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Wolves could tie franchise record for longest home ice win streak this Friday

Next home game has statistically historic implications
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The Sudbury Wolves are flirting with history as they can write themselves into the record books with a win on home ice this Friday. (File)

The Sudbury Wolves are flirting with history as they can write themselves into the record books with a win on home ice this Friday.

The Wolves have won 11 straight games at Sudbury Arena, just one shy of the franchise record of 12 straight home wins, which has been done twice since the inception of the OHL in 1980.

A home win streak of 12 games was first accomplished by the 1994-95 edition of the Wolves, with a team led by Czech forward Zdenek Nedved who amassed 98 points on the season. That year's Wolves team won every game played on home ice between Jan. 17, 1995 to March 17.

In 2013-14, the Wolves matched that record, led up front by Nick Baptiste's 45 goals, followed closely by Nathan Pancel who racked up 42 goals on the campaign. The team also featured a fresh-faced, 16-year-old rookie by the name of Kyle Capobianco, who would go on to become the team's captain later in his Wolves tenure.

That Wolves team managed to stretch out a home win streak to 12 games between Nov. 17, 2013 to Jan. 10, 2014.

This year's Wolves team started their home win streak much earlier than the two teams that reached 12 wins, with the win that started the streak happening back on Oct. 19, in a 7-5 thriller over the Hamilton Bulldogs.

The Wolves have lost just two games on home ice this year, in back-to-back home losses to the Barrie Colts and Niagara Ice Dogs way back in mid-October. 

Just as impressive as the streak itself has been the Wolves' defensive prowess on home ice, as their most recent win, a 5-4 shootout victory of the Guelph Storm, was the second time on the win streak that the team allowed more than three goals, and just the third time they allowed more than two.

If you're counting, that's eight wins in 11 where the Wolves have allowed two or fewer goals on home ice.

This Friday the Wolves have a chance to make history and become the third team to win 12 straight home games when they take on the Kitchener Rangers. Friday night is also the team's last home game before the Christmas break, and what a gift it would be for the team and fans to head into the break with a chance to set a new franchise record.

The old saying in sports goes, "take it one game at a time" and you're not supposed to look past your next opponent, but fans of the team will have a hard time not circling Dec. 28 on their calendar, as the potentially record breaking game will come against the team's Northern Ontario rivals, the North Bay Battalion.


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