GAME PREVIEW - HAMILTON BULLDOGS AT IOWA WILD 12.20.13
Dec 20, 2013MEDIA KIT - HERE
Hamilton Bulldogs (12-13-0-3, 27 points) at Iowa Wild (10-13-2-0, 22 points)
Friday night’s game is the first of two meetings this season between Iowa and Hamilton. Iowa makes its visit to Hamilton on January 13th. Minnesota’s AHL affiliate was in Houston last year and played the Bulldogs twice, splitting the season series with the home team taking the decision each time.
The Iowa Wild is off to a 1-0-1-0 start for the six-game homestand. With a 2-1 overtime loss on Wednesday night to Grand Rapids, the Wild extended its points streak to three games (2-0-1-0). The team has points in four of the last five outings (2-1-2-0). Iowa has a record of 4-11-0-0 on home ice and has been outscored 31-25 at home this season. The Wild is 4-4-2-0 over the last ten outings and plays its first game against a North Division opponent on Friday.
Hamilton is coming off a 5-2 loss at Chicago on Wednesday afternoon. The loss was the team’s third straight. The AHL Affiliate of Montreal is 4-6-0-0 over the last ten games and 1-2-0-0 against the Midwest Division. The Bulldogs have posted a 4-5-0-1 record on the road, having been outscored by the home teams 30-23. The team is 9-2-0-2 when scoring the game’s first goal.
Upcoming Games:
Team Date Time Radio / TV
vs. Hamilton 12/20 7:05 PM KXNO 1460 / iHeart Radio / Mediacom22
vs. San Antonio 12/21 7:05 PM KXNO 1460 / iHeart Radio
vs. Rockford 12/26 7:05 PM KXNO 1460 / iHeart Radio
Latest Transactions:
12/18 – Thomas Heemskerk (signed PTO – from Quad City – CHL)
12/18 – Delete goalie Johan Gustafsson (recalled – Minnesota – NHL)
12/14 – Add forward Marc Hagel (signed PTO - from South Carolina – ECHL)
Last Time Out:
The Iowa Wild were defeated by the Grand Rapid Griffins 2-1 in overtime in front of 3,619 fans at the Wells Fargo Arena on Wednesday. Griffins forward Cory Emmerton scored 3:52 into overtime lifting his club over the Wild. Griffins goalie Tom McCollum made 30 saves as the Griffins improved to 10-2-1-1 on the road this season. Wild goalie Darcy Kuemper stopped 28 of 29 shots in the overtime defeat. Iowa forward Zack Phillips scored the team’s lone goal, as the Wild picked up a point for the third straight game, (2-0-1-0).
Iowa Wild
After 25 games, defensemen Brian Connelly and Jonathon Blum lead the team in scoring. Connelly has 14 assists and one goal in 23 games played. Defenseman Jonathon Blum has three goals and 11 assists in 25 games played. His 11 assists trail only Connelly. Erik Haula had 14 points in 20 games prior to his recall to Minnesota. Also recalled is forward Brett Bulmer, who left as the team leader in goals (9) and shots (62). Forward Jason Zucker has seven goals and 12 points in only 18 games with Iowa. With two goals in his last two games, center Zack Phillips adds five goals and 12 points in 25 games. Forwards Kris Foucault and Warren Peters round out the top scorers with ten points each.
Goalies Darcy Kuemper and Thomas Heemskerk man the nets for Iowa. Kuemper is 6-10-0 in 16 appearances, posting a 2.62 GAA and a .923 SV%. Kuemper has stopped 218 of the last 231 (.944 SV %) shots faced, going 3-3-0. Johan Gustafsson is on recall to Minnesota after going 4-4-0 with a 2.95 GAA and a .898 SV %. Heemskerk has yet to make his Iowa debut.
Iowa is 20-for-114 (17.5 %) on the power play and has allowed 22 power-play goals against on 117 attempts (81.2%) The Wild is 29th in the AHL with a 2.32 goals against average and the team sits 13th with a 2.80 goals per game average.
Notables –
· Warren Peters needs one assist to reach 100 for his AHL career.
· Iowa has the #1 power play in the AHL on the road (30.2%), but the lowest in the league at home (9.9%).
Hamilton Bulldogs
The Bulldogs return 11 players from last year’s team, which posted a 29-41-1-5 record, missing the playoffs.
Center Martin St. Pierre leads the Bulldogs in scoring with 18 assists and 24 points in 25 games played. In 540 career AHL games, St. Pierre has 157 goals and 395 assists for 552 points. Right wing Louis Leblanc is second in scoring with eight goals and 16 points in 25 games played. Right wing Mike Blunden has six goals and 14 points in 21 games played. Greg Pateryn leads all defenseman in scoring with seven assists and 11 points in 21 contests.
Goalies Mike Condon and Dustin Tokarski split time in net for Hamilton. Toharski is 9-7-1 with a 2.43 GAA and a .920 save percentage. Condon, who played for the Houston Aeros in 2012-13, has made one 20-minute appearance without allowing a goal on eight shots. He was recently added after Robert Mayer was called up to Montreal.
Hamilton is 21st in the league on the power play, going 20-for-130 (15.4%). The Bulldogs penalty kill has allowed 25 goals on 146 chances (82.9%). The team averages 2.54 goals per game while allowing 3.07 goals against per game.