The Wolves got Curtis McKenzie back from suspension Thursday night. But unlike much of this season, they weren’t able to survive the absence of another important piece.
Without league MVP Daniel Carr, the Wolves lost 5-3 to the Checkers, giving Charlotte a 3-1 lead in the Calder Cup Finals. The Checkers rallied from a 3-1 deficit and took the lead on Aleksi Saarela’s goal with 7:08 remaining in the third, and can win the AHL title Saturday in Rosemont.
After the game, Wolves coach Rocky Thompson said he reminded his team how close this series has been and that they can still beat the Checkers. That could be true, but Thompson’s team let a key game get away and needs to win three straight to win the franchise’s fifth league title.
“You should grieve this. It stung,” Thompson said. “This one really hurt.”
Nic Hague, Zac Leslie and Brooks Macek scored to give the Wolves a 3-1 lead late in the second. But the Checkers reminded the Wolves and everybody else why they led the league in points and wins, getting a power-play goal from Martin Necas at the 19-minute mark of the second then the equalizer 32 seconds into the third from Nicolas Roy.
Facing Charlotte goalie Dustin Tokarski, who played instead of Alex Nedeljkovic because it was the second half of a back-to-back, the Wolves couldn’t get anything else. Checkers coach Mike Vellucci said he considered starting Nedeljkovic one night after making 38 saves, but ended up sticking with his plan to play Tokarski.
His reasoning for going with Tokarski, who hasn’t lost since joining Charlotte late in the season, made sense.
“He’s 12-0. Does it change my mind not playing him? No. He’s 12-0 for us,” Vellucci said. “He’s another one of those great guys. Unbelievable leader.”
Saarela’s score, followed by a Roy empty-netter, sent the Wolves to the brink of elimination despite leading for much of the night.
“It’s a really special group we have in this room,” McKenzie said. “Now it’s just, you win a game you get to play another game with each other. I think that’s what we’re looking at, is just the chance to continue playing with each other. You can’t look too far ahead.
“Just be ready for Saturday.”
To take three in a row from a team like the Checkers, the Wolves will need to correct a few things.
Their special teams struggled, going 0 for 4 with an advantage while giving up a power-play goal. Goalie Oscar Dansk (18 saves) didn’t sound too thrilled with his own performance, either.
“I thought the guys played good enough for us to win,” Dansk said. “I don’t think I, obviously, played well enough.”
Getting Carr back on Saturday would also be a boost, but Thompson said he is day-to-day with an undisclosed injury. Possibly going forward without Carr and getting three straight wins against a team established itself as the best in the league would fit the Wolves’ narrative of overcoming adversity.
However, doing that against Charlotte looks like a pretty big ask.
“They’re the best team in the league all year,” McKenzie said. “When they’re that way you just have confidence in winning. They’re so skilled; they don’t need much room to make plays.”
