They entered the series as the team to beat but are now one loss away from getting swept in the Calder Cup Final by the Toronto Marlies. So, why are they in this position?
The Calder Cup Final has featured three close games that have come down to the wire. Game 1 was a 4-2 win for the Toronto Marlies but the next two were one-goal games that could have gone either way. A bounce here or there, and the Chicago Wolves would have the series lead.
Instead, they trail 3-0 to the Marlies. If they lose on Thursday night, it will be a stunning sweep that will give the Marlies their first Calder Cup title since 2018. The way this series has played out is surprising, especially since the Wolves were regarded as the better team heading in. So, how did they end up in this position?
Did The Wolves Run Out Of Gas?
The Wolves look like a different team in this series. In the previous three, they controlled the play and pressured the opponents into mistakes. They would win puck battles and outskate the opposition. Now, the Marlies are a step ahead of them.
The playoffs are a different beast. That’s why the Wolves, who were overlooked all season, were built for a playoff run and upset top teams like the Grand Rapids Griffins and the Colorado Eagles. The Final is another level and one that the Wolves aren’t playing at.
The game slows down, demanding that teams simplify their approach. The players must adjust as well, playing a physical game while also bringing that burst of speed when needed. The Wolves, however, slowed down in the game and haven’t adjusted.
Wolves Have No Answer For The Marlies Physical Play
Game 2 showed how the Marlies can play a physical brand of hockey, and the Wolves have no answer for it. The Marlies are a big and heavy team, especially their top line with Logan Shaw, Benoit-Olivier Groulx, and Vinni Lettieri. They can get to the crease and make the goaltender uncomfortable.
They did in Game 2. The Marlies scored four of their five goals in the net front with Groulx scoring twice and Shaw finding two goals, including the overtime winner. The Wolves' defense needed to gain leverage and control the netfront but they never did.
The Wolves tried setting the tone in Game 3 with a more physical approach. Moreover, when the horn sounded on the 1-0 Marlies win, the gloves dropped, and the Wolves hope that energy carries over to the next game. They’ll need it because it hasn’t been there otherwise.
Marlies Have More Stars
In the big picture, this is the noticeable difference in this series. The Wolves have the most talented skaters in this series. Bradly Nadeau looks like a top-six winger at the next level. Ryan Suzuki and Justin Robidas round out the top line. Felix Unger Sorum, who returned for Game 3 from an injury, is another skilled prospect who drives play on the second line.
The problem for the Wolves is that most of their talent is on the top line. It’s allowed the Marlies to take them out of the game, especially when they can get the line matchups that give Nadeau, Suzuki, and Robidas trouble. This is when it pays to have another line that can step up and find offense, something the Wolves don’t have.
The Marlies, however, have elite talent throughout the lineup. The Groulx, Shaw, and Lettieri line is the veteran group with three forwards who can score in the playoffs. Easton Cowan, the top winger in the Toronto Maple Leafs system, is stepping up and finding the back of the net, with his goal in Game 3 being the difference.
Even on the defense, the Marlies have the players who can take over a game. William Villeneuve is the two-way defenseman who is opening things up at the point, while rookie Ben Danford found himself a role on the third pair (he’ll become the top defenseman on the team soon enough). Then there’s the play of Artur Ahktyamov, the goaltender who saved his best for the playoffs and gave the Marlies the ultimate edge in the first three games.
Where A Wolves Reverse Sweep Starts
The American Hockey League is completing its 90th season, and the Calder Cup Playoffs began in 1937. Only three teams have come back from a 3-0 series deficit, with the last being the Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins in the Eastern Conference Semifinal in 2013. There has never been a reverse sweep in the Final.
If the Wolves want to become the first, they must control play, starting with Game 4. They must maintain a strong offensive zone presence and find open looks on the net. It starts with Game 4 but they must dictate the play for the next three games.
It won’t be easy. The Toronto crowd will be loud and eager to celebrate a championship, and the Marlies want to get the job done in front of their home fans. That said, the entire season was an uphill battle for the Wolves. So, maybe they have one more comeback in them.