A pair of home ice wins this week have the Sudbury Wolves still in the running to climb a little further up the Eastern Conference standings - even as they only just recently assured themselves of a return to the playoffs for the first time since 2019.

On Wednesday, the rebuilding Soo Greyhounds hung around longer than expected, remaining within a goal of the Wolves until the final five minutes of period three as Sudbury eventually pulls away for a 7-3 win.

Landon McCallum and Evan Konyen scored two goals apiece for the Wolves with Kocha Delic, Nathan Villeneuve and Matthew Mania finishing things off while Connor Clattenburg, Julian Fantino and Kalvyn Watson countered for the visitors.

The Friday night match-up had more of a playoff feel to it, quite clearly, as the Wolves and the Peterborough Petes were deadlocked in a scoreless encounter until almoast halfway through the game.

With the teams playing four on four, David Goyette pounced all over the ricocchet of an Evan Koneyn shot, opening the scoring at 7:26 of the middle stanza and just 37 seconds later, Quentin Musty one-timed a pretty pass from Goyette, on the power-play, increasing the lead to 2-0.

Tommy Purdeller got one back for the Petes before the end of the frame, deflecting a shot from Owen Beck before Sudbury got the game-winning goal from Landon McCallum.

Finding a back-door lane, McCallum tipped home a beautiful seam pass from defenceman Andre Anania, giving the Wolves the cushion they would need when Peterborough converted on the power play for the second time, this seeing-eye marker courtesy of Avery Hayes.

Goaltender Kevyn Brassard earned his second win of the week, stopping 32 of the 34 shots fired his way. The seventh place Wolves remain two points back of the Mississauga Steelheads, with both teams still having four games remaining to close out the 2022-2023 regular season schedule.