Facing a series deficit and the potential for an even deeper hole with a loss in Game 4, the Chicago Wolves played like their season was on the line. In the second half of a back-to-back in the Western Conference Finals, Chicago hoped to bounce back from a heart-breaking loss on Tuesday after surrendering the winning goal in the final minute.
Things remained very even to start the game. Both Cayden Primeau and Trent Miner took the net once again in the back-to-back situation, and neither was beaten in the first period. Shots were nine aside. It wasn't until the midway through the second period before anyone broke through, and it was the same duo that tried to put the team on their backs during Game 3.
Down a man, Justin Robidas put some pressure on Miner to force a pass up the ice. Bradly Nadeau swooped in and provided more pressure along the boards, forcing the turnover. Robidas went to the net and received the pass. While fending off a defender, Robidas lifted it over Miner's glove, breaking the ice with the team's second short-handed goal in as many games.
Nadeau kept his night rolling into the third. Early in the frame, after the Wolves won a draw, Nadeau escaped the defense and snapped a shot from the left dot, placing it perfectly over Miner's shoulder. Noah Philp won the face-off, Ivan Ryabkin helped keep possession, and Juuso Valimaki got it to Nadeau, allowing almost everyone on the ice a chance to touch the puck as Chicago doubled its lead.
Colorado threw a ton of shots at Primeau in the third. Eventually, one was going to get past him. Alex Barre-Boulet broke the shutout midway through the period, giving the Eagles plenty of time to find the tying goal. However, it never came. Primeau and the defense shut the door for the rest of the night, holding on for a 2-1 win to tie the series. Primeau finished the night with 33 stops on 34 shots.
Without Felix Unger Sorum in the lineup once again, the big guys stepped up in a big spot. The difference between a 2-2 series and a 3-1 series feels monumental. Bradly Nadeau picked up his third and fourth points of the series with his second multi-point game of the postseason. Robidas' fifth goal gives him the team lead for the playoffs, four of which have come on special teams.
One thing that has been very impressive for the Wolves during this run is their ability to win tight games. Ten of their 13 games have been decided by one goal, and the Wolves have won seven of them. Three of the four games in the Western Conference Finals have been one-goal affairs, and the Wolves have won twice. Primeau deserves a lot of love for that, playing out of his mind.
A Chicago win in Game 4 makes Game 5 that much more important. Game 5 will be played at Allstate Arena on Friday night, with the winner putting themselves in the driver's seat as the series moves back to Colorado. We're guaranteed at least a sixth game on Sunday night. If the series reaches Game 7, it'll be in Colorado on Monday.
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