Welcome to Wolves Insider: the weekly report that gives you the scoop on all Chicago Wolves developments throughout the team’s 25th anniversary season.
EIGHT STRAIGHT AT HOME FOR FIRST-PLACE WOLVES
The Wolves went 3-0-0-0 last week, earning their seventh and eighth home wins in a row to maintain the top spot in the Central Division. The eight-game streak, which began with a 5-2 win against Manitoba on Feb. 2, is tied for the fourth-longest in Wolves history. The team record was set last season when Rocky Thompson’s Wolves posted 13 straight home wins from Dec. 6 to Feb. 15.
With AHL All-Star and league points leader Daniel Carr sidelined this weekend after an illegal hit by San Antonio’s Jordan Nolan, his Wolves teammates stepped up to produce the points in his absence. The Wolves outscored teams 10-3 in their trio of victories, with forwards Curtis McKenzie (3G) and Brooks Macek (2G, A) accounting for half of those goals. Forwards Keegan Kolesar, Tye McGinn and T.J. Tynan and rookie defensemen Nic Hague and Dylan Coghlan each added one goal.
St. Patrick’s Day Jersey auction
The Wolves will don their commemorative St. Patrick’s Day Jerseys, presented by Jewel-Osco, this weekend against Cleveland and San Antonio. The jerseys will be available to own through auction and raffle, with proceeds benefitting Easterseals Metropolitan Chicago and Chicago Wolves Charities.
While all of the Golden Tickets for rookie defenseman Nic Hague’s jersey have been sold, fans can still bid in the blind auction online and in-arena for the jerseys of forward Daniel Carr and defensemen Dylan Coghlan, Jake Bischoff and Erik Brännström and mascot Skates. The remaining jerseys will be available in the silent auction taking place at Allstate Arena beginning at 6 p.m. Friday until the second intermission on Saturday.
CAREER FAIR AND NETWORKING
Interested in working in sports? The Wolves are hosting a Career and Networking Fair from 3 to 6 p.m. on Friday, March 15, at Allstate Arena prior to the Wolves’ puck drop against the Cleveland Monsters. The event will feature representatives from Chicago-area teams and business as well as a panel of sports industry leaders sharing insight for those looking to break into the industry.
TOP LINE
Forward Brooks Macek tallied a pair of game-winning goals this weekend for the Wolves, first converting on a penalty shot at Milwaukee on Friday before scoring and adding an assist against Iowa on Saturday. Macek’s penalty shot was the Wolves’ first since Brandon Pirri’s successful attempt against Manitoba on Jan. 5, 2018.
Forward Tye McGinn scored the overtime game-winning goal against Milwaukee on Sunday, notching his third goal in five games for Chicago. McGinn has five goals and five assists on the season with four points (3G, A) since the Wolves acquired him in a trade with Manitoba in January.
Forward Curtis McKenzie scored three goals this week, bringing his season point total to 42 (14G, 28A). McKenzie added two empty-net insurance goals for the Wolves in the 4-1 win over Milwaukee before scoring the tying goal against Milwaukee on Sunday in the Wolves’ 2-1 overtime win.
REWIND (3-0-0-0)
SUNDAY, MARCH 10: (at) CHICAGO 2, MILWAUKEE 1 (OT)
- Forward Tye McGinn scored 1:43 into the overtime frame to lift the Wolves over the Admirals, extending the home winning streak to eight games while widening the team’s lead over the Central Division to three points.
- Forward Curtis McKenzie tallied the Wolves’ game-tying goal in the second period.
- Goaltender Oscar Dansk recorded 16 saves.
SATURDAY, MARCH 9: (at) CHICAGO 4, IOWA 1
- The Wolves broke out to a 4-0 lead on the way to a victory that enabled the team to maintain a 1-point lead in the Central Division.
- Rookie defensemen Dylan Coghlan and Nic Hague and forwards Brooks Macek and T.J. Tynan scored goals while center Gage Quinney handed out two assists.
- Goaltender Oscar Dansk stopped 28 shots.
FRIDAY, MARCH 8: CHICAGO 4, (at) MILWAUKEE 1
- Forward Brooks Macek converted the Wolves’ first penalty shot of the season as one of the team’s four third-period goals as the Wolves rallied for the win at Panther Arena.
- Forward Keegan Kolesar posted the first goal in the third to knot the score, then he assisted on Curtis McKenzie‘s pair of empty-net goals in the final two minutes.
- Goaltender Max Lagace posted 25 saves to earn the win.
