Wolves 3, Heat 2 (shootout)
ABBOTSFORD, British Columbia -- When the Chicago Wolves travel to this province on Canada's west coast, it's considerably longer than any of their other American Hockey League road trips.
Yet they feel close to home in Abbotsford because it's just 44 miles southeast of Vancouver's Rogers Arena, home of the Wolves' parent club, the Canucks.
The Wolves had at least half of the 6,871 fans on their side Friday night at Abbotsford Entertainment and Sports Centre, and they sent them home happy with a 3-2 shootout victory.
Right wing Zack Kassian, one of the Canucks' top prospects, and center Nathan Longpre scored in regulation for the Wolves. Goaltender Eddie Lack rejected 27 shots in regulation and three of three shootout attempts to earn his third win this season.
The crowd chanted "Ed-die! Ed-die!" after Jordan Schroeder, Darren Haydar and Kassian scored in the shootout to clinch the win.
The Wolves (4-0-0-0) lead the AHL with eight points and are off to one of the top two starts in franchise history. Chicago has yet to trail during the 2012-13 season, a span of 252 minutes and 59 seconds.
The brawny Kassian, 21, scored at 9:45 of the second period when he accepted a pass from center Andrew Ebbett at the blue line and charged in unimpeded on Abbotsford goalie Danny Taylor. Kassian wristed the puck past Taylor for his second goal of the season.
Longpre added his third goal of the year at 3:55 of the third, but Abbotsford's Tyler Ruegsegger and Roman Horak bookended Longpre's score with power-play goals to make it 2-2 with 14:58 to go in regulation.
