Back-to-back comeback wins for Wolves

The Wolves probably should stop falling behind. It’s tougher to pick up points that way.

Luckily for them, it has worked out the last two games.

After coming back from a three-goal deficit in the third period, the Wolves earned a 5-4 shootout victory Saturday over the Lake Erie Monsters.

Shane Harper and Pat Cannone scored in the shootout, Matt Climie stopped five of six shots and the Wolves (39-19-5-3) stayed four points behind the division-leading Grand Rapids Griffins while extending their points streak to six games.

They trailed 4-1 5:13 into the third period after Lake Erie’s Michael Schumacher scored, but Evan Oberg, Mark Cundari and Harper beat Calvin Pickard (45 saves) to send the game to the shootout.

They needed to rally despite outshooting the Monsters 50-19, setting a season high for shots on goal and equaling their low for shots allowed.

On Wednesday, the Wolves fell behind by two goals twice but came back for a 6-5 shootout victory against the Monsters (2829-0-9).

They did it again Saturday and avoided losing at home in regulation for the second time since Dec. 7.

“That was a roller coaster, for sure,” Wolves coach John Anderson said.

Despite the Wolves’ 14-5 edge in shots, the teams were tied at 1 after the first period. Cundari’s first goal 2:42 into the game gave the Wolves a 1-0 lead, but Lake Erie tied it on Mark Olver’s power-play goal with 11:14 to play in the period.

The Wolves outshot Lake Erie 16-9 in the second period, but they were down 3-1 after David van der Gulik and Troy Bourke scored 10 seconds apart for the quickest goals against them this season.

Schumacher then put the Monsters in front by three in the third before the Wolves stormed back.

“We went about our business,” Anderson said.

“I mean, like I told the guys after the second period, ‘We have the advantage of play. Let’s just keep pushing and pushing. If something good happens, it will happen.’ ’’