Wolves Weekly Notes
March 23, 2015 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Chicago Wolves News Release
WOLVES A-OK IN OKC
After dropping their first game of the week 3-0 to Texas at Allstate Arena, the Chicago Wolves embarked on this season's lone trip to Oklahoma City. There the Wolves pulled off a weekend sweep of the Barons, pushing their winning streak over OKC to four games and earning the team a crucial four points to remain in the hunt for the playoffs. This week could prove to be a make-or-break moment for the team as they play a home-and-home with Milwaukee on Friday and Saturday and host Iowa on Sunday. Since their 3-2 overtime loss at Allstate Arena on Feb. 11, the seventh-ranked Admirals have gone 4-11-2, leaving their playoff position vulnerable with Adirondack (70 points/63 games played), Hamilton (70/65), Chicago (69/63), Toronto (69/63), and Lake Erie (66/63) lurking in the No. 8-12 spots.
WOLVES HEADLINERS
--- TY RATTIE (RW): Notched two goals and three points in three games last week, including a multi-point game (G, A) Sunday at Oklahoma City ... His tally on Saturday ended a drought of 13 games without a goal (Jan. 21), his longest stretch as a pro ... Tied a team season-high with eight shots on goal Saturday and totaled 15 last week ... Now has seven goals and 10 points in seven games against the Barons all-time ... Ranks second on the Wolves with 19 goals, tied for fifth with 16 assists, and third with 35 points ... Leads the team in shots on goal (186) and is tied for third in power-play goals (4)
--- COLTON PARAYKO (D): Recorded his first pro goal and point on a one-timer from the blue line Sunday at Oklahoma City ... Set pro career highs with a +2 plus/minus rating and three shots on goal in the outing as well ... Has collected one goal, a +1 plus/minus rating, two penalty minutes, and nine shots in four games for the Wolves since signing an ATO on March 12 ... Recently completed his junior season at the University of Alaska-Fairbanks, becoming the fourth player to win WCHA Defensive Player of the Year twice (Justin Schultz 2010-12, Jordan Leopold 2000-02, Eric Rud 1995-97)
--- JORDAN BINNINGTON (G): Was 3:58 from posting his third shutout of the season and second against Oklahoma City on Saturday, stopping 30 of 31 shots in 63:46 of action ... Saw his perfect record against the Barons end at 116:02 on a goal from former Wolves defenseman Brad Hunt ... Moved to 9-1-1 this season when facing 30 or more shots in a tilt ... Is the third netminder in Wolves history to post 20 wins in a season as a rookie (Ondrej Pavelec, 33, 2007-08; Kari Lehtonen, 20, 2003-04) ... Has compiled a 20-13-4 record with a 2.39 goals-against average and .914 save percentage in 37 games
--- MATT CLIMIE (G): Recorded a 1-1-0 mark, 1.51 GAA, and .939 SV% in two games last week, allowing two goals against Texas and holding the Barons to a single tally ... Has not allowed an even-strength goal since 19:58 of the first period on March 14, a span of 158:18 ... Has posted an 11-12-3 record, 2.27 GAA, .915 save percentage, and two shutouts in 30 appearances this season, ranking 12th in the league in GAA
--- YANNICK VEILLEUX (LW): Dished out assists on both Saturday and Sunday ... Has accrued more than half of his points this season (3G, 3A) since Feb. 7 (16 games) ... Has collected 11 points (7G, 4A) and 74 penalty minutes in 54 games for Chicago, making him the first Wolves player to post seven goals and 70-plus penalty minutes in a season since Ryan Garbutt (2010-11)
WOLF TRACKS
--- Wolves head coach JOHN ANDERSON is slated to coach his 700th AHL game on Friday at Milwaukee. The bench boss holds a 382-231-24-62 (W-L-T-OT/SOL) record in 699 matchups, all with the Wolves (2001-08, 2013-present).
--- Right wing JACOB DOTY, the newest member of the Wolves, recorded his first AHL point in his second game on Sunday with an assist on COLTON PARAYKO's goal. Replacing a kicked-out COLIN FRASER to take the faceoff, the forward won it back cleanly for the defenseman to bury.
--- With the team's second goal in Sunday's 4-1 win at Oklahoma City, right wing SHANE HARPER moved into a first-place tie for most game-winning goals in the league (8). He is two off of the Wolves franchise record (10).
--- Right wing BENN FERRIERO notched the Wolves' lone regulation goal on Saturday, his first tally since Nov. 22. Forward SEBASTIAN WANNSTROM earned an assist on the play for his first point since Nov. 15.
--- Defenseman JAKE CHELIOS dished out an assist on Sunday for his first point since Jan. 2. Since posting a -7 plus/minus rating in the opening 31 games of his season, he has registered an even mark overall in the last 10.
--- Forward JEREMY WELSH tied his AHL career-high with his 14th goal of the season on Sunday. It was just his third tally on the road as 11 have come at Allstate Arena.
--- Sunday marked the team's first regulation win since March 1, also by a score of 4-1.
--- The Wolves allowed no even-strength, non-empty-net goals last week. Of the five total goals against, four came on the penalty kill and one on an empty net.
