ROSEMONT— The Chicago Wolves battled the Grand Rapids Griffins in Game 3 of the Calder Cup Playoffs on Tuesday, May 19 at Allstate Arena, as part of the 2026 Central Division Finals.
Despite The Wolves’ loss, 4-3 in overtime, it’s not the end for them this season. Chicago’s beloved AHL team will again host and face the Griffins for Game 4 on Thursday night at 7 pm.
In a post-game interview, Wolves head coach, Spiros Anastas, shared how his approach to coaching and the trust he’s built with the team will guide them through the game’s less than favorable outcome.
Maintaining the human aspect of hockey is “the core of my philosophy. We’re really big on our relationships,” said Anastas. “These guys are more than just hockey players. We’ve gotten to know their families – their wives, children, girlfriends, and parents.”
This deep trust and community affords the Wolves the closeness to not only give feedback, but to receive it well.
“When you lean into [the team dynamic and the relationships], [player feedback] comes from a good place,” Anastas explained. “We can hold guys a little bit more accountable because they know we have taken the time to know who they are and see what ticks for them”.
On the technical front, Anastas’s priority is the usual routine, diving into the game footage. Specifically to reinforce “getting the puck back on retrievals.”
“We were depositing a lot of pucks into their zone.” He noted. “But, our strength within the first two games in the series was when we were getting first on that puck. We were forcing turnovers from their defenseman.”
Overall, the issue for Game 3 boiled down to being “a step late everywhere on the ice.” However, observing the issue and executing corrections are two entirely different elements. Luckily, as Anastas shared, being able to course correct for Game 4 will revolve around showing the players those sequences.
“Sometimes that’s all it takes for them to identify [an area of improvement] then going back out there to execute it,” Anastas said.
Defenseman Domenick Fensore echoed Anastas’s words, “everything’s a learning curve.” Similarly, his priority is to “learn from [the mistakes made during Game 3] and move on to keep improving.” Though, looking back on the game, Fensore noted, “It’s always an honor to get out on the ice with these guys and to keep battling. It’s going to be a lot of fun on Thursday. We can’t wait!”
Fensore’s focus appeared to be a slight contrast to the somber air in the locker room. Wolves Goaltender, Cayden Primeau, shared “there were a lot of guys who were in there hanging their heads. It just shows the kind of character we have in the room — everybody demands so much from themselves.”
While Primeau delivered an impressive 42 saves last night, he lamented on the pucks that slipped through. Especially the first goal of the night. There’s no undo button in this game.
“As a goalie you want all of them back. Especially in a game like that against a good team.” Primeau continued, “I take accountability for those two goals.”
There’s no denying Primeau’s head was in the game — evidence being the shots he blocked. He shared a glimpse into the on ice experience and what goes through his mind as his teammates zip around.
“You get into a zone.” He said. “It happens so fast but there’s a cliché saying, “the puck’s as big as a beach ball.” That’s when you’re really feeling it. My goal is to get the puck to be as big as possible” — tracking the play to the point where the puck seems unmissable.
Moving forward for Primeau means reverting to the fundamentals: reviewing the tapes and leaning on teammates. Ultimately, if the Wolves want to win Game 4, the team has to “try to keep going”. He explained, “that’s what I try to do”. Primeau’s spirits seemed lifted as he shared what the future holds. “We put ourselves in a good position on the road, but the third one is the hardest to get. Coming together and making sure everyone leaves this [game] behind them is important”.
The respect each player has for each other and the game, ultimately calls back to Anastas’s approach to hockey. “Leaning into the sentiment of using how much we care and love each other as our motivation — that’s the human side of it”.
Next Game: The Wolves vs Grand Rapids Griffins in Game 4 on Thursday, May 21 (7 p.m.) at Allstate Arena.
For information on Wolves tickets for the 2026 Calder Cup Playoffs, visit chicagowolves.com or call 1-800-THE-WOLVES.
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