ROCKFORD, Ill.—The Chicago Wolves took the ice for a key Central Division showdown with the Rockford IceHogs on Tuesday night at the BMO Center.
Ryan Suzuki and Bradly Nadeau each scored in the shootout, Justin Robidas and Nadeau each had a goal and an assist in regulation and Skyler Brind’Amour and Riley Stillman also scored as the Wolves rallied for a scintillating 5-4 victory. Suzuki chipped in with two assists as Chicago snapped a four-game losing skid and pulled three points ahead of the IceHogs for fourth place in the Central.
“Anytime you play a team in your division it’s huge points,” Suzuki said after the game. “It’s kind of a toss-up for where we’re going to be seeded (in the playoffs) so we’re trying to grab as many points as possible.”
The IceHogs jumped to an early two-goal lead on scores by Zach Sanford and Jackson Cates before the Wolves stopped the bleeding with Brind’Amour’s power-play tally.
The forward took a feed from Nikita Pavlychev in the slot and shoveled the puck past Rockford netminder Drew Commesso. Pavlychev and Felix Unger Sorum recorded assists on Brind’Amour’s 14th goal of the season.
In the second, the Wolves again cashed in while on the power play to even the score at 2-2. This time, Robidas received a pass from Nadeau and fired a shot from just inside the right circle that beat Commesso to the stick side for the forward’s 15th goal of the season. Nadeau and Suzuki earned assists.
Cates struck for two goals less than a minute apart midway through the second to push the IceHogs ahead 4-2.
The Wolves didn’t quit as Stillman pulled Chicago to within 4-3 with his third goal of the season. The defenseman’s shot from the top of the left circle found its way through traffic and sailed by Commesso to make it a one-goal game. Ronan Seeley and Robidas had assists.
Late in the second, the Wolves notched their third power-play goal of the game when Nadeau found the back of the net. The rookie forward pounced on a rebound of a Ty Smith shot and wired a shot from the left circle past a diving Commesso. Nadeau’s team-leading 25th goal of the season was assisted by Smith and Suzuki and evened the score at 4-4 entering the third.
“Special teams was huge for us (Tuesday night),” Suzuki said. “The penalty kill did an awesome job (5-for-5) and the power play found a way to get us back in the game.”
Neither team scored in the third to set up the Wolves’ first shootout of the season. Suzuki and Nadeau each tallied to give Chicago the triumph.
“We got our names called and we knew what we had to do,” Suzuki said. “I’ve been doing well in practices, and I knew I had to finish the job and give the team the win.”
Dustin Tokarski (27 saves) earned the win in goal for the Wolves while Commesso (27 saves) took the loss for the IceHogs.
Chicago improved to 31-27-3-0 on the season while Rockford dropped to 27-27-6-2.
Up next: The Wolves travel to Iowa to face the Wild on Wednesday night (7 p.m.).
For information on Wolves ticket plans for the 2024-25 season—everything from single-game tickets to Flex Packs to group outings—visit chicagowolves.com or call 1-800-THE-WOLVES.
