Mark Mancari’s 2 goals in 3rd lift Wolves

• Reprints

Updated: February 13, 2012 9:23AM

After parts of six seasons in the AHL, Wolves right wing Mark Mancari has ridden the minor-league roller coaster before.

He has been back and forth between the NHL and its AHL affiliates and has seen teammates get recalled, leaving him to fight to prove he belongs in the big show. Before the game Saturday against Lake Erie, Mancari and the Wolves were informed that left wing Mike Duco was being recalled by parent club Vancouver.

Mancari used that as fuel and has six points in the three games since Duco was called up, including a two-goal third period in the Wolves’ 4-2 victory over the Rockford IceHogs in a Wednesday matinee at Allstate Arena.

“It’s a part of the business, and a lot of times you’ve got to use it as motivation,” Mancari said. “You want to be that guy. But at the same time, you’ve got to be happy for these guys. Everyone gets an opportunity.”

Mancari has four goals in the last two games and eight points in the last four, dating to Friday’s game at Peoria — Duco’s most recent with the Wolves.

The Mancari line was relentless in driving to the net through much of the second period and into the third. Mancari’s goals came within 57 seconds of each other. The first at 9:37 in the third period broke a 2-2 tie.

“With any game, the harder you work, the more chances you get, and it’s eventually going to come,” Mancari said. “We got our chances and capitalized.”