GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – Center Ivan Barbashev scored a pair of goals, including the game-winner with 7:40 to play, as the Chicago Wolves defeated the Grand Rapids Griffins 4-2 on Saturday night at Van Andel Arena.
Rookie left wing Samuel Blais netted his first professional goal and Landon Ferraro added an empty-net goal as the Wolves (5-4-0-1) won for the fifth time in seven games. Jordan Binnington registered 34 saves to earn the victory.
Scoring did not open until 12:21 of the first period when center Wade Megan pulled the puck off the boards and shoveled it to Blais skating into the slot. Blais whipped a backhand shot past Griffins netminder Jared Coreau.
The Wolves doubled their lead 4:21 later when Jordan Caron shielded the puck from a Griffins defender behind the Grand Rapids net and dished a pass to Barbashev waiting at the top of the crease. Barbashev one-timed the puck for his first goal of the night.
In the second period, the first half of the frame was again scoreless until Grand Rapids center Ben Street shot the puck into a wide-open net on a feed from Robbie Russo at 13:44 to pull the Griffins (5-4-0-0) within 2-1.
Binnington made some key saves in the first 11 minutes of the third period to help keep the Wolves in the lead. However, at 11:49 of the frame, Tyler Bertuzzi notched the equalizer to tie the game at two.
Just 31 seconds later, Danny Kristo and Caron put in the leg work and Barbashev ripped a wrist shot from mid-left circle to give the Wolves a 3-2 lead.
Grand Rapids pulled Coreau with less than a minute to play and Ferraro collected an empty-netter for the 4-2 final.
Binnington boosted his record to 3-2-0 while Coreau (5-3-0) turned aside 31 shots in his third contest versus the Wolves.
Chicago resumes its six-game road trip on Wednesday, Nov. 9, against the Milwaukee Admirals in another Amtrak Rivalry clash. Puck drop is slated for 10:30 a.m. and will be streamed on AHLLive.com. For complete 2016-17 game and broadcast schedules, visit ChicagoWolves.com.
