In a showdown between the two top teams in the Central Division, the Wolves trounced the Grand Rapids Griffins 5-2 on Friday night in Michigan.
Bradly Nadeau and Ryan Suzuki each had a goal and an assist and Juuso Valimaki, Skyler Brind’Amour and Evan Vierling also scored to help the Wolves extend their points streak to eight games with their second win in a row.
Felix Unger Sorum and Justin Robidas each chipped in two assists as Chicago also picked up a point in its 14th consecutive road contest. Grand Rapids, which is off to the best start in the 90-year history of the American Hockey League, dropped its third in a row for the first time this season.
The Wolves roared out of the gate and opened a 3-0 advantage after one period on just five shots on goal.
Valimaki started things with a power-play tally four minutes, 11 seconds after opening puck drop. The veteran defenseman took a pass from Suzuki, settled the puck and then rifled a wrist shot from the high slot that beat Griffins netminder Sebastian Cossa to the glove side. Suzuki and Unger Sorum recorded assists on Valimaki’s second goal of the season.
Just :18 later, Brind’Amour pounced on a rebound of a Noel Gunler shot and snapped a shot from between the rings that solved Cossa to the stick side. On Brind’Amour’s 13th tally of the season, Gunler and Josiah Slavin had assists. It marked the seventh game in a row Slavin has picked up an assist.
The Wolves kept pressing the pace and ballooned the lead to 3-0 by scoring on their third consecutive shot—this one by Nadeau at the 13:36 mark. The 20-year-old forward notched his 18th goal of the season on a one-timer from the slot following a terrific pass from fellow 2026 AHL All-Star Robidas, who had the lone assist.
Vierling’s 12th goal of the season midway through the second gave the Wolves a 4-0 lead. Joel Nystrom fired the puck off the end boards before Vierling tucked it between Cossa and the right post. Nystrom and Unger Sorum earned helpers.
Late in the second, the rout was officially on when Suzuki banged home his ninth goal of the season with the Wolves holding a man advantage. Nadeau sent a cross-ice pass that found Suzuki all alone in the right circle and the veteran dented the back of the net with a spinning one-timer while falling to the ice. Nadeau and Robidas were given assists.
Michal Postava replaced Cossa in goal to start the third for the Griffins, who got on the board early on a score by Eduards Tralmarks that trimmed the Wolves’ lead to 5-1. In the waning seconds, Grand Rapids’ Amadeus Lombardi capped the scoring for the final margin.
Cayden Primeau (31 saves) got the victory in goal for the Wolves while Cossa (13 saves) took the loss.
Chicago, which wrapped up a five-game road trip during which it went 3-0-1-1, stands at 21-9-5-5 on the season while Grand Rapids dropped to 32-6-2-1.
Up next: The Wolves host the Grand Rapids Griffins on Saturday night (7 p.m.) at Allstate Arena.
For information on Wolves ticket plans for the 2025-26 season—everything from single-game tickets to Flex Packs to group outings—visit chicagowolves.com or call 1-800-THE-WOLVES.
