Feb. 11, 2021

HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill. - The Chicago Wolves became the AHL’s first 4-0 team and kept the Grand Rapids Griffins winless on Thursday afternoon, breaking a third-period tie before adding an empty-netter for a 4-2 win at the Triphahn Center Ice Arena.

Dennis Cholowski scored his first goal of the season 6:07 into the third to complete Grand Rapids’ comeback from a 2-0 deficit, but David Cotton notched his second of the game 1:26 later to put Chicago ahead for good.

Seth Jarvis, the AHL’s leading goal scorer with four, tallied his second in as many games against Grand Rapids during a power play midway through the first. Cotton then pushed the advantage to two with his first marker of the day, picking up a loose puck and beating Kevin Boyle on a wraparound with 6:47 left in the second.

Kyle Criscuolo, the Griffins’ lone goal scorer from their 3-1 loss to the Wolves in last Friday’s opener, banged a rebound past rookie Beck Warm from the left goal line during a power play 3:07 later to make it a 2-1 game and break a goal drought of 88:42 for Grand Rapids.

After Cholowski and Cotton exchanged quick goals, the Griffins pulled Boyle for an extra attacker during a late power play, and Tanner Jeannot scored into the vacated cage for the final margin.

Notes

• Griffins forwards Max Humitz and Patrick Curry made their pro debuts along with defenseman Donovan Sebrango, a third-round selection (63rd overall) of the Detroit Red Wings in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft.
• Boyle also saw his first action as a Griffin, after posting a 62-38-10 record in 117 AHL games with San Diego from 2016-20.
• Riley Barber has an assist in each of his first two games with Grand Rapids.
• Evgeny Svechnikov’s assist on Criscuolo’s goal gave him 100 points (38-62—100) in 184 games as a Griffin, while Cholowski’s goal marked his 50th point (13-37—50) in 146 pro games with Grand Rapids and Detroit.

Box Score
Grand Rapids 0 1 1 - 2

Chicago 1 1 2 - 4

1st Period-1, Chicago, Jarvis 4 (Davies, Cotton), 10:53 (PP). Penalties-served by Svechnikov Gr (bench minor - too many men), 3:37; Sebrango Gr (tripping), 3:37; Tomasino Chi (slashing), 5:17; Elson Gr (cross-checking), 9:34.

2nd Period-2, Chicago, Cotton 1 13:13. 3, Grand Rapids, Criscuolo 2 (Barber, Svechnikov), 16:20 (PP). Penalties-Dello Gr (closing hand on puck), 10:09; Jeannot Chi (interference), 10:52; D’Astous Gr (roughing), 14:01; Healey Chi (roughing), 14:01; Shore Chi (double minor - high-sticking), 14:50; Rasmussen Gr (double minor - high-sticking), 18:39; Cotton Chi (boarding), 18:39.

3rd Period-4, Grand Rapids, Cholowski 1 (Spezia, Lashoff), 6:07. 5, Chicago, Cotton 2 (Suzuki), 7:33. 6, Chicago, Jeannot 2 (Keane, Jarvis), 18:05 (SH EN). Penalties-Elson Gr (fighting), 7:10; Healey Chi (fighting), 7:10; Shore Chi (elbowing), 17:13; Hicketts Gr (unsportsmanlike conduct, fighting), 18:59; Smith Chi (unsportsmanlike conduct, fighting), 18:59.

Shots on Goal-Grand Rapids 12-13-13-38. Chicago 8-11-10-29.
Power Play Opportunities-Grand Rapids 1 / 5; Chicago 1 / 5.
Goalies-Grand Rapids, Boyle 0-1-0 (28 shots-25 saves). Chicago, Warm 1-0-0 (38 shots-36 saves).

Three Stars
1. CHI Cotton (two goals, assist); 2. CHI Warm (W, 36 saves); 3. CHI Seth Jarvis (power play goal)

Record / Next Game
Grand Rapids: 0-2-0-0 (0 pts.) / Sat., Feb. 13 at Cleveland 4 p.m.
Chicago: 4-0-0-0 (8 pts.) / Tue., Feb. 16 at Rockford 6 p.m. CST

Photo courtesy of the Chicago Wolves