Wolves Ride 2 Fast Goals To 3-2 Win Over Texas
CEDAR PARK, Texas -- The Chicago Wolves continued their strong play on the road as Adam Polasek and Antoine Roussel scored in the opening four minutes Wednesday night to spark a 3-2 victory over the Texas Stars at Cedar Park Center.
Defenseman Kevin Connauton contributed a goal and an assist as the Wolves never trailed while winning their fifth road game in a row. Goaltender Matt Climie (6-2-0) earned 40 saves to run his winning streak to five games.
The Wolves (8-6-0-2) opened the scoring just 1:16 into the game as Nathan Longpre won a faceoff cleanly and drew it back to Polasek. The 20-year-old defenseman's quick wrister whistled through Texas goaltender Tyler Beskorowany for his first goal as a professional.
Chicago forged ahead 2-0 at the 3:55 mark of the first on Roussel's first goal for the Wolves. Connauton flung a wrister toward the net and three Wolves battled to gain possession until Roussel backhanded a rebound into an open net. Connauton and Matt Clackson earned assists on Roussel's second professional goal.
The Stars halved the margin seven minutes into the first when they took advantage of a 5-on-3 power play. Texas center Ryan Garbutt, who scored 19 goals for the Wolves last season, received a pass across the crease from Scott Glennie and flicked the puck into an open net.
In the second period, Connauton's power-play goal gave the Wolves a 3-1 lead at the 16:13 mark. Mark Mancari fought to secure the puck in the corner, then Darren Haydar flipped a pass toward Connauton between the circles. Connauton teed off on a blast that beat Beskorowany top-shelf for his sixth goal of the year. Haydar and Mancari notched assists.
Texas (7-9-0-1) produced its second power-play goal at 7:51 of the third as Jordie Benn's wrist shot deflected off a Wolves defenseman past Climie. Beskorowany (1-4-0) finished with 24 saves for the Stars.
The Wolves host the Peoria Rivermen this weekend for a pair of games. The Ilinois Lottery Cup contests are at 7 p.m. Saturday and 3 p.m. Sunday at Allstate Arena.
NOTES
Chicago 2 1 0 -- 3
Texas 1 0 1 -- 2
First Period---1, Chicago, Polasek 1 (Longpre), 1:16; 2, Chicago, Roussel 1 (Clackson, Connauton), 3:55; 3, Texas, Garbutt 2 (Glennie, Benn), 6:27, pp. Penalties---Rodin, Chicago (tripping), 4:40; Tanev, Chicago (tripping), 6:02; Clackson, Chicago (tripping), 16:37.
Second Period---4, Chicago, Connauton 6 (Haydar, Mancari), 16:13; pp. Penalties---Fraser, Texas (tripping), 5:58; Dillon, Texas (boarding); 15:13; Rodin, Chicago (interference), 18:40.
Third Period---5, Benn 5 (Wathier, Glennie), 7:51, pp; Penalties---Schroeder, Chicago (cross-checking), 1:04; Duco, Chicago (hooking), 7:35.
Shots on goal---Chicago: 8-13-6—27. Texas: 16-11-15—42. Power plays---Chicago 1-2. Texas 2-6. Goalies—Chicago, Climie (40-42). Texas, Beskorowany (24-27). A---5,901. Referee---Ian Croft. Linesmen---Randy Sappo and Brad Duncan.
