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WOLVES ROAR BACK TO STUN WILD 4-3 IN OT

February 25, 2024

ROSEMONT, Ill.—The Wolves pulled off the comeback of the season when they rallied to defeat the Iowa Wild 4-3 in overtime Sunday at Allstate Arena.

After spotting the Wild a three-goal lead midway into the second period, the Wolves roared back and prevailed when Rocco Grimaldi notched the winner with 49 seconds remaining in overtime. The win snapped the Wolves’ three-game losing skid and marked the first time in 21 opportunities this season Chicago triumphed after trailing after two periods.

“We just stuck with it,” Grimaldi said. “It seemed like it was going to be one of those nights when we were playing well but the puck wasn’t going in and their goalie was playing great but we just kept pushing and it was good to get the two points.”

Grimaldi finished with two goals and an assist, Cavan Fitzgerald added a goal and two assists and Cole Schneider also scored to help the Wolves leapfrog the Wild and Manitoba Moose and into fifth place in the Central Division.

The Wild took a 2-0 lead into the first intermission following scores by Adam Beckman and Gavin Hain.

Early in the second, the Wild’s Joel Teasdale found the back of the net while Iowa was skating with a two-man advantage to make it 3-0.

Fitzgerald pulled the Wolves to within 3-1 midway through the second while skating on the power play. The defenseman took a cross-ice pass from Domenick Fensore and wired a one-timer from the top of the right circle that beat Wild goaltender Jesper Wallstedt to the stick side. Fensore and Cory Conacher were awarded assists on Fitzgerald’s career-high eighth goal of the season.

 

The Wolves kept coming and cut the deficit to 3-2 on another power-play score. This time, Schneider camped in front of Wallstedt and redirected a shot from Grimaldi past the netminder for his eighth goal of the season. Grimaldi and Fitzgerald had the assists.

 

Grimaldi potted the equalizer 31 seconds into the third when the veteran forward took a cross-crease pass from Fitzgerald and flipped a one-timer by Wallstedt’s glove. Fitzgerald and Nathan Sucese recorded assists.

In overtime, Grimaldi broke in alone on Wallstedt, deked the netminder to the ice and buried a forehand shot into the net for his team-leading 27th goal of the season and the scintillating victory.

“I’ve struggled against (Wallstedt) specifically on breakaways,” Grimaldi said. “Earlier this year, he saved one on me in overtime so I was like, ‘I need this one.’ I’m just grateful it went in and it was a big win for our team.”

 

Keith Kinkaid (25 saves) earned the win in goal for the Wolves while Wallstedt (34 saves) took the loss for the Wild.

Chicago improved to 18-26-3-2 on the season while Iowa dropped to 18-29-2-2.

Next up: The Wolves travel to Cleveland to face the Monsters on Friday night (6 p.m.).

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.