--- Chicago scored twice in the first period and once in the second period on Sunday, breaking out of a recent trend of only scoring in the final frame. Prior to that game, the last time the team scored in the first period was March 6, in the second period was March 1, and more than once in a period other than the third was March 1.
--- Sunday's game also featured season-highs for the Wolves in shots (48) and shots in a period (21). It was the most for the team since launching 50 on Lake Erie on March 29, 2014, and the most shots in a period for them since the final frame on April 10, 2012, against Texas.
--- Chicago is 2-for-46 on the power play since Feb. 13. Overall the team ranks 10th in the AHL at 18.1 percent (43-for-238).
--- The Wolves have tied a season-high by allowing a power-play goal in each of their last five contests (21-for-27). They are tied for 19th in the league at 82.4 percent (192-for-233).
WINE AND DINE WITH THE WOLVES
The Chicago Wolves will hold their sixth Wine Tasting fundraiser on Wednesday, March 25, at Harry Caray's in Rosemont. Fans have the opportunity to sample delicious wine, enter raffles, bid on exclusive auction items and dine on appetizers while mingling with Wolves players SHANE HARPER, PAT CANNONE, JEREMY WELSH, ADAM BURISH, COLIN FRASER, ADAM CRACKNELL, and JAKE CHELIOS. For more information, call 1-800-THE-WOLVES or visit ChicagoWolves.com/Community.
WOLVES REWIND (2-1-0-0)
Sunday, March 22
Chicago 4, (at) Oklahoma City 1
--- The Wolves collected four unanswered goals and piled on a season-high 48 shots, including 21 in the second period, to complete the road sweep of the Barons at the Cox Convention Center
--- Forwards TY RATTIE, SHANE HARPER, and JEREMY WELSH notched tallies for the Wolves while defenseman COLTON PARAYKO registered his first pro goal and right wing JACOB DOTY his first pro point with the assist
--- Goaltender MATT CLIMIE kicked out 24 shots
Saturday, March 21
Chicago 2, (at) Oklahoma City 1 (OT)
--- The teams exchanged third-period goals to send the stingy defensive battle into overtime, with right wing TY RATTIE securing the extra point 3:46 in for the Wolves at the Cox Convention Center
--- Right wings BENN FERRIERO collected his first goal since November, assisted by YANNICK VEILLEUX and SEBASTIAN WANNSTROM, while MAGNUS PAAJARVI set up the OT winner
--- Goaltender JORDAN BINNINGTON kicked out 30 of 31 shots
Thursday, March 19
Texas 3, (at) Chicago 0
--- The Wolves were shut out for the fourth time in their last eight games as the Stars scored once in each period at Allstate Arena to take their seventh straight over Chicago
--- Texas goaltender Jack Campbell stopped all 27 shots he faced as the Wolves went 0-for-4 on the power play and 6-for-8 on the penalty kill
--- Goaltender MATT CLIMIE stopped 22 of 24 shots
THIS WEEK:
Fri., March 27* at Milwaukee Admirals# Bradley Center 7 p.m.
Sat., March 28* vs. Milwaukee Admirals# Allstate Arena 7 p.m.
Sun., March 29* vs. Iowa Wild Allstate Arena 3 p.m.
*U-Too
#Amtrak Rivalry Game
GAMES WILL BE TELECAST LIVE ON THE U-TOO OR WCIU
Log on to chicagowolves.com for broadcast schedule, or to watch or listen to the action live online
• Discuss this story on the American Hockey League message board...
American Hockey League Stories from March 23, 2015
- Springfield Falcons Weekly - Springfield Falcons
- Texas Stars Weekly - Texas Stars
- Wolves Weekly Notes - Chicago Wolves
- Penguins Assign Ruopp to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton - Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins
- Friday Night Is Wolf Pack's Anti-Bullying Night - Hartford Wolf Pack
- Blue Jackets Add William Karlsson to Roster on Emergency Recall from Springfield - Springfield Falcons
- Hogs Extend Winning Streak to Four Games - Rockford IceHogs
- Crunch to Honor 60th Anniversary of the Syracuse Nationals Winning 1954-55 NBA Championship - Syracuse Crunch
- Coyotes Recall Szwarz, Assign Hodgman to Portland - Portland Pirates
- "Pink the Rink" Highlights this Weekend's Amerks Home Games - Rochester Americans
- Columbus Blue Jackets Reassign Sonny Milano to Springfield Falcons - Springfield Falcons
- Ricoh Rock Report - St. John's IceCaps
- Wolf Pack Weekly - Hartford Wolf Pack
- Sabres Recall Forward Schaller - Rochester Americans
- Worcester Sharks Sign Forward Daniel Ciampini - Worcester Sharks
- Springfield Falcons Assign Denny Urban to Kalamazoo Wings, Release Sauve and Sikura - Springfield Falcons
- Worcester's Bryan Lerg Named CCM/AHL Player of the Week - AHL
- Bulldogs Recall Frank Palazzese from Nailers - Hamilton Bulldogs
- Bulldogs' Playoff Push Continues - Hamilton Bulldogs
- Hershey Weekly - Hershey Bears
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
