All the Chicago Wolves needed to do was play one more good game to get them into the Divisional Finals. After finishing the two-game set in Texas with a win, the Wolves brought the series to Chicago and pushed the Texas Stars to the brink with a 2-1 win on Saturday night. With a quick turnaround for Game 4, the Stars were playing for their season.
You could tell that was the case early, with the Stars striking first less than eight minutes in. Bradly Nadeau got it back on the power play, scoring from his office with a wrister. A rough turnover by Felix Unger Sorum allowed Cameron Hughes to score on a breakaway the other way. Once again, Chicago responded, with Evan Vierling scoring less than three minutes later, ending the period tied at two.
For the second day in a row, the Wolves scored in the final minute of the second period. This time, Ivan Ryabkin scored his first AHL postseason goal, burying a shot at the side of the net with Remi Poirier out of position. Early in the third, Noah Philp added to the lead. On a 2-on-1, Philp snapped it past Poirier's blocker to double the Wolves' advantage.
From there, it was all about the Wolves trying to hold that lead. That task proved tricky. Vladislav Kolyachonok scored with 7:54 left to cut the Stars' deficit in half. Chicago survived a late penalty kill, but they couldn't get it over the line. Kole Lind scored with 10.1 seconds left in regulation to force overtime, momentarily prolonging their season.
The game came down to a carless stick from Nadeau. A double-minor for high-sticking put the Stars on the power play for four minutes. While the Wolves killed the first half, they couldn't finish the job. Artem Shlaine, who scored both of Texas's goals in the opening game, was the hero of Game 4. He poked a shot home at the top of the crease to win the game, 5-4, and even the series at 2-2.
Offensively, the Wolves and the Stars appear to be going at it in different ways. Texas has relied heavily on its top scorers. Hughes had three points in this contest, improving his total to a team-high six, while Shlaine and Matthew Seminoff are close behind with four each. Meanwhile, 11 Wolves had a point today, with 17 players recording at least one point in the series.
It wasn't a great result for Cayden Primeau, but he finished with 32 saves, including 12 in overtime. His best of the afternoon came during that game-ending penalty kill. From his stomach, Primeau stretched and robbed a chance with his glove, providing an early Save of the Postseason contender. It's just a shame the team couldn't finish the kill to make that save mean something more.
With Texas winning on Sunday, the series comes down to a winner-take-all Game 5 on Tuesday night in Chicago. It feels incredibly fitting for a series that has been very even to this point. Multi-goal leads have been at a premium, and each goalie has gotten their moment in the sun. Whoever claims victory in Game 5 will set up a date with their Grand Rapids or Manitoba in the Division Finals.