Second Place Chicago Wolves

The Chicago Wolves are in second place in the Western Division. It seems like it was an inevitability given the three games the Wolves dropped last weekend, two games to the second place Omaha Ak-Sar-Ben Knights.

It is bad mojo for the Wolves to play at home this year. They have only won 11 of their 27 games played at home, taking points in four other games. The coaches don’t know what to do about it, there have even been suggestions the team stay in hotel rooms during home stretches, to work the bad mojo out.

There are 13 more games to go at home and just six on the road, till the end of the season. No one is talking about the Wolves not making the playoffs, with 77 points they are almost a lock for the post-season right now.

Tonight the Wolves play the Hamilton Bulldogs. (Good seats are still available) A third-place team in the North Division and a possible post-season opponent in the third round. That’ll be a tough game. The Bulldogs won their previous visit to Chicago this season. The Wolves won two overtime games played in Hamilton. So, in other words, the Bulldogs have won a point in every contest they’ve played against the Wolves this season.

Tomorrow San Antonio plays the Wolves. I doubted the Gretzky magic extended to the Rampage last year and earlier this year I expressed the view that Pat Conacher is not up to the task of minor league management. The facts are that the Rampage have dropped six games to the Wolves, one in overtime, with only one win to their credit, this season.

The Rampage have traditionally made their golf reservations at this point in the season, and I don’t see a reason for that to change. They are the doormat of the Western Division… Well, not so fast. The Wolves underestimated SAR the last time they played them, on February 23. And, take a look at the standings and you'll see that SAR has not only climbed out of the basement with the other cellar dwellers like the Syracuse Crunch and the Binghamton Senators, but are above the Houston Aeros in the standings. That hasn't happened in years.

The fact is that over the last ten games, the SAR have the same win/lose record as the Wolves, granted the Wolves lost two games after regulation. Add considering the bad mojo that is happening to the Wolves at the Allstate Arena and Chicago could easily drop that game.

Wear your away sweaters fellas and book a hotel room 'cause there isn't an easy win left in the West Division any more