Chicago Wolves cruise past Grand Rapids

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — The Wolves opened a four-goal lead to cruise to a 5-2 victory against the Grand Rapids Griffins on Wednesday night at Van Andel Arena.

Five players scored for the Wolves (10-13-2-0): defensemen Jake Bischoff and Brayden Pachal, and forwards Brandon Pirri, Valentin Zykov and Tye McGinn. Forward Lucas Elvenes, who leads AHL rookies in points, and center Nicolas Roy each had two assists. Goaie Oscar Dansk (5-6-0) made 28 saves.

The Wolves opened the scoring with 16 seconds left in the first period on Bischoff’s first goal of the season.

Defenseman Dylan Coghlan took a pass at the right point and quickly swung it to Bischoff, who unleashed a blast with forward Curtis McKenzie stationed in front of goaltender Calvin Pickard and a Grand Rapids defenseman. The puck trickled through Pickard’s legs.

The Wolves made it 2-0 early in the second on Pachal’s first professional goal. The 20-year-old sent a wrister from just inside the blue line into the net.

Pirri gave the Wolves a 3-0 lead at 10:31 of the second with his 300th career AHL point. Coghlan controlled the puck at the Wolves’ blue line, spied Pirri moving toward the offensive zone and whipped a pass that led Pirri past a defenseman to beat Pickard.

Zykov’s first goal with the Wolves came on a power play at 18:22. Pirri fed the puck down to the goal line for McKenzie, who passed it to Zykov coming down the slot for a quick blast from close range to make it 4-0.

Grand Rapids (9-13-1-1) ended Dansk’s shutout when forward Taro Hirose, just loaned to the Griffins by the Red Wings, tipped home a Givani Smith centering pass to cut the Wolves’ lead to 4-1 with 16:46 left in the third.

Grand Rapids’ Evgeny Svechnikov added a power-play goal with 59 seconds left, but McGinn answered with his empty-net wrister from the Wolves’ defensive zone with three seconds remaining for the final margin.

Pickard (7-7-2) stopped 21 of 25 shots for the Griffins.

The Wolves continue their road trip Friday at Manitoba.