Believe it or not, the Chicago Wolves believe that they have another gear. Or two.
The Wolves put forth another dominant performance yesterday, an 8-2 win over Milwaukee to take a 2-0 lead in the Central Division Finals. The Admirals face elimination when they host Game 3 on Wednesday.
“Even [in Game 1], 6-2, we thought we kind of got away with one,†forward David Gust told the Wolves’ Alli Vellucci. “Today we needed to bring our ‘A’ game and I think we did that.â€
Gust, who produced 36 points (16 goals, 20 points) in 64 appearances during the regular season, scored twice in the first period and then added an assist during Chicago’s five-goal second period yesterday. The Wolves have outscored their opponents 28-8 in winning their first five games of the postseason.
Milwaukee fought off elimination in its opening series against Manitoba, capturing a winner-take-all Game 5 on the road after surrendering a 2-0 series lead. Now it’s the Admirals in the 2-0 hole.
“They’ve got a tough building to play in, so we know we can’t take our foot off the gas,†Gust said. “We’ve got to close it out Wednesday.â€
Key reinforcements have arrived for both the Colorado Eagles and the Stockton Heat going into Game 1 of the Pacific Division Finals tonight.
Stockton will have defenseman Juuso Valimaki back after he was reassigned by the Calgary Flames yesterday. A 2017 first-round draft pick, the 23-year-old Valimaki collected 18 points (two goals, 16 assists) in 35 games with the Heat, while picking up a pair of assists in nine NHL games with the Flames this season. He appeared in all three games of Stockton’s sweep of the Bakersfield Condors in the teams’ Pacific Division semifinal series and had one assist.
The Eagles received goaltender Hunter Miska back from the Colorado Avalanche. Miska, 26, has been part of this season’s tandem with Justus Annunen, who has played all five of the Eagles’ playoff games in sweeps of the Henderson Silver Knights and Ontario Reign. In 17 regular-season games for the Eagles, Miska went 10-5-0 with a 3.04 goals-against average and .889 save percentage.
Stockton, the higher seed, opted to open the series at home and will host Games 1 and 2.
― Patrick Williams
