GAME PREVIEW - CHARLOTTE CHECKERS AT IOWA WILD 10.24.14
Oct 24, 2014Charlotte Checkers (1-4-0-0, 2 Points) at Iowa Wild (0-4-0-0, 0 points)
The Iowa Wild concludes a four-game home stand with two straight against division rival Charlotte. The Wild and Checkers meet a total of eight times this season with four games in Des Moines and four in Charlotte. The Checkers will play the Wild again on Saturday before hosting the next meeting in early December. After AHL division realignment this summer the two teams find themselves in the West Division. Iowa and Charlotte played four times in 2013-14, as the Wild opened its inaugural season with a pair of wins in Charlotte to start the year. The Checkers came to Des Moines and won a pair of games at Wells Fargo Arena in March. Both teams were 2-2-0-0, while Charlotte outscored Iowa 12-11. The two teams played in the most penalized game in Iowa history on March 26, 2014. The clubs combined for 248 penalty minutes at Wells Fargp Arena. The Wild set team marks for total penalty minutes (162), major penalties (8) and misconducts (10).
Iowa concludes a four-game home stand with Charlotte visiting Wells Fargo Arena. The Wild is 0-2-0-0 this year after going 11-22-3-2 at home last season. The Checkers finished last season with 37-36-1-2 record, including an 18-18-0-2 mark on the road. Charlotte is 1-2-0-0 on the road this season, with the team’s lone win coming at Chicago on Oct. 12.
Upcoming Games:
Team Date Time Radio / TV
vs. Charlotte 10/24 7 PM KXNO / iHeartRadio
vs. Charlotte 10/25 7 PM KXNO / iHeartRadio
at Milwaukee 10/29 7 PM KXNO / iHeartRadio
at Oklahoma City 11/1 7 PM KXNO / iHeartRadio
at Oklahoma City 11/2 4 PM KXNO / iHeartRadio
Last Time Out
The Iowa Wild were defeated by the Milwaukee Admirals 4-0 in front of 6,791 fans at Wells Fargo Arena on Saturday night. Admirals forward Viktor Arvidsson registered a hat trick and goalie Marek Mazanec did the rest with 29 saves. Forward Austin Watson and defenseman Garrett Noonan each had two assists, as the Admirals won their fourth straight. Wild goalie Johan Gustafsson stopped 20 shots in the defeat.
Transactions:
10.21.14 Delete – D Corbin Baldwin – (assigned to Alaska – ECHL)
10.17.14 Add – D Danny Syvret – (signed PTO)
10.15.14 Add – D Stu Bickel – (assigned by Minnesota – NHL)
Familiar Faces
The Hagel brothers will meet for the first time in AHL history. Marc Hagel is a second-year forward for the Iowa Wild. The 26-year old played in 46 games with Iowa as a rookie in 2013-14. Older brother Kyle, who played in Portland last season, is a seventh-year pro, who has played in 206 AHL games. Over that span, the 29-year old has scored seven goals and totaled 25 points, to go along with 661 penalty minutes…. Iowa Wild Alternate Captain Brett Sutter spent the last four seasons in the Carolina system, playing in 255 games for Charlotte. He was the captain of the Checkers in 2013-14, totaling 44 points in 62 games.
Iowa Wild
Through the first four games of the season, forward Jordan Schroeder leads the team in scoring with five assists. Fellow center Tyler Graovac is second on the team in points with four off one goal and three assists. Defenseman Jon Blum and forward Michael Keranen each have one goal and two assists for three points.
Iowa returns 15 players who skated with last year’s team, including 13-14 leading scorer Zack Phillips. The third-year forward led the club with 12 goals and 21 assists for 33 points in 76 games. Forwards Tyler Graovac (13g, 25 pts), Brett Bulmer (11g-19 pts), Marc Hagel (8g-15 pts) and Raphael Bussieres (5g,19 pts) all return for their second season in Iowa. After leading the blueline in points in 2013-14, defenseman Jon Blum returns for his second season in Iowa.
Goalies John Curry and Johan Gustafsson return to the Iowa Wild crease. Curry is 0-1-0 with a 2.51 GAA and a .922 SV% with Iowa. Johan Gustafsson is 0-3-0 with a 4.70 GAA and a .845 SV %.
Notables –
· Goalie John Curry has made 199 AHL career appearances, going 110-69-9.
· Defenseman Danny Syvret needs one point to reach 300 for his AHL career.
Charlotte Checkers
In the first five games this season, forward Brendan Woods leads the Charlotte Checkers in total points with three assists. Woods, who is in his third year with Charlotte, scored five goals and added three assists for eight total points in 42 games played last season. Forward Jared Staal leads the Checkers in goals this year with two. This mark ties the three-year Checkers veteran’s goal total from last season, where he tallied two goals and five assists for seven total points in 50 games played. Forward Justin Shugg, who posted career highs in goals (16), assists (22) and total points (38) in 75 games during his third year with Charlotte last season, has scored one goal in three games played this year. After being traded to the Checkers from the Abbotsford Heat last season, forward Greg Nemisz netted three goals and eight assists for 11 points in 14 games played with Charlotte. This season, Nemisz has yet to score a goal but tallied one assist in five games played. Five other players have scored a goal for the Checkers this season, and three of those five players also tallied at least one assist.
Starting four games this season for Charlotte, goalie Drew McIntyre (1-3-0) has posted a 3.00 GAA and .919 SV%. Goalie John Muse (0-1-0) is posting a 2.04 GAA and .931 SV% in one game played for the Checkers this year.