GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. -- Felix Unger Sorum’s second goal of the game on Saturday, on a deflection from the slot 5:14 into overtime, gave the Chicago Wolves a 4-3 victory over the Grand Rapids Griffins in Game 2 of the Central Division Finals at Van Andel Arena and a 2-0 lead in the best-of-five series.

The Griffins jumped out to a 3-1 lead in the opening period, with Michael Brandsegg-Nygard factoring into each of the home team’s tallies with a goal and two assists, but their rivals answered with a goal in each of the next three periods, including Cal Foote’s tying marker with 6:04 remaining in regulation.

Grand Rapids will look to turn the script and stay alive as the series shifts to Allstate Arena for Game 3 on Tuesday and, if necessary, Game 4 on Thursday. 

The Griffins received a power-play opportunity 2:35 into the first period and lit the lamp just seven seconds into the man-advantage. Brandsegg-Nygard’s shot from the top of the circles found the iron behind Cayden Primeau, but Sheldon Dries retrieved the rebound in the slot and slammed it home.

Just 1:26 later, Brandsegg-Nygard centered the puck toward the goal mouth from below the right goal line, and it bounced off Primeau’s stick and through a sliver of an opening to give Grand Rapids a two-goal advantage.

Chicago cut its deficit to one with 9:44 on the clock, as Unger Sorum took a tap pass from Juuso Valimaki in the right circle and snapped it past Michal Postava.

Brandsegg-Nygard recorded his third point of the period and second power-play point to help put Grand Rapids back up by two with 7:56 remaining. His one-timer from the top of the left circle was denied by Primeau, but Eduards Tralmaks pounced on the rebound and put it inside the right post for a 3-1 lead.

The Wolves fired 15 shots at Postava during the middle frame but were only able to solve him once, moving back within a goal at the 16:47 mark when Ivan Ryabkin found a puck at the left faceoff dot and slapped it past the netminder before he could get across to the post.

Grand Rapids nearly recaptured a two-goal advantage 2:22 into the third period while on the power play, when Brandsegg-Nygard made a feed from the slot to Dries in the left circle, but Primeau kicked out his left leg to stop the quick shot.

The Griffins dominated the third period, outshooting the Wolves 10-0 over the first 8:52 and 13-3 for the frame, but the visitors got the equalizer on a rush when Foote’s snap shot from the top of the right circle eluded Postava’s glove at the 13:56 mark, eventually forcing overtime.

Chicago capitalized off a turnover deep in Grand Rapids’ end to net the winning goal 5:14 into the extra session. Charles Alexis Legault kept the puck in the zone along the right boards and sent it between the hashes, where Unger Sorum was waiting to deflect it past Postava for the 2-0 series lead.

Notes

• The Griffins will attempt to become the 15th team in AHL history to rally from a 0-2 deficit to win a best-of-five series. Their 2015 edition was the 11th to accomplish the feat, coming back against the Toronto Marlies with three straight wins at Van Andel Arena after dropping the first two games of the Western Conference Quarterfinals on the road. Current Grand Rapids assistant coach Brian Lashoff was a defenseman on that squad. It’s become a frequent accomplishment in the Central Division of late, with the Milwaukee Admirals pulling it off in the division semifinals both in 2025 against Rockford and 2024 versus Texas.
• Brandsegg-Nygard had the first three-point period by a Griffin in the playoffs since Jonatan Berggren (2-1—3) in the third period of Game 4 of the Central Division Finals against Milwaukee on May 24, 2024, a 4-2 Grand Rapids win.
• It required overtime, but this marked the first of Postava’s 31 combined appearances during the regular season and playoffs that he allowed more than three goals.

Box Score

Chicago 1 1 1 1 - 4

Grand Rapids 3 0 0 0 - 3

1st Period-1, Grand Rapids, Dries 1 (Brandsegg-Nygård, Sandin-Pellikka), 2:42 (PP). 2, Grand Rapids, Brandsegg-Nygård 3 (Leonard), 4:08. 3, Chicago, Unger Sörum 1 (Välimäki, Nadeau), 10:16 (PP). 4, Grand Rapids, Tralmaks 3 (Brandsegg-Nygård, Sandin-Pellikka), 12:04 (PP). Penalties-Philp Chi (high-sticking), 2:35; Shine Gr (cross-checking), 8:49; Legault Chi (roughing), 10:45; Nadeau Chi (cross-checking), 13:16; Johansson Gr (cross-checking), 13:16.

2nd Period-5, Chicago, Ryabkin 2 (Foote), 16:47. Penalties-Tuomisto Gr (interference), 2:05; Brind’Amour Chi (slashing), 7:27; Stachowiak Gr (holding), 14:14.

3rd Period-6, Chicago, Foote 2 (Slavin, Primeau), 13:56. Penalties-Foote Chi (tripping), 1:50.

OT Period-7, Chicago, Unger Sörum 2 (Legault), 5:14. Penalties-Legault Chi (high-sticking), 0:13.

Shots on Goal-Chicago 8-15-3-3-29. Grand Rapids 12-11-13-3-39.

Power Play Opportunities-Chicago 1 / 3; Grand Rapids 2 / 5.

Goalies-Chicago, Primeau 5-2 (39 shots-36 saves). Grand Rapids, Postava 3-3 (29 shots-25 saves).

A-7,258

Three Stars

1. CHI Unger Sorum (two goals); 2. GR Brandsegg-Nygard (goal, two assists); 3. CHI Foote (goal, assist)

Record/Next Game

Grand Rapids: 3-3 / Central Division Finals Game 3 / Tue., May 19 at Chicago 8 p.m. EDT

Chicago: 5-2 / Central Division Finals Game 3 / Tue., May 19 vs. Grand Rapids 7 p.m. CDT

Photo by Nicolas Carrillo/Griffins