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March 05, 2025

Welcome to Wolves Insider, presented by Are You Really Winning?: The weekly report that gives you an inside look at the latest Chicago Wolves news and happenings. Look for a new edition of Wolves Insider each week.

WOLVES PRIMED FOR SEVEN-GAME HOMESTAND

After a quick trip to Milwaukee to face the Admirals on Friday night, the Wolves will settle in for a season-long, seven-game homestand.

Beginning Saturday night, when they host the Grand Rapids Griffins at Allstate Arena, the Wolves will look to take advantage of a little home cooking in their battle for postseason positioning in the Central Division.

“I’d like to see us really control what we can control and make sure we’re finding our place at home,” coach Cam Abbott said. “We have to use this to our advantage. Using the security of jumping on home ice in front of our fans and have the energy of not traveling is something we have to make sure we bring with us.”

After dropping their first five games at home this season while teammates and coaches got to know each other and the system Abbott installed, the Wolves have been one of the top home teams in the league.

Chicago has gone 14-5-1-0 since the skid to open the home portion of the schedule, including a season-long, six-game win streak at Allstate Arena from Dec. 8-Jan. 4.

“We have a lot of fans who support us and that’s huge,” Justin Robidas said. “Just knowing the ice, being familiar with the arena, sleeping at home and  cooking your own meals—all that mixed together is a pretty big advantage for us.”

Fellow forward Ryan Suzuki said being rested is the biggest advantage of the long homestand.

“You stay in your own bed and you’re not on the bus,” Suzuki said. “Last week we had a lot of travel with going to Iowa and then coming back and then flying to Texas. It’s just nice to be home.

“Then during the games you get the home fans,” he continued. “This year, the fans have been really good. It seems like a good crowd every night and it gives you some extra energy. When you’re not feeling it, sometimes that extra boost from the crowd really gives you some energy.”

Entering Wednesday’s play around the league, the Wolves are 27-22-3-0 and in fourth place in the Central. They trail third-place Grand Rapids by five points with three games in hand, second-place Milwaukee by seven points (two games in hand) and first-place Texas by eight points (played one more than the Stars).

The team knows this stretch at home is critical in the standings race.

“It’s huge,” Suzuki said. “With how close our division is, you can move up a couple of spots if you get a good stretch. We all know we’re right there and we’re just eager to get going with these games.”.

GETTING THEIR POINTS

There is a logjam at the top of the Wolves’ individual scoring list.

Robidas has a team-leading 40 points, one more than mates Suzuki, Bradly Nadeau and Scott Morrow.

While victories remain the most important statistic, Robidas admitted that there “could be” a friendly competition to finish the season as the Wolves scoring leader.

“We’re all super competitive,” Robidas, 21, said. “Ultimately, we want to help the team win. If that boosts us in any way we’re going to do it.”

Robidas, who has 13 goals and 27 assists in 52 games, said he doesn’t pay too much attention to his stats, though “you kind of hear about it here and there.”

“Sometimes you go in slumps and other times you do well,” Robidas added. “It’s a long season and it doesn’t really mean anything. It’s more of a global picture at the end of the year. We’ll see after the final game.”

The fact that Robidas, Nadeau and Morrow are rookies and each ranks among the Top 10 in the league in scoring among first-year players bodes well for the future.

“We have some good chemistry on the power play and play together sometimes five-on-five,” Robidas said of playing with his fellow rookies. “We’ve meshed well and we play well together so that’s fun.”

Said the 19-year-old Nadeau: “When you play with good young players, you can learn a lot from each other. When things are going our way, the confidence is high and all three of us guys—and everyone on our team—can make good plays.”

IMPACT PLAY OF THE WEEK

With the clock winding down during Saturday night’s game against the Stars in Texas, Scott Morrow found Juha Jaaska open at the bottom of the left circle and the forward ripped a shot by goaltender Magnus Hellberg to help the Wolves complete a third-period rally that earned them a point in the standings.

C.D.E. COLLISION CENTERS’ COLLISIONS OF THE WEEK

During Sunday’s game in Texas, Wolves defenseman Domenick Fensore drilled the Stars’ Jack Becker into the boards with this crunching check.

SAVE OF THE WEEK

Wolves goaltender Dustin Tokarski absolutely robbed the Stars’ Arttu Hyry during the second period of Sunday’s game in Texas.

 

Weekly rewind (0-2-1-0)

WEDNESDAY, FEB. 26

Wild 6, Wolves 4: The Wolves got goals from Nick Swaney, Skyler Brind’Amour, Justin Robidas and Felix Unger Sorum but Iowa snapped Chicago’s three-game winning streak.

SATURDAY, MARCH 1

Stars 4, Wolves 3 (OT): Justin Robidas and Scott Morrow each had a goal and an assist and Juha Jaaska also scored as the Wolves roared back in the third period to tie it only to fall in overtime on a goal by the Stars’ Arttu Hyry.

SUNDAY, MARCH 2

Stars 4, Wolves 0: In the third contest of a four-game road trip, the Wolves were unable to solve Stars goaltender Remi Poirier, who made 29 saves for his second shutout of the season.

First Star of the Week

Where we stand

27-22-3-0, fourth in the Central Division.

UPCOMING SCHEDULE