Tale of the Tape: Nov. 12, 2016 at Cleveland

Saturday, Nov. 12 | 6 p.m. | Quicken Loans Arena

Now We Got Bad Blood
On Friday night, the Chicago Wolves and Cleveland Monsters battled to the bitter end of a 2-1 game that ended in the Monsters’ favor. The game was scoreless until the 10:49 mark of the third period when Wolves wing Magnus Paajarv netted his fourth goal of the season. Kenny Agostino stripped Cleveland’s Alex Broadhurst of the puck near the offensive blue line and caught Landon Ferraro flying up the left wing. Ferraro dished a pass to Paajarvi skating down the slot with a defender on his back. He accepted the pass and chipped a backhand shot past Anton Forsberg for the game’s opening goal. Cleveland would score two goals in the final five minutes to win the game in regulation. In the opening five minutes of the third period, two fights broke out and two players were tossed from the game. Ryan Craig and Wade Megan tangoed, while Kevin Tansey and Brett Gallant danced. Tansey and Gallant also earned secondary-altercation game- misconduct penalties as Tansey was unhappy with Gallant helping Craig go after Megan.

Cap is Back
Chicago Wolves captain Chris Butler was recalled from loan by the St. Louis Blues (NHL) on Thursday. The 30-year-old took a quick trip with the Blues to face the Predators in Nashville. Butler was a healthy scratch for the 3-1 loss and returned on loan to Chicago on Friday. He did not miss a beat, hopping on a flight from Nashville to Cleveland to join his squad for two games at Quicken Loans Arena against the defending Calder Cup champs. He and defensive partner Brad Hunt, the club’s top D pairing, started Friday’s contest.

Reunited and it Feels So Good
Friday’s 2-1 loss against the reigning Calder Cup champion Cleveland Monsters marked the second time this season former Yale University Bulldogs Kenny Agostino and Gus Young were reunited in the Wolves lineup. The duo played four seasons together for the Bulldogs and helped Yale win its first NCAA Men’s Ice Hockey Championship in 2013. The other set of former teammates in the Wolves lineup this season is forwards Andrew Agozzino and Alex Friesen. Agozzino and Friesen spent five seasons (2007-12) together playing for the Niagara IceDogs in the Ontario Hockey League. In their overage year, Agozzino served as team captain while Friesen served as an alternate. Agozzino is still the longest-serving captain (two-and-a-half seasons) in Niagara franchise history.

BY THE NUMBERS:

• 4: This season the Chicago Wolves named four alternate captains: Jordan Caron, Morgan Ellis, Landon Ferraro and Brad Hunt. Wing Caron is in his second season with the Chicago Wolves and, this season, has 6 points (6A) through eight games. He also leads the team in penalty minutes with 31. Defenseman Hunt is in his second stint with the Chicago Wolves (2011-13) and is the team’s leading scorer with 13 points (3G, 10A) through 12 games. The 28-year-old plays on the Wolves’ top defensive pairing with captain Chris Butler. Chicago newcomers Ellis and Ferraro are making an impact this season. The 24-year-old Ellis is part of the Wolves top four defensemen, playing with rookie Vince Dunn and logging lots of time on special teams. Ferraro has has been one of the better centermen for Chicago with a 51 faceoff percentage through 11 games. Only Alex Friesen has a better record with 59 percent.

• 6: The Chicago Wolves are carrying seven veteran or veteran-exempt status players on the current roster. Captain Chris Butler, Jordan Caron, Landon Ferraro, Magnus Paajarv and Brett Sterling are veteran players, having played at least 321 professional games across the AHL, NHL and elite European leagues. Andrew Agozzino and Brad Hunt have veteran-exempt status, having played between 261-320 professional games across the AHL, NHL and elite European leagues. For each game, a team is allowed to dress five veteran and one veteran exempt player. Teams cannot dress more than six total veteran and veteran-exempt players in a game; however, a veteran- exempt player can gain veteran status as long as the count is under six. A veteran cannot be counted as a veteran exempt.

• 24: The Wolves allowed the Cleveland Monsters just 24 shots on goal in Chicago’s 4-2 victory over the reigning Calder Cup champions on Oct. 30 at Allstate Arena. The number marks the fewest shots on goal the Wolves have conceded an opponent through 12 games during the 2016-17 season. In Friday night’s 2-1 loss to the Monsters, 33 shots reached Wolves goaltender Pheonix Copley. The Wolves have been outshot by Cleveland 55-50 through two games this season. Tonight’s contest marks the third of a dozen tilts this season between the Central Division foes.

•  59: Through Wednesday’s 5-4 overtime setback against the Milwaukee Admirals, Alex Friesen led all Chicago Wolves centermen with a 59 percent faceoff percentage. Through 11 games, Friesen won 70 of 118 draws in the circle. The 25-year-old has been centering the Wolves fourth line and, most recently, was the middleman for wings Andrew Agozzino and rookie Conner Bleackley. The only other Wolves player above 50 percent on the faceoff dot with more than 100 draw under his belt is Landon Ferraro. The natural center has been splitting top-line faceoff duty with left wing Magnus Paajarv. Through 11 games, the 25-year-old has won 71 of 139 draws. Second- and third-line centers, Wade Megan and Ivan Barbashev, are 46 and 47 percent, respectively, on the draw. Barbashev has won 54 of his 115 faceoffs, while Megan is 72 of 156 in the circle.

• 60: The Chicago Wolves and Cleveland Monsters combined for 60 penalty minutes in last night’s 2-1 clash at Quicken Loans Arena. The affair included three fights, as well as two game-misconduct penalties. Kevin Tansey, Wade Megan and Gus Young each recorded five minutes for fighting, while Cleveland’s Ryan Craig, Brett Gallant and Nick Moutrey registered fighting majors. Tansey and Gallant received matching secondary-altercation game misconducts. Landon Ferraro (slashing) and Tansey (hooking) received minor penalties in the tilt, while Aaron Palushaj (hooking, high-sticking) and Oliver Bjorkstrand (tripping) nabbed minors for Cleveland.

Recent Games Recap

Friday, Nov. 11 (at) Cleveland 2, Chicago 1

• Chicago dropped first of back-to-back games at the Quicken Loans Arena.
• Wing Magnus Paajarv opened scoring at 10:49 of third period with his fourth goal of the season; Kenny Agostino and Landon Ferraro assisted on the play.
• Goaltender Pheonix Copley turned aside 31 shots in the loss and earned third-star and Magnus Paajarv nabbed his third tally of the season.

Wednesday, Nov. 9: (at) Milwaukee 5, Chicago 4 (OT)

• The Wolves dropped their third straight contest against Milwaukee in Amtrak Rivalry action.
• Left wing Andrew Agozzino netted his first two goals of the season, including a short- handed marker, while center Ivan Barbashev kept his five-game point streak alive with his team-leading sixth goal and Magnus Paajarv nabbed his third tally of the season.
• Rookie Conner Bleackley registered his first career professional points, both assists, on Barbashev’s and the first of Agozzino’s goals.
• Goaltender Jordan Binnington turned aside 20 shots in his second consecutive start.

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