Opening Night Drama
The playoff series opened with a tightly contested battle between the Chicago Wolves and the Grand Rapids Griffins, each team looking to gain early momentum.
Josiah Slavin struck for the Wolves in the second period, his shot beating Griffins netminder Michal Postava, who finished with 30 saves despite the 2-1 final score.
Grand Rapids answered early when Eduards Tralmaks opened the scoring, but the Wolves' defense limited further damage, and the first period saw both sides combine for 28 penalty minutes.
Goalie Cayden Primeau, son of former Red Wings forward Keith Primeau, stood between the pipes for Chicago, while veteran John Leonard, the Griffins' 33‑goal scorer, remained without a postseason point.
The Griffins' roster also featured Michael Brandsegg-Nygard, Axel Sandin Pellikka, William Lagesson, Justin Robidas and Alex Doucet, and now face the challenge of avoiding being the fourth division champion eliminated in the playoffs.