GAME PREVIEW - SAN ANTONIO RAMPAGE AT IOWA WILD 12.21.13
Dec 21, 2013MEDIA KIT - HERE
San Antonio Rampage (11-17-0-2, 24 points) at Iowa Wild (11-13-2-0, 24 points)
Saturday night’s game is the third of six meetings this season between Iowa and San Antonio. The road team has taken each of the previous meetings. In the last meeting, Iowa posted a come-from-behind 5-4 shootout win in San Antonio on Dec. 4. San Antonio took the first meeting, besting Iowa 5-2 at Wells Fargo Arena on Nov. 15.
The Iowa Wild is off to a 2-0-1-0 start for the six-game homestand. With a 3-0 win on Friday night over Hamilton, the Wild extended its points streak to four games (3-0-1-0). The team has points in five of the last six outings (3-1-2-0). Iowa has a record of 5-10-1-0 on home ice and has been outscored 43-28 at home this season. The Wild is 5-3-2-0 over the last ten outings and 6-7-1-0 against the West Division.
San Antonio is coming off a 4-0 loss at Milwaukee on Friday night. The team is 3-12-0-1 on the road this season, having outscored its opponents 53-31. The club has dropped seven straight on the road and will conclude a three-game road trip on Saturday before returning home. Overall, the Rampage has lost three straight by a combined score of 13-4. San Antonio is 1-8-0-1 over its last ten games and 6-12-0-1 against the Midwest Division.
Upcoming Games:
Team Date Time Radio / TV
vs. San Antonio 12/21 7:05 PM KXNO 1460 / iHeart Radio
vs. Rockford 12/26 7:05 PM KXNO 1460 / iHeart Radio
vs. Milwaukee 12/29 4:05 PM iHeart Radio
Latest Transactions:
12/21 – Add goalie Cody Reichard (signed PTO – from Fort Wayne - ECHL)
12/20 - Add forward Brett Bulmer (assigned – Minnesota – NHL)
12/19 – Add goalie John Curry (recalled – Orlando – ECHL)
12/19 – Delete Thomas Heemskerk (released PTO – returns Quad City – CHL)
Last Time Out:
The Iowa Wild defeated the Hamilton Bulldogs 3-0 in front of 5,816 fans at the Wells Fargo Arena on Friday night. Iowa goalie Darcy Kuemper stopped all 44 shots, including 17 in the first period, to earn his first shutout of the season. Wild forward Tyler Graovac picked up a pair of assists, helping his club extend its points streak to four games (3-0-1-0). Iowa forwards Jason Zucker, Stephane Veilleux, and Carson McMillan each scored in the win. Bulldogs goalie Mike Condon stopped 24 shots in the loss.
Iowa Wild
After 26 games, defensemen Brian Connelly and Jonathon Blum lead the team in scoring with 15 points each. Connelly has 14 assists and one goal in 24 games played. Defenseman Jonathon Blum has three goals and 12 assists in 26 games played. His 12 assists trail only Connelly. Erik Haula had 14 points in 20 games prior to his recall to Minnesota. Forward Brett Bulmer returns from Minnesota. At the time of his recall, he left as the team leader in goals (9) and shots (62). Forward Jason Zucker has eight goals and 13 points in only 19 games with Iowa. With two goals in his last three games, center Zack Phillips adds five goals and 12 points in 26 games. Forwards Kris Foucault and Warren Peters round out the top scorers with ten points each.
Goalies Darcy Kuemper, Cody Reichard and John Curry man the nets for Iowa. Kuemper is 7-10-0 in 17 appearances, posting a 2.47 GAA and a .929 SV%. Kuemper has stopped 262 of the last 275 (.953 SV %) shots faced, going 4-3-0. Johan Gustafsson is on recall to Minnesota after going 4-4-0 with a 2.95 GAA and a .898 SV %. Curry is 0-1-0 with a 2.04 GAA and a .895 SV%. Reichard has yet to make his Iowa debut.
Iowa is 20-for-118 (16.9 %) on the power play and has allowed 22 power-play goals against on 119 attempts (81.5%) The Wild is 28th in the AHL with a 2.35 goals against average and the team sits 10th with a 2.69 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 (9.3%).
San Antonio Rampage
Rookie center Vincent Trocheck leads his club in scoring with 11 goals and 11 assists for 22 points in 30 games played. He is joined by veteran forwards Greg Rallo and Bobby Butler. Butler has nine goals and 18 points in 29 games played. Rallo has seven goals and 18 points in 28 games played. Defenseman Colby Robak leads all blueliners with eight assists and 11 points in 23 games played.
Goalies Rob Madore and Michael Houser split time in net for the Rampage. Jacob Markstrom is in Florida on recall and the team traded Dov Grumet-Morris to Hartford recently. Madore is 0-2-0 with a 2.59 GAA and a .905 SV %. Houser is 5-4-0 with a 2.76 GAA and a .905 SV%.
The Rampage is 20-for-143 (14.0%) on the power play this year. Despite the slow start on the extra man advantage, San Antonio’s penalty kill is 123 of 156 (78.8%) penalties. The Rampage average 2.53 goals per game and allow 3.10 per game.