The Chicago Wolves played the role of party crashers on Thursday night, spoiling the Grand Rapids Griffins' home-ice advantage with a gritty 2-1 victory in Game 1 of the Central Division finals at Van Andel Arena.

Fresh off a hard-fought series win over the Manitoba Moose, the Griffins were looking to carry that momentum into the next round. But the Wolves had other plans, proving to be unwelcome guests who refused to let the home crowd celebrate.

The game remained scoreless through much of the first two periods before the action heated up late in the second. Eduards Tralmaks—enjoying a breakout first season in the Red Wings organization after netting 26 goals in 64 regular-season games—finally broke the deadlock and gave the Griffins a 1-0 lead. But the Wolves answered quickly, as Justin Robidas lit the lamp to even the score before the intermission.

The third period belonged to Chicago. Josiah Slavin, a 2018 NHL Draft pick of the Chicago Blackhawks, ripped a shot past Griffins goaltender Michal Postava to break the 1-1 tie. That goal would stand as the game-winner, handing the Wolves a 1-0 series lead.

Postava, another first-year player in the organization who has been nearly unbeatable in recent weeks, turned aside 30 of 32 shots in a losing effort. At the other end, Wolves netminder Cayden Primeau was solid with 23 saves to secure the victory.

For the Griffins, it's a tough start to the series, but there's plenty of hockey left to play. Game 2 will be a must-watch as Grand Rapids looks to even the score and reclaim control of the Central Division finals.