It was a mid-week Central Division showdown when the Wolves faced the Griffins on Wednesday night in Grand Rapids.
The Wolves weren’t able to solve Griffins goaltender Michael Hutchinson and fell 4-0 at Van Andel Arena. Hutchinson made 32 saves to record the shutout and Zach Aston-Reese had two goals to lead the way offensively for Grand Rapids.
The Griffins struck when Aston-Reese found the back of the net late in the opening period. It marked the fourth consecutive game the Wolves yielded the first score of the contest.
Amadeus Lombardi’s score late in the first gave Grand Rapids a 2-0 lead heading into the intermission.
The Griffins’ lead grew to 3-0 midway through the second on Aston-Reese’s second goal of the game and early in the third, Taro Hirose’s score put the game away for Grand Rapids.
Keith Kinkaid, who started for the Wolves and made 21 saves before being replaced Adam Scheel (one save) to start the third, suffered the loss in goal for the Wolves.
The Wolves dropped to 4-10-1-1 on the season while Grand Rapids upped its record to 6-8-1-1.
Next up: The Wolves host the San Diego Gulls on Saturday night (7 p.m.) at Allstate Arena.
For information on Wolves ticket plans for the 2023-24 season—everything from single-game tickets to Flex Packs to group outings—visit chicagowolves.com or call 1-800-THE-WOLVES.
