The upstart Chicago Wolves openly challenged their big-league hockey brothers this year by adopting the slogan “Losing Bites,” in reference to how the Blackhawks hadn’t made the playoffs in two years and had but one playoff appearance in the last seven, while the Wolves were winning three championship cups. The Hawks responded by writing off the season, leading the National Hockey League’s lockout of its players as the owners pursued a salary cap. (Or rather the Hawks took the lead if one is to believe reports and speculation; NHL commissioner Gary Bettman has imposed a news blackout, but given Hawks owner Bill Wirtz’s skinflint tendencies and Neanderthal approach to the sport, such as blacking out home games on TV, what’s not to believe?) The only hockey game in town, the Wolves went about taking advantage of it.
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I have to admit that I came to the Wolves woefully ignorant, in part because of the satellite TV system I subscribe to. When four of the five major Chicago sports teams–the Cubs, the White Sox, the Bulls, and (cough) the Blackhawks–recently signed with cable behemoth Comcast to develop Comcast SportsNet Chicago to carry their games, they were actually following in the paw prints of the Wolves, who signed an exclusive TV deal with Comcast last year. While CSNC has been picked up by my satellite service–at a dear price, no doubt–Comcast has kept the Wolves to itself. So even though all of their games were carried on TV–take that, Wirtz–I hadn’t been privy to any of them.
Lehtonen just turned 21, but he’s already a tall, elegant netminder who reveals teen-idol good looks when he comes to the bench and takes off his mask during breaks in play. The Wolves, who never miss a marketing trick, weren’t about to downplay his continued presence in town. At the end of the introductions of the starting lineup–each player skating out through the jaws of a giant green-eyed, flame-throwing wolf’s head–the PA announcer stretched out Kaaaaariiii Leeeeeehtoooonen, much the way the Expos’ announcer used to introduce catcher John Boccabella back in the days of Montreal’s Jarry Park. Lehtonen went on to display the classic inverted-V style developed 30-some years ago by the Hawks’ Tony Esposito, with knees together and skates splayed to cover the lower corners of the net. Unfortunately, on this night he would also show a young goalie’s weakness for allowing dangerous rebounds.
Lehtonen righted himself in the third period, but it was too late. Both he and Finley made splendid saves as the teams turned up the intensity. Lehtonen stopped another tough rebound, then watched the Admirals graze the post. Finley plucked a fluttering puck out of the air as if it were an elusive butterfly. Larsen made a nice trailer pass to defenseman Travis Roche, who drilled a shot right at Finley, but he stopped it and covered the puck. Lehtonen stopped a shot Gamache rifled in from the slot as he trailed a three-on-two rush, and brushed aside the rebound. Moments later, Lehtonen made another nice one, snagging a shot with his glove, seemingly after it had passed his left shoulder. The game ended where the third period started, with the Admirals up 3-2.
