The Chicago Wolves had an opportunity to put a stranglehold on their series against the Iowa Wild, but instead they’re looking to regroup after a 2-0 shutout loss in Game 3 Sunday afternoon.
Matt Read and Luke Kunin scored goals for the Wild, and Andrew Hammond stopped all 26 Wolves shots that he faced as Iowa trimmed Chicago’s series lead to 2-1 in the best-of-seven affair.
Zac Leslie led the way for the Wolves with four shots on goal, and Brooks Macek had three more, but it wasn’t enough as Chicago’s four-game playoff winning streak came to a screeching half in the contest.
Oscar Dansk stopped 18 of the 19 shots that he faced in the losing effort.
The teams traded unsuccessful power plays in the opening stages of the game, but the Wild were able to convert at even strength late in the first period. Off a feed from Read, Kunin notched his sixth goal of the playoffs with three minutes remaining in the frame, giving Iowa a 1-0 lead.
That lead stayed intact throughout the remainder of the game, with Hammond making several key stops along the way. In the third period the Wolves pulled Dansk to try to make a late comeback, but their efforts were thwarted as Read scored an empty net tally to put the Wild ahead by a pair of goals in the final minute.
The teams will have a few days off to recover, as Game 4 is slated for Wednesday night. Puck drop is slated for 7 p.m.
