Wolves knock off Rockford, remain in first

The Chicago Wolves recovered from a pair of one-goal deficits to top the Rockford Ice Hogs 4-2 on Friday night in Illinois Lottery Cup play.

Forward Curtis McKenzie tallied two goals while forward Keegan Kolesar and defenseman Dylan Coghlan also scored for Chicago (19-9-3-1), which pushed its season-high point streak to 10 games and increased its Central Division lead to three points. Goaltender Oscar Dansk (12-4-2) saved 21 shots to earn his sixth win in a row.

Jordan Schroeder and Lucas Carlsson scored early for Rockford (15-12-2-4), but the IceHogs were held scoreless through the final 37 minutes of play by the Wolves defense. Netminder Anton Forsberg (7-4-1) finished the night with 33 saves.

Schroeder opened the scoring at the 15:27 mark of the first, scoring on his own rebound when he slipped the puck past Dansk’s right side.

McKenzie quickly tied the game up at 17:53, collecting a Coghlan rebound and shooting at point-blank range. His initial shot was blocked but he collected the rebound and slid the puck under Forsberg’s pads.

Carlsson put the IceHogs back on top just 2:51 into the second, but the Wolves scored three unanswered goals in the period to take a 4-2 lead into the second break.

Kolesar evened that game at the 7:00 mark, causing trouble for Forsberg and the defense in front of the Rockford net and capitalizing on his positioning when defenseman Jake Bischoff’s shot from the point landed at Kolesar’s feet.

McKenzie scored his second of the night and the eventual game-winner on the Wolves power play, cutting up from below the Rockford goal line and backhanding a shot over Forsberg’s shoulder.

The IceHogs took a penalty with 26 seconds remaining in the second period, but Coghlan cut the man-advantage short when he sent a rocket from the point past Forsberg at 19:46 to extend the lead to 4-2.

The Wolves and the IceHogs stage an Illinois Lottery Cup rematch 7 p.m. Saturday at Allstate Arena as part of Super Hero Night presented by Xfinity. For the best ticket deals, visit ChicagoWolves.com or call 1-800-THE-WOLVES.