At times, the Wolves have been able to overcome bad habits with offensive skill.
But not Tuesday night at the Horizon. Despite building a 4-1 lead over the Detroit Vipers after 40 minutes, shoddy effort and mistakes eventually doomed them in Game 2 of the International Hockey League’s Turner Cup finals.
With four goals in an 8-minute-41-second span in the third period, Detroit roared back for a 5-4 win before 9,915. The best-of-seven series is tied 1-1, with Games 3, 4 and 5 in Auburn Hills, Mich.
“I hated our team from the second period on,” said Wolves coach John Anderson, whose club was 30-0-1 in the regular season when leading after two periods. “Going into the third period, I was concerned we weren’t playing smart and didn’t have the jump. This is a tough lesson learned.”
Said Wolves defenseman Tom Tilley: “We have to realize this is a good team and we can’t let up. We were lax, but we’ve got to keep taking it to them.”
Vipers coach Steve Ludzik has wanted to downplay any notion his team is “defending” its 1997 Turner Cup title. And for the first 40 minutes of Tuesday’s game, the sloppy and penalty-prone Vipers looked like anything but defending IHL titlists.
Still, Detroit managed to rebound.
“I think we showed the heart of a champion tonight,” said Ludzik, who had thrown a tantrum between the second and third periods over penalty calls by referee Scott Zelkin. “We could have become discombobulated, but we kept on fighting through it.”
“You could feel us getting tight,” Anderson said. “If choking is the word you want to use . . .”
Despite the collapse, Wolves almost had another offensive hero in left winger Chris Marinucci, who scored twice.
“We have to take this in stride,” Anderson said. “No championship is won without adversity. We’re facing it now, big-time.”
