It’s still early, but the Wolves have prevailed in Round 1 against their most likely challengers in the International Hockey League’s Western Conference.
After beating Long Beach on Tuesday, they used a grittier approach in a 3-2 shootout win Saturday night over the Utah Grizzlies at the Horizon.
By driving to the net and outmuscling opponents, wingers Chris Marinucci and Dan Plante banged in the Wolves two goals in regulation. In the shootout, Steve Maltais, Steve Larouche and James Black scored to cap a contest that eventually amped up to playoff intensity.
Todd White, assigned by the Blackhawks to the Wolves Saturday, jumped into regular work with his new team. White centered a line with former Toronto Maple Leaf Niklas Andersson on left wing and Black, a former Hawk, on the right side.
White, 23, hadn’t played since suffering bruised ribs in a Sept. 28 Hawks exhibition game at St. Louis. In his first pro season with the IHL Indianapolis Ice last year, he scored 46 goals to tie Maltais for the league lead. He also had 36 assists in 65 games with the Ice.
Utah, a smooth skating, skilled club that mirrors the Wolves in many ways, also had an NHL-fortified lineup Saturday.
New Jersey Devils defenseman Scott Niedermayer and Boston Bruins center Anson Carter, restricted free agents who have been unable to come to contract terms with their NHL clubs, made an impact against the Wolves. Both players have signed 25-game contracts with Utah to keep skating.
The Wolves dominated a brisk first period, but despite outshooting Utah 10-4, led only 1-0 after 20 minutes.
Marinucci opened the scoring at 14 minutes of the opening period with a power-play goal. As he crashed through traffic to the net, Marinucci took a pass from Larouche and deposited the puck–and himself–past Grizzlies goaltender Petr Franek.
In the first half of the second period, however, Utah wrested away the momentum. Well-traveled IHL veteran John Purves tied it 1-1 at 2:36 when he got behind the defense, corraled an up-the-middle pass from Terry Holinger and broke in alone on Wolves goaltender Pat Jablonski
Plante converted a rebound at 15:58 to give put the Wolves ahead 2-1.
