME THERE’S A CHANCE

According to AHL vice president of communications Jason Chaimovitch, there have been 127 teams in league history that have fallen behind 3-0 in a best-of-seven series. Eighty-two of them wound up getting swept. Twenty-eight pushed it to Game 5. Thirteen bowed out in Game 6. Four made it to Game 7…and three of those teams emerged triumphant!

The Wolves are trying to follow in the footsteps of the 1960 Rochester Americans, 1989 Adirondack Red Wings and 2013 Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins by sweeping Games 4 through 7.

The Wolves thought they earned a victory in Game 3, but their excellence in the second and third periods didn’t carry over into the overtime and Toronto capitalized with the winning goal 3:28 into OT.

“I think we need a couple breaks around the net,” said Wolves head coach John Anderson. “That would help. But we understand they’re not going to give us anything, either. We’ve just got to get a little more in tune, a little more focused.”

NUMBERS TO RECITE

This is the fourth time the Wolves have fallen behind 3-0 in a seven-game series. In the 2007 Western Conference Finals, the Wolves won Game 4 at Hamilton before falling in Game 5. In the 2005 Calder Cup Finals and the 2003 Western Conference Semifinals, the Wolves suffered the sweep.
Toronto left wing Jerry D’Amigo, who scored the winning goal in overtime of Game 3, leads all AHL players in postseason scoring with 11 points (4G, 7A) in six games.
Wolves left wing Dmitrij Jaskin leads the AHL in postseason power-play goals (3) and power-play points (7). He’s in a four-way tie for third place in overall points (9).
The Wolves have the third-best difference between shots for and shots against (+5.13) in the postseason. Only Texas (+8.29) and Providence (+5.88) are better.

PLAYERS TO WATCH:

Wolves center Keith Aucoin

The 35-year-old posted his 88th AHL postseason point on Wednesday when he assisted on Adam Cracknell’s first-period goal. That elevated Aucoin into a tie with former Wolves great Steve Maltais for 10th place on the AHL’s all-time postseason scoring list.

Marlies defenseman T.J. Brennan

The AHL’s Defenseman of the Year got the Marlies off to a quick start in Game 3 with his goal 5:26 into the game. He also set up Toronto’s second goal and owns 3 goals and 3 assists in six postseason games this year. Though the 25-year-old didn’t play in the NHL this year, he has 40 games, 4 goals and 7 assists on his career NHL ledger.