ROSEMONT, Ill.—The Chicago Wolves wrapped up a weekend homestand with a 5-3 loss to the Grand Rapids Griffins on Sunday at Allstate Arena.
Ronan Seeley had two goals and Ryan Suzuki added a goal and an assist but the Wolves couldn’t hold an early lead and dropped the second of back-to-back home games.
The defending Calder Cup champion Wolves raced to a two-goal advantage on early scores by Seeley and Suzuki but the Griffins reeled off five consecutive goals to snap a two-game losing skid.
“There was like a three-minute window in the second when we gave up four high-level chances and they ended up in the back of our net and that was the difference in the game,” Wolves coach Brock Sheahan said. “That’s just the youth of our team. We talk about having consistency and we’re working to find it and not having it (Sunday) cost us.”
Elmer Soderblom led the way offensively for Grand Rapids with two goals and an assist.
The Wolves got on the board on their first shot of the game when Seeley scored his second goal of the season – and second in two games.
Vasily Ponomarev won a faceoff in the Griffins zone and the puck slid into the high slot where Seeley unleashed a one-timer that beat Grand Rapids goaltender Victor Brattstrom to the glove side.
A short time later, Suzuki extended the lead to 2-0 with his seventh goal of the season. Teammate Noel Gunler fired a shot from the left circle that Brattstrom got a glove on but didn’t corral and Suzuki tipped the fluttering puck into the net. Gunler and Alexander Pashin were awarded assists on the play.
The Griffins cut the deficit to 2-1 midway through the first on Soderblom’s first goal and then blew the game open in the second with scores by Simon Edvinsson, Soderblom, Jakub Vrana and Joel L’Esperance.
In the third, the Wolves cut the deficit to 5-3 while on the power play as Seeley struck again. The defenseman notched his second goal of the game when he ripped a one-timer from the right circle off a pass from Suzuki that sailed by Brattstrom.
After not scoring in his first 36 games this season, Seeley is now sitting on three goals through 38.
“I’m not really changing the way I play,” Seeley said. “It just happens like that when they go in sometimes. I’ve been fortunate the last two games but it wasn’t the result we wanted (Sunday).”
Zachary Sawchenko (18 saves) suffered the loss in goal for the Wolves while Brattstrom (24 saves) picked up the win.
The Wolves dropped to 15-21-3-1 on the season while the Griffins improved to 16-20-2-2.
Up next: The Wolves will travel to Cleveland to take on the Monsters on Friday (6 p.m.).
For information on Wolves ticket plans for the 2022-23 season — everything from single-game tickets to Flex Packs to group outings — visit ChicagoWolves.com or call 1-800-THE-WOLVES.
