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GRIMALDI EMBRACING EXTRA WORKLOAD
The Wolves have a large void to fill with captain Chris Terry absent from the lineup due to a leg injury.
Rocco Grimaldi to the rescue.
The veteran has been logging heavy minutes since Terry went down with the injury during a Feb. 18 game vs. Cleveland. Grimaldi has been double-shifting for the Wolves and is seemingly on the ice at every turn.
The good news is, Grimaldi is playing some of his best hockey of the season and has three goals and two assists in the Wolves’ previous two games. That has run Grimaldi’s season totals to 27 goals (second in the American Hockey League), 22 assists and 49 points (tied for third in the league).
“I’ve been playing at a higher level the last little bit,” Grimaldi said. “Sometimes the puck is going in for you, sometimes it’s not. Sometimes you feel like you’re playing with a hockey stick and sometimes you feel like you’re playing with an oar. Recently, I’ve been feeling good and hopefully it continues as we go down the stretch.”
With Terry and fellow forward Hudson Elynuik sidelined, Grimaldi is likely to keep getting the nod from coach Bob Nardella to double-shift.
“Whenever (Nardella) says, ‘are you ready?’ I always say ‘yes’ but internally I’m like, ‘no,’ ” Grimaldi said with a smile. “But I’m a competitor and I always want to be out there. I want to be able to make big plays for our team to win games.”
Grimaldi said helping matters is his conditioning, which has allowed him to maintain the breakneck pace.
“Thankfully, I’m in good shape,” Grimaldi, 31, said. “As I’ve gotten older, I’ve changed my philosophy in training off the ice and with conditioning on the ice and I feel like it’s kept me fresh. I wish I knew when I was younger the things I’ve been doing but, obviously, it’s working out now for me.”
For now, Grimaldi is embracing the extra ice time.
“It’s going to be hard to double-shift for every game the rest of the year so I don’t think it’s going to happen, but we have good players who are going to be coming back,” Grimaldi said. “Whenever they ask me I just have to be ready and keep my body and my mind as sharp as possible.”
awarding the ROBE of victory
Following the Wolves’ thrilling come-from-behind overtime victory over the Wild on Sunday, a hush fell over the dressing room when Rocco Grimaldi approached teammate Alex Green and presented him with the team’s token of appreciation for a maximum effort given.
After each win, a Wolves player is awarded the team’s ceremonial robe by a teammate who had it before him to signify the player of the game in the minds of those who battled on the ice.
“It doesn’t always go to the guy who scores the most goals in the game,” forward Nathan Sucese said. “The point of it is to give it to someone who had the biggest impact on the game, whether it’s hits, forechecks, blocked shots, you name it.”
While many teams hand out postgame MVP awards, it’s usually a special helmet, hat or championship belt. Wolves leadership, including captain Chris Terry and alternate captains Cole Schneider and Matt Donovan, settled on a robe and ordered it online.
“There were a couple of ideas thrown around,” Terry said. “It has a big wolf on the back so it played into the Wolves theme. It’s great to pass that around.”
Added Sucese: “A bunch of the older guys got together and thought about switching up from the old helmet or whatever you give out in years past. It’s a big robe with a massive wolf on the back. It’s kind of like a Rocky robe with a 3-D picture of a wolf hunting on it.”
There isn’t a whole lot of parading around in the robe afterward as it’s heavier and thicker than anticipated, but it’s the thought that counts.
“It looked a little different online,” Terry said with a chuckle. “It’s pretty heavily fleeced so it’s pretty hot when you put it on after the game. But the main thing is guys look forward when we win to hand that out.”
IMPACT PLAY OF THE WEEK
Rocco Grimaldi completed the Wolves’ comeback when the veteran forward scored the game-winner in overtime to defeat the Iowa Wild 4-3 on Sunday at Allstate Arena.
REPUBLIC BANK SAVE OF THE WEEK
After the Wolves battled back from a three-goal deficit against the Wild, Keith Kinkaid came up with this gem to keep the game even in the third period.
C.D.E. COLLISION CENTERS’ COLLISION OF THE WEEK
During Saturday night’s game against in Milwaukee, Wolves defenseman Ronan Seeley delivered this hit on the Admirals’ Kevin Wall.
Weekly rewind (1-2-0)
THURSDAY, FEB. 22
Admirals 4, Wolves 0: Behind the goaltending of Yaroslav Askarov (27 saves) and two scores by Zach L’Heureux, the Admirals reeled off their 18th consecutive victory.
SATURDAY, FEB. 24
Admirals 5, Wolves 4: Rocco Grimaldi had a goal and an assist, Mitch Vande Sompel, Cory Conacher and Cole Schneider also scored for the Wolves but Cal O’Reilly tallied two goals in the third period to lift the Admirals.
SUNDAY, FEB. 25
Wolves 4, Wild 3 (OT): 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. Grimaldi finished with two goals and an assist, Cavan Fitzgerald added a goal and two assists and Cole Schneider also scored.
First Star of the Week
Where we stand
18-26-3-2, fifth in the Central Division.
UPCOMING SCHEDULE
Friday, March 1 | at Cleveland | 6 p.m. | Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse | AHLTV |
Saturday, March 2 | at Cleveland | 2 p.m. | Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse | AHLTV |
Friday, March 8 | at Grand Rapids | 6 p.m. | Van Andel Arena | AHLTV |
Saturday, March 9 | Rockford | 7 p.m. | Allstate Arena | AHLTV/My50 Chicago |
Sunday, March 10 | Milwaukee | 3 p.m. | Allstate Arena | AHLTV/My50 Chicago |