WILD RALLIES TO BEAT CHECKERS 4-3
Dec 9, 2014WILD RALLIES TO BEAT CHECKERS 4-3
Forward Jason Gregoire Scores with 2:46 Remaining In Regulation For the Victory
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The Iowa Wild (6-15-1-1, 14 points) defeated the Charlotte Checkers (8-12-2-0, 18 points) 4-3 in front of 3,408 fans at Time Warner Cable Arena on Monday night. After falling behind 3-2 with 6:04 left in regulation, the Wild rallied to score twice over three minutes and seal a road victory. Forward Jason Gregoire scored the game-winning goal at 17:14, pushing Iowa in front for good. Iowa goalie John Curry (2-5-0) sealed the win with 20 saves, including a key save with 13 seconds remaining on Ben Holmstrom to preserve the victory. Center Tyler Graovac finished with a goal and two assists to lead the Wild offense. Iowa defenseman Matt Dumba scored his team’s first goal and set up the game-winning tally. Defenseman Jon Blum scored the game-tying goal to start the Wild rally. Checkers goalie Drew MacIntyre (6-3-1) stopped 23 of 27 for the loss. Iowa returns home for a four-game home stand starting on Thursday at 7 p.m. against San Antonio.
Charlotte jumped out to a quick 1-0 lead with a tally by Justin Shugg 59 seconds into the contest. Defenseman Ryan Murphy found Shugg with a cross-ice pass to the left wing. Shugg snuck his eighth goal of the year past John Curry for the 1-0 Checkers lead. Iowa countered late in the opening period, as defenseman Matt Dumba blasted a shot from the high slot, beating goalie Drew MacIntyre at 16:39. Dumba’s second goal of the year was assisted by forwards Brett Bulmer and Tyler Graovac for the 1-1 tie.
Iowa claimed its first lead of the game off Graovac’s eighth goal of the year merely 1:09 into the second period. Forward Zack Mitchell led a 2-on-1 rush into the Checkers zone and launched a shot to the net. Graovac found the rebound to make it a 2-1 Iowa lead. Charlotte evened the scoreboard at 14:50 of the second period. Murphy held the puck in at the left point and snapped a wrist shot to the Iowa net. Camped out in the high slot, Chad Larose tipped the shot, sending the puck past Curry for the 2-2 score. Forward Phil Di Giuseppe picked up an additional assist on Larose’s third goal of the year.
The Checkers picked up their second lead of the game at 13:56 of the third period as Carter Sandlak scored off a loose puck scramble in the Wild zone. Kyle Hagel and Murphy each had an assist on Sandlak’s second goal of the season and a 3-2 lead. Iowa rallied less than a minute later to even the score at 3-3. Defenseman Jon Blum snuck a loose puck past MacIntyre at 14:42, scoring his third goal of the year from Graovac and Marc Hagel. The Wild claimed the lead for good and completed the comeback at 17:14 as forward Jason Gregoire rifled a wrist shot over the shoulder of MacIntyre. His second goal of the season was set up by Dumba, who sent a cross-ice to create the scoring opportunity. John Curry made a flurry of saves down the stretch, including a critical save with 13 seconds remaining, robbing Ben Holmstrom for the final score of 4-3.
The Wild returns home for a two-game series against the Rampage on Thursday, Dec. 11 on Friday, Dec. 12 at 7 p.m. Thursday’s game is a Throwback Thursday, where fans can purchase popcorn for $1.00, sponsored by 95.0 KGGO. For Friday’s game, the Wild will hold a Teddy Bear Toss and feature $2 beers presented by 100.3 The Bus. For Teddy Bear Toss, fans are encouraged to throw new stuffed animals onto the ice after the Wild scores its first goal. The stuffed animals will be collected and donated to local charities. Iowa then hosts Adirondack at 3 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 14. After the game, the Wild will hold a postgame autograph session with the team. The game is also a Subway Family Four Pack night, where fans can purchase four tickets, four hot dogs and four sodas starting at $48. Iowa plays its fourth straight game at home on Tuesday, Dec. 16, welcoming the Rockford IceHogs at 7 p.m. The team celebrates Taco Tuesdays, presented by Taco Johns. Each fan that comes to the game will be handed a coupon for a complimentary crispy beef taco from Taco Johns. In addition, Taco Johns will select one lucky fan to receive a six-pack of tacos and a pound of potato oles. It’s also a two-for-one Tuesday, as fans may purchase one attack end ticket and get one free. The Wild are also hosting a “Toys for Tots” toy drive. Any fan that donates a toy will receive a ticket to a future Wild home game. Also, fans that bring a Subway receipt may purchase a ticket for $5.00 at the Wells Fargo Arena box office.
The Iowa Wild 2014-15 season is presented by Mercy Medical Center, it runs from October through April. Fans may purchase seats to see any of the team’s 38 regular season home games at Wells Fargo Arena. Season tickets to see the Wild play at Wells Fargo Arena start at just $9 per game. For more information on tickets, including ticket plans and group seating, please contact the Wild ticket office by calling 515-564-8700 or go to www.iowawild.com.
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