2
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Rockford
3
The Chicago Wolves overcame a two-goal deficit early in the third period against the Rockford IceHogs, but eventually fell 3-2 in overtime on Saturday night at Allstate Arena in Illinois Lottery Cup action.
Rookie defensemen Dylan Coghlan and Erik Brännström scored power-play goals for Chicago (23-14-3-1) while goaltender Oscar Dansk (14-6-3) stopped 25 shots.
“I give our guys credit,” said Wolves head coach Rocky Thompson. “Our execution on the 5-on-3 (power play) was excellent. ‘Coghs’ made a big shot and then ‘Branny’ made a great shot as well.”
Graham Knott’s goal at 1:29 of overtime won the game for Rockford (17-18-3-5) while Victor Ejdsell and Andrew Campbell also scored for the IceHogs. Netminder Anton Forsberg (8-8-1) made 36 saves in the win.
After a scoreless first period, Rockford took a lead at the 2:32 mark of the second period on Ejdsell’s goal before doubling the lead at 6:51 when Campbell’s shot from the left point beat Dansk over his left shoulder.
The Wolves struck just as quickly to start the third period, cutting the Rockford lead down to 2-1 after the IceHogs took two penalties nine seconds apart. Coghlan broke his stick on a slap shot, but because of the two-man advantage had time to get a replacement from the Wolves bench before returning to play and rifling a shot past Forsberg at 2:32.
Brannstrom tied the game up at two all just 46 seconds later on the same power play, sending a one-timer in from the center of the blue line at 3:18 for his fifth goal of his rookie campaign.
The Illinois Lottery Cup series is knotted 4-4 with four games to play. The Wolves host the IceHogs for the final time on Feb. 26.
The Wolves host the Milwaukee Admirals at 3 p.m. Sunday as part of a Family Sunday celebration that features GameWorks gameplay cards for the first 1,000 kids through the doors.
