Stockton blunts Chicago Wolves victory run

Stockton grabs second OT win in as many days; Chicago hosts Game 6 Tuesday night

Defenseman Connor Mackey’s goal 14:27 into overtime lifted the Stockton Heat to a 3-2 victory over the Chicago Wolves Saturday night at Stockton Arena in Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals.

Forwards Spencer Smallman and Richard Panik scored for the Wolves (9-3), who dropped an overtime decision for the second time in as many days. They will host the Heat (8-4) in Game 6 at 7 p.m. Tuesday at Allstate Arena.

For the fifth consecutive game, neither the Wolves nor Heat took a lead into the locker room at the first intermission. Chicago outshot Stockton 11-6, but neither team had many scoring chances.

The Wolves broke on top for the fifth consecutive game as Smallman registered the team’s first shorthanded goal of the postseason at 3:28 of the second to take a 1-0 lead. Jalen Chatfield and Smallman battled to claim the puck in the neutral zone, then Chatfield wound up with the puck along the right half-wall.

Chicago Wolves player Andrew Poturalski. Photo courtesy of the Chicago Wolves. https://www.chicagowolves.com

He waited for Jack Drury to enter the play and fed him for a quick wrister from the high slot that Smallman tipped past goaltender Dustin Wolf.

Stockton pulled into a 1-1 tie when forward Walker Duehr redirected defenseman Nick DeSimone’s shot at 17:23 of the second. The Heat claimed their first lead when Jakob Pelletier cleaned up the rebound on Martin Pospisil’s shot 3:27 in the third.

The Wolves responded with Panik’s power-play goal at 9:52 of the third. After an extended Chicago flurry that required Wolf to leave the crease, Andrew Poturalski collected the puck below the goal line, spied Panik between the circles and the long-time NHL veteran one-timed it home for a 2-2 knot.

Stockton claimed the victory when Mackey, a northwest suburban Chicago native and the son of former Chicago Wolves forward David Mackey, accepted a pass from Byron Froese between the circles and wristed it home at 14:27.

Wolf (8-4) posted 37 saves in the win while Lyon (8-2) rejected 32 of 35 shots.

The Wolves fly home Sunday and will host Game 6 at 7 p.m. Tuesday and, if necessary, Game 7 at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Allstate Arena. To find the best deals on tickets, visit ChicagoWolves.com/Playoffs or contact a team representative at [email protected].

HEAT 3, WOLVES 2 (OT)
Chicago 0 1 1 0 — 2
Stockton 0 1 1 1 — 3

First Period—None.
Penalties—Leivo, Chicago (roughing), 5:13; Gallant, Stockton (boarding), 8:19; Mattheos, Chicago (holding), 11:50; Valimaki, Stockton (holding), 11:50;

Second Period—1, Chicago, Smallman 1 (Drury, Chatfield), 3:28; 2, Stockton, Duehr 5 (DeSimone, Mackey), 17:23.
Penalties—Jacobs, Chicago (tripping), 3:02; Poturalski, Chicago (high-sticking), 5:55; Leivo, Chicago (slashing), 12:39; Valimaki, Stockton (cross-checking), 17:50.

Third Period—3, Stockton, Pelletier 4 (Pospisil, Froese), 3:27; 4, Chicago, Panik 2 (Poturalski, Leivo), 9:52 pp.
Penalties—Smith, Chicago (slashing), 5:35; Kirkland, Stockton (cross-checking), 8:36; Kirkland, Stockton (high-sticking), 12:43; Mackey, Stockton (high-sticking), 15:08.

Overtime—5, Stockton, Mackey 1 (Froese, Kirkland), 14:27.
Penalties—Gawdin, Stockton (roughing), 6:36; Keane, Chicago (interference), 7:06.

Shots on goal—Chicago 11-14-6-8—39; Stockton 6-10-13-7—36. Power plays—Chicago 1-6; Stockton 0-6. Goalies— Chicago, Lyon (32-35); Stockton, Wolf (37-39). Referees—Brandon Schrader and Carter Sandlak. Linesmen—C.J. Murray and Joseph Mahon.

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Ray Hanania is an award-winning opinion columnist, author & former Chicago City Hall reporter (1977-1992). A veteran who served during the Vietnam War and the recipient of four SPJ Peter Lisagor Awards for column writing, Hanania writes weekly opinion columns on mainstream American & Chicagoland topics for the Southwest News-Herald, Des Plaines Valley News, the Regional News, The Reporter Newspapers, and Suburban Chicagoland.

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