Saturday, Oct. 29 | 7 p.m. | Allstate Arena
Guess Who’s Back
On Friday left winger Magnus Paajarvi was loaned to the Wolves by the St. Louis Blues (NHL). Last night’s 3-2 loss against Rockford marked his first time in a Wolves jersey since Nov. 1, 2015. Against Rockford, Paajarvi netted his first goal of the season and recorded two shots on goal. During the 2015-16 season, the 25-year-old was a point-per-game player through seven games (4G, 3A) for Chicago and recorded just two penalty minutes. He also has appeared in 279 NHL games with the Edmonton Oilers and St. Louis and accrued 81 points (36G, 45A) since he was drafted in 2009 by Edmonton. On July 10, 2013, he was traded, along with a second-round selection in the 2014 NHL Draft, to the Blues for David Perron.
And Then There Were Two
Through the first five games of the seaosn, the Wolves carried three goaltenders — Jordan Binnington (1-2-0-0), Pheonix Copley (0-1-0-0) and Ville Husso. On Wednesday, Husso was reassigned by St. Louis to the Missouri Mavericks (ECHL). Through two starts with the Wolves, Husso recorded a 1-1-0-0 record, a 2.53 goals-against average and a .914 save percentage. In his North American professional debut on Oct. 15 against the Grand Rapids Griffins, the 21-year-old made 24 saves int he 4-2 loss at Allstate Arena. On Oct. 23 in San Antonio, Husso backstopped the Wolves to a 2-1 win over the Rampage for his first North American professional victory. He turned aside 29 shots for the win. In all six games this season, Chicago’s starting goaltender has played the entire contest.
Front and Center
Wolves centermen are excelling in the faceoff circle; through six games, six Wolves players are 50 percent or better versus opponents on the draw. Alex Friesen leads the team, winning 56.8 percent — 50 of 88 — of his faceoffs. Kenny Agostino and Landon Ferraro are the other centers above 50 percent with more than 40 faceoffs taken. Recent addition Justin Selman is 2 for 3 on the draw through one game while wingers Brett Sterling (2 of 3) and Danny Kristo (3 of 4) have fared well on the faceoff dot when called upon.
BY THE NUMBERS
- 1: It took Magnus Paajarvi just one game to net his first goal of the season. The last time Paajarvi was in a Wolves uniform was Nov. 1, 2015. The 25-year-old was loaned to the Wolves by the St. Louis Blues on Oct. 28. Previously, he played parts of the past two seasons with Chicago. Last season, Paajarvi was a point-per-game player with 7 points (4G, 3A) through seven games before being called up by the Blues. Also with the Wolves, Paajarvi has recorded just eight penalty minutes through 43 games.
- 6: Chicago Wolves defenseman Brad Hunt has 6 points (1G, 5A) through six games. The total also makes him the team’s leading point-getter during the 2016-17 season. Hunt registered 2 assists in Friday night’s 3-2 loss against Chicago’s in-state rival, the Rockford IceHogs. The 28-year-old has owned his role as a steady blueliner, earning top-line minutes and a spot on the team’s top defensive pair with Wolves captain Chris Butler.
- 12: Last night, right wing Jordan Caron made his return to the Chicago Wolves lineup for just his third game of the season. Caron was sidelined for the previous three games with an injury. He continued right where he left off, recording 12 penalty minutes in the 3-2 loss against Rockford. The Sayabec, Quebec, native finished last night’s Illinois Lottery Cup clash with a -1 plus/minus rating. However, the 25-year-old could be found crashing and screening the opponent’s net to create scoring chances. Rookie Conner Bleackley served as the wing on the other side of his line while recent Wolves addition Justin Selman centered the pair.
- 37: Through six games, 37 is the highest number of shots any opponent has registered against the Chicago Wolves. In last night’s 3-2 loss to the Rockford IceHogs, goaltender Jordan Binnington was busy, stopping 34 of those shots to help keep his team in the game. Binnington’s performace also included a stellar, at-the-goal-line glove save to keep the game knotted 1-1 early in the first half of the contest. Binnington was backed up by Pheonix Copley; rookie netminder Ville Husso was recently reassigned to the Missouri Mavericks (ECHL) by the St. Louis Blues (NHL).
- 175: This October, as part of the Chicago Wolves’ Breast Cancer Awareness initiatives, fans had the opportunity to honor a breast cancer survivor of their choice by donating $175 — the cost of a mammogram for someone who can’t afford one — to obtain a player-used stick. A Wolves player of the fan’s choice will write their selected survivor’s name on the stick and use it during tonight’s game. Afterward, fans that purchased sticks will meet the player that honored their survivor. The player will present the fan with the stick and take a professional portrait with the fan.
Recent Games Recap
Friday, Oct. 28 Chicago 2, (at) Rockford 3
- The Wolves dropped the first game of a home-and-home series against the Rockford IceHogs in Rockford. Rockford scored and answered each of Chicago’s goals from the 3-2 victory.
- Left wing Magnus Paajarvi netted a power-play tally his first game of the season with help from Kenny Agostino and Brad Hunt.
- Agostino opened scoring with help from Hunt; Hunt now leads the team with six points through six games.
- Goaltender Jordan Binnington stopped 34 of 37 shots to help keep the Wolves in the contest.
Sunday, Oct. 23 Chicago 2, (at) San Antonio 1
- Chicago swept the San Antonio Rampage with a 2-1 victory.
- Rookie netminder Ville Husso turned aside 29 shots for his first North American professional win.
- Forward Brett Sterling opened scoring, while defenseman Brad Hunt netted the game-winning goal.
FOLLOW THE ACTION
Tonight’s game begins at 7:00 p.m. with CW50’s “Saturday Night with the Wolves”. All 23 remaining Wolves’ Saturday games will appear live on CW50, which also will host five Sunday games.
Complete broadcast schedule; all games stream live on AHLLive.com
Join the conversation. Follow @Chicago_Wolves for live game updates.
