GAME PREVIEW - UTICA COMETS AT IOWA WILD 2.5.14
Feb 5, 2014MEDIA KIT - HERE
Utica Comets (16-22-2-4, 38 points) at Iowa Wild (19-16-5-3, 46 points)
Wednesday’s game is the first of two meetings this season between Iowa and Utica. Iowa and Utica have never met in AHL history. The Comets are the AHL affiliate of Vancouver, purchased by the Canucks from St. Louis and moved from Peoria over the summer. Iowa makes its first and only visit to Utica on Mar. 30.
Iowa has points in 21 of the last 26 outings (13-5-5-3 /.654). The Wild has a record of 9-11-3-0 at Wells Fargo Arena, outscored by the opposition in scoring 59-48. Iowa is 4-2-3-1 over the last ten outings and 7-8-3-2 against the Midwest Division. Iowa is 6-1-3-1 over the last 11 home games with its only regulation loss coming at the hands of Milwaukee. The Wild has recorded points in eight straight games. The team has played in five straight overtime games. Iowa is coming off a 3-2 overtime loss at Chicago on Saturday night.
The Comets are coming off a 4-2 loss at Chicago on Tuesday. The team has one win over the last four games. Utica is 8-10-1-1 on the road, having been outscored 61-44 by their opponents. Utica is playing the second of five straight road games, with stops in Milwaukee, Rockford and Rochester prior to returning home. Comets started the year 0-8-1-1 in the first ten games of the season. The team is 16-14-1-3 since November 8.
Upcoming Games:
Team Date Time Radio / TV
vs. Utica 2/5 7:05 P.M. KXNO 1460 / iHeartRadio
vs. Chicago 2/7 7:05 P.M. KXNO 1460 / iHeartRadio
at Rockford 2/8 7 PM KXNO 1460 / iHeartRadio
Latest Transactions:
2/1 - Add forward Jack Downing (signed PTO – South Carolina – ECHL)
1/26 - Delete defenseman Nicholas Rioux (released from PTO - Quad City CHL)
1/23 - Add defenseman Jonathon Blum (returned by Minnesota - NHL)
Last Time Out:
The Iowa Wild were defeated by the Chicago Wolves 3-2 in overtime in front of 11,123 fans at Allstate Arena on Saturday night. With 29 seconds left in overtime, Ty Rattie scored his second goal of the night, handing the Wild its second overtime defeat in as many nights. Iowa played in its fifth straight game that needed overtime. Despite the loss, the team extended its season-high points streak to eight games (4-0-3-1). After surrendering a third-period lead and falling behind, Iowa center Zack Phillips scored with 20 seconds remaining in regulation to salvage a point and help Iowa force overtime. Wild goalie Johan Gustafsson made 26 saves in the OT loss. Wolves goalie Matt Climie stopped 24 shots for the win. Forward Warren Peters also scored, as Iowa moved to 10-5-2-3 on the road this year. Chicago’s Rattie and Dmritrij Jaskin scored 7:53 apart in the third period, erasing a 1-0 deficit and giving the Wolves a late one-goal lead.
Iowa Wild
After 43 games, defenseman Brian Connelly leads the team in scoring with 26 points in 40 appearances. Connelly has a team-high 23 assists, including a team-leading 11 on the power play. Defenseman Jonathon Blum, as well as forward Carson McMillan is also among the top scorers. McMillan has ten goals and 12 assists for 22 points in 41 games played. Blum has five goals and 16 assists for 21 points in 36 games played. Forward Zack Phillips has eight goals and 12 assists for 20 points in 43 games played. Leading goal scorer Brett Bulmer (10) is currently out with an injury. Forward Warren Peters is also among the active skaters in points with 17 (6g/11a). Erik Haula (17 pts.) and Jason Zucker (13 pts) are on NHL recall with Minnesota.
Goalies Johan Gustafsson and John Curry man the nets for Iowa. Darcy Kuemper is on recall to Minnesota. Johan Gustafsson is 8-9-2 with a 2.81 GAA and a .910 SV %. Curry is 4-2-1 with a 1.81 GAA and a .944 SV%.
Iowa is 32-for-189 (16.9%) on the power play and has allowed 35 power-play goals against on 177 attempts (80.2%) The Wild is 27th in the AHL with a 2.49 goals per game average and the team sits 122h with a 2.72 goals against average.
Notables –
· Iowa forward Chad Rau needs two more games to reach 300 for his AHL career.
· Utica Comets Assistant Coach Paul Jerrard was also the assistant coach for both the Iowa Stars and the Iowa Chops.
Utica Comets
Right Wings Benn Ferriero and Alexandre Grenier lead the Comets in scoring. Ferriero leads the team with 17 goals and 18 assists for 35 points. Grenier has 15 goals and 30 points in 44 games played. Cal O’Reilly has 19 points in only 26 games played. The team is without Pascal Pelletier, who was recalled to Vancouver on Tuesday. He had 39 points in 39 games.
Goalies Joacim Eriksson, Mathieu Corbeil and Joe Cannata split time in net for the Comets. Eriksson has appeared in 28 games, going 12-13-2 with a 2.57 GAA and a .914 SV%. Cannata is 4-10-1 on year, sporting a 3.31 GAA and a .888 SV%.
The Comets are 29-for-174 (16.7%) on the power play this year. Utica’s penalty kill has killed off 127 of 164 (77.4%) penalties. The Comets average 2.36 goals per game and allow 3.05 per game.