ROSEMONT, Ill. – Kenny Agostino registered three points (G, 2A) to help the Chicago Wolves graze the Texas Stars 4-3 Wednesday night at Allstate Arena.
Down 1-0 in the opening 32 seconds of the game, the Wolves (9-9-1-1) rallied in the same period for a 3-1 lead heading into the middle session. Agostino led the offensive charge – his third-period goal stood as the game winner – while goaltender Jordan Binnington (6-5-1) made 21 saves for the victory.
Texas (10-7-1-1) struck just 32 seconds into the opening frame when Jason Dickinson skated through the neutral zone, into the slot and lasered a shot between the Chicago defensemen and past Binnington for the early lead.
However, the Wolves answered with three straight goals. At 6:49, veteran Brett Sterling blocked a Texas defenseman’s point shot, wrangled the puck, rushed up the left wing and wired a shot in the far-side top corner over Texas goaltender Maxime Lagace’s shoulder for the equalizer.
At 14:14 on the power play, Jordan Schmaltz fed Brad Hunt at the left point for a one-time shot to put the Wolves up 2-1. Then 2:44 later, Chicago took a 3-1 lead on a 4-on-3 rush as Agostino and Wade Megan fed Landon Ferraro for his sixth marker of the season.
Texas pulled within 3-2 at 17:37 of the first frame as Brendan Ranford corralled a Wolves clearing attempt and passed it to Matej Stransky standing alone in the slot for an almost open-net shot.
Near the midway point of the second period, the Stars capitalized on a flurry in front of the Wolves net on Stars right wing Denis Gurianov’s shot from near the left circle. The puck rolled and awkwardly bounced over Binnington into the net to knot the game, 3-3.
In the final frame at 14:57 – while on the power play – Andrew Agozzino and Agostino played catch, and Agostino buried a shot on the pass-back from mid-right circle for the Wolves’ second go-ahead tally of the evening and the 4-3 final score.
Lagace (8-5-3) turned aside 20 shots in the loss.
Chicago travels to Rockford for a intrastate matchup on Friday, Dec. 2, for the clubs’ fourth Illinois Lottery Cup clash. The game will be broadcast live in the Chicago area on The U Too. For complete 2016-17 game and broadcast schedules, visit ChicagoWolves.com.
