GAME PREVIEW - IOWA WILD AT ADIRONDACK FLAMES 2.4.15
Feb 4, 2015Iowa Wild (15-29-1-1, 32 points) at Adirondack Flames (24-16-3-1, 52 points)
Iowa begins a stretch of four straight on the road with stops in Adirondack, Hamilton and Toronto. The trip begins with a visit to Adirondack. The Wild meets the Flames for the second of two games this season. Adirondack posted a 2-1 victory at Iowa on Dec. 16 - the previous meeting. The Flames were moved from Abbotsford after the 2013-14 season, where they played the last five years as the Abbotsford Heat. Iowa played Abbotsford four times last year, with the Heat going 3-1-0-0 overall, including a 2-0-0-0 record at Iowa. Abbotsford’s relocation to New York shifted the landscape of the West Division. Iowa was placed in the West, while Adirondack moved to the North Division, thus shifting Lake Erie from the North to the Midwest Division.
Iowa is 7-14-1-1 on the road this season, having been outscored 83-56 by the home teams. The 83 goals allowed is the second highest total for road goals in the AHL. Iowa is mired in a six-game losing streak, which ties a franchise record for consecutive losses. The Wild fell 5-3 to Hamilton at home on Saturday. Iowa is 2-8-0-0 over the last ten games, while Adirondack is 5-3-2-0. The Flames are 14-7-2-0 at home, outscoring the visitors 76-66. The club is 20-5-0-1 when scoring first and just 4-11-3-0 when allowing the first goal. The Flames are coming off a 3-2 win at home over Rochester on Saturday.
Upcoming Games:
Team Date Time Radio / TV
at Adirondack 2/3 6:30 PM CT iHeartRadio
at Hamilton 2/6 6:30 PM CT KXNO / iHeartRadio
at Toronto 2/7 2:00 PM CT KXNO / iHeartRadio
at Hamilton 2/10 6:30 PM CT KXNO / iHeartRadio
vs Texas 2/13 7:00 PM KXNO / iHeartRadio
Transactions:
1.29.15 – Delete – D Matt Dumba (recalled by Minnesota – NHL)
1.29.15 – Add – D Stu Bickel (assigned by Minnesota – NHL)
1.29.15 – Delete – G Johan Gustafsson (assigned to Alaska – ECHL)
2.3.15 – Delete – F Jordan Schroeder (recalled by Minnesota - NHL)
Last Time Out
The Iowa Wild were defeated by the Hamilton Bulldogs 5-3 in front of 5,952 fans on Saturday at Wells Fargo Arena. Forward Jacob de la Rose and defenseman Davis Drewiske scored a 1:43 apart from each other in the midway through the third period, erasing a 3-2 deficit and lifting Hamilton past Iowa. Forwards Drayson Bowman, Eric Tangradi andSahir Gill also scored for the Bulldogs in the road win. Hamilton goalie Joey MacDonald made 28 saves on 31 shots to preserve the victory. Forwards Zack Mitchell, Michael Keranen and Tyler Graovac each scored for Iowa in the loss. Iowa goalie John Curry stopped 32 of 36 shots in the defeat.
Iowa Wild
Through 46 games this season, forwards Michael Keranen and Tyler Graovac are the team’s leading scorers. Graovac leads the team in goals with 16 tallies and is first with 33 points in 43 games. Keranen is second on the team in scoring with 29 points and is first with 22 assists in 45 games. Recalled Tuesday, forward Jordan Schroeder was third on the club in points with 10 goals and 18 assists for 28 points in 35 games played. Right wing Marc Hagel is third among active skaters with a career-high 23 points in 37 games played. Rookie Zack Mitchell is fourth among active skaters with 13 goals and 22 points in 46 games played. Defenseman Jon Blum is the leader in points from the blueline. He has five goals and 18 points in 36 games played. Veteran center Brett Sutter is also among the team leaders with 16 points in 42 games played.
Goalies Darcy Kuemper, John Curry and Josh Harding (injured) man the Iowa Wild crease. Harding is 0-1-1 with a 3.37 GAA and a .920 SV%. John Curry is 8-10-0 with a 2.78 GAA and a 0.917 SV%. Darcy Kuemper is 0-2-0 with a 4.23 GAA and a .877 SV %.
Iowa’s power play is ranked 18th at 15.7%, while the penalty kill sits 30th at 76.9%.
Notables –
· Wild center Tyler Graovac has tied the team record for points in a season – Zack Phillips (33 pts in 13-14)
· Iowa left wing Zack Mitchell needs one goal to tie Erik Haula’s team mark for most goals by a rookie.
· Iowa is 1-4-0-0 against the North Division, while Adirondack is 4-0-1-0 versus the West Division.
Adirondack Flames
Through the first 44 games of its inaugural season, forward Drew Shore is the team’s leading scorer with 32 points in 38 games played. He was acquired by the Calgary Flames in a trade with the Florida Panthers on Jan. 10. The Panthers exchanged Shore for Corbin Knight. Shore played in 35 games for the Panthers AHL affiliate in San Antonio, posting 21 assist and 30 points for the Rampage. He has two assists in three games for the Flames. Right wing Emile Poirier is second on the team and is among the AHL leaders for points by a rookie. In 35 games, Poirier is tied for the team lead with 12 goals and is second with 15 assists for 27 points. Center Bill Arnold is third on the team with nine goals and 21 points in 39 games played. Right wing Ben Hanowski is also among the team leaders with 12 goals and 19 points in 39 games. Ryan Culkin leads the Flames blueline in points with 17 assists and 18 points in 35 contests.
Playing in 29 games this season, goalie Joni Ortio (19-8-0) is posting a 2.45 GAA and a 0.918 SV%. Goalie Brad Thiessen (5-7-1) is posting a 2.68 GAA and a 0.914 SV% in nine games played this year.
Adirondack’s power play is ranked eighth in the AHL at 18.5%, while its penalty kill is 11th at 84.9%