It probably took a little longer than they would've liked, but the Chicago Wolves are officially heading back to the Calder Cup Playoffs. The Wolves got over the finish line on Sunday despite losing 3-2 in overtime to Milwaukee. It marks the second straight postseason appearance for the team as they try to win their fourth championship.
For the second time in as many days, the Wolves did their best impressions of their NHL counterparts. They led 2-0 after 40 minutes on Saturday against Grand Rapids and on Sunday against Milwaukee, but they allowed two goals in the third period before coming up short in overtime. However, winning today wasn't the only way for them to clinch their berth.
While you'd prefer to win games to get the job done, the second scenario to clinch involved the Wolves losing in extra time and needing the Rockford Ice Hogs to beat the Iowa Wild in any fashion. Fortunately for Chicago, that's what they got. Like Chicago, Rockford blew a two-goal lead before recovering for a 4-3 shootout win, making Chicago the second playoff team from the Central Division.
The AHL does things a little differently from the NHL. Because the divisions aren't equally distributed, a certain number of teams from each make the playoffs. For both the Central and North Divisions, the top five teams qualify, while it's six for the Atlantic and seven for the Pacific. Each division has its own mini-playoff format, ensuring one team from each makes it to the conference finals.
If the standings hold, the Wolves will finish second in the Central Division to the Grand Rapids Griffins, who've already clinched the division crown. This means the Wolves will avoid the first round and a best-of-three series, which is where they were eliminated last season. Instead, they'd host the #3 team in the Central to start a best-of-five series.
However, this is far from set in stone. While the Wolves hold a six-point advantage, there is a chance that they will lose this spot. They've struggled recently, seeing their lead for second shrink over the last few weeks. The Texas Stars and the Manitoba Moose have jockeyed for positions #3 and #4, but they could charge after the Wolves if they get hot.
For Chicago, this checks the first box during what has been a crazy season. The Wolves aren't far removed from a Calder Cup win, doing so in 2022. That team was led by several familiar faces, like Stefan Noesen, Jack Drury, Alex Lyon, and Pyotr Kochetkov. They'll need to resolve their recent issues with holding leads if they want to do it again, but getting to the playoffs is a good way to start.