Michael Brandsegg-Nygård scored a highlight-reel goal 9:22 into overtime as Grand Rapids staved off elimination with a 4-3 win over Chicago in Game 3 of the Central Division finals at Allstate Arena on Tuesday night.
Game 4 of the best-of-five series is Thursday in Rosemont, with the Wolves still holding a 2-1 lead.
Sheldon Dries won a defensive-zone faceoff back to Erik Gustafsson, who aired a long outlet pass to Brandsegg-Nygård in near center ice. The 20-year-old rookie carried the puck over the blue line, split two defenders and backhanded a shot past Cayden Primeau for his fourth goal – and third game-winner – of the playoffs.
Grand Rapids opened an early 2-0 lead for the second game in a row as Carter Mazur and John Leonard scored in the opening 4:30. But just as they did in Game 2, the Wolves battled back, taking a 3-2 lead on goals by Domenick Fensore, Justin Robidas and Felix Unger Sörum.
Tyler Angle, a Game 2 scratch for the Griffins, returned to the lineup and scored the tying goal with 7:14 gone in the second period.
The rest of regulation was scoreless, despite Grand Rapids owning a 17-3 shot advantage in the third period.
Primeau (5-3) made 42 saves for the Wolves, while Michal Postava (4-3) stopped 17 shots for the Griffins.
(Chicago leads series, 2-1)
Game 1 – Thu., May 14 – Chicago 2, GRAND RAPIDS 1
Game 2 – Sat., May 16 – Chicago 4, GRAND RAPIDS 3 (OT)
Game 3 – Tue., May 19 – Grand Rapids 4, CHICAGO 3 (OT)
Game 4 – Thu., May 21 – Grand Rapids at Chicago, 8:00
*Game 5 – Sat., May 23 – Chicago at Grand Rapids, 7:00
*if necessary… All times Eastern