IceHogs Top Wolves 3-2 In OT
Jamie Wise's goal 2:05 into overtime lifted the Rockford IceHogs to a 3-2 victory over the Chicago Wolves on Friday night in an Illinois Lottery Cup contest at the MetroCentre.
Adam Burish scored both goals for the Wolves (21-17-5-1) in their first game after the All-Star break, which included a tally with 1:02 left in regulation to force overtime. Goaltender Jordan Binnington (12-8-3) stopped 26 of 29 shots in the loss.
Rockford (26-13-4-2) opened the scoring with Mark McNeill's power-play goal at 15:27 of the first period. After Binnington made a diving save to deny Peter Regin, the teams battled for the rebound and the puck deflected off sticks and skates until it slid slowly across the goal line.
The Wolves evened the score on Burish's first goal with 17:34 gone in the first. Chicago worked the puck around the offensive zone to set up David Shields' blast from the point. Burish sliced across the slot in concert with Shields' slap shot and redirected it past IceHogs goaltender Michael Leighton.
The IceHogs took a 2-1 lead at 10:48 of the third when defenseman Viktor Svedberg took advantage of local knowledge to pick up his third goal of the season. Svedberg corralled the puck at the left point and deliberately launched it well left of the net, but the bounce came off the wall at such a sharp angle that it whistled into the crease and banked off the back of Binnington's legs into the goal.
The Wolves sent the game into overtime on Burish's second goal. Shortly after head coach John Anderson pulled Binnington for an extra attacker, defenseman Mathieu Brodeur scalded a slap shot from the left point that Leighton stopped. Shane Harper battled in front of the crease to keep the puck alive and, while Leighton, Harper and two Rockford defensemen fell to the ice, Burish swept in from the right and knocked home the equalizer.
Rockford earned the game-winner during 4-on-4 play as the IceHogs enjoyed a 4-on-2 rush. Wise took the puck down the middle of the offensive zone and launched a shot from 30 feet that went through Binnington's five-hole.
Leighton (12-7-4) posted 28 saves for the win, which ensured Rockford no worse than a share of the 2014-15 Illinois Lottery Cup. The IceHogs have won six of the first nine meetings in this season's 12-game series.
The Wolves return to Allstate Arena at 7 p.m. Saturday for a rematch with Rockford.
-- Chicago Wolves
