GAME PREVIEW - TEXAS STARS AT IOWA WILD 2.13.15
Feb 13, 2015Texas Stars (21-16-10-1, 53 points) at Iowa Wild (17-31-1-1, 36 points)
Iowa returns home, beginning a three-game home stand. The club is coming off a four-game road trip, which saw the team post a 2-2-0-0 mark. The Stars make their first visit to Wells Fargo Arena this season. Texas will also play a second game on Saturday. Iowa and Texas have played three times this season, with the Wild claiming the last encounter - a 2-1 win on Jan. 9 at Cedar Park Center, ending a seven-game losing skid to the defending champs. The two clubs will play eight times this year, with four of the final five games at Wells Fargo Arena. The Stars own the all-time series with a 7-2-0-0 record against the Wild, including a 2-1-0-0 record in Des Moines. The Wild is 2-5-1-1 all-time against Texas, including a 1-2-0-0 mark at home.
Iowa is 8-15-0-0 at home this season, having been outscored 70-51 by the visitors. Iowa is coming off a 2-1 loss in Hamilton on Tuesday night. The team begins a stretch of three games over the next three days, all at home. Iowa is 2-8-0-0 over the last ten games, while Texas is 5-3-1-1. The Stars are 8-11-4-0 on the road, outscored by the home teams 72-61. The club is 16-4-6-1 when scoring first. The Stars are coming off a 6-1 win at home over San Antonio on Tuesday.
Upcoming Games:
Team Date Time Radio / TV
vs Texas 2/13 7:00 PM KXNO / iHeartRadio
vs Texas 2/14 7:00 PM KXNO / iHeartRadio
vs Oklahoma City 2/15 4:00 PM KXNO / iHeartRadio / MC 22
at Charlotte 2/18 6:00 PM CT KXNO / iHeartRadio
at Charlotte 2/19 6:00 PM CT KXNO / iHeartRadio
Transactions:
2.7.15 – Add – D Joe Stejskal (signed PTO – from Gwinnett Gladiators – ECHL)
2.8.15 – Delete – G Darcy Kuemper (recalled by Minnesota - NHL)
2.8.15 – Add – G Johan Gustafsson (recalled from Alaska – ECHL)
2.10.15 – Add – D Joel Chouinard (signed PTO – Toledo – ECHL)
2.10.15 – Delete – F Stu Bickel (recalled by Minnesota - NHL)
2.11.15 – Delete – F Stephane Veilleux (recalled by Minnesota - NHL)
2.11.15 – Add – F Brett Sutter (assigned by Minnesota – NHL)
2.11.15 – Add – F Greg Wolfe (signed PTO – from Alaska – ECHL)
2.12.15 – Add – D Collin Bowman (signed PTO – from Colorado – ECHL)
2.12.15 – Add – D Christian Folin (assigned by Minnesota – NHL)
Last Time Out
The Iowa Wild were defeated by the Hamilton Bulldogs 2-1 in front of 1,883 fans on Tuesday night at the First Ontario Center. Bulldogs’ Captain Gabriel Dumont scored twice, including the go-ahead goal with 6:59 left in regulation, breaking a 1-1 tie and propelling his club to victory. Hamilton goalie Mike Condon stopped a flurry of Iowa shots in the final seconds, preserving the win and finishing with 24 saves for his seventh straight win. Iowa goalie John Curry stopped 33 of 35 in the defeat. Forward Michael Keranen scored the team’s lone goal.
Iowa Wild
Through 50 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 34 points in 47 games. Keranen is second on the team in scoring with 32 points and is first with 23 assists in 49 games. Recalled to Minnesota, 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 24 points in 41 games played. Rookie Zack Mitchell is fourth among active skaters with 14 goals and 23 points in 50 games played. Defenseman Jon Blum is the leader in points from the blueline. He has eight goals and 22 points in 40 games played. Veteran center Brett Sutter is also among the team leaders with 18 points in 46 games played.
Goalies Johan Gustafsson, 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 8-11-0 with a 2.74 GAA and a 0.919 SV%. Gustafsson is 7-16-0 with a 3.39 GAA and a .896 SV %.
Iowa’s power play is ranked 18th at 16.4%, while the penalty kill sits 30th at 77.7%.
Notables –
· Among all rookies, Iowa forward Kurtis Gabriel is second with 11 major penalties and fourth in PIMs with 85.
· Iowa left wing Zack Mitchell has tied Erik Haula’s team mark for most goals by a rookie (14).
Texas Stars
2013-14 AHL regular season and Calder Playoffs MVP, Travis Morin leads the Stars with 40 points in 39 games played. He has 25 assists and 15 goals for Texas. Morin is ninth in the AHL scoring race and he has a team-high 17 power-play points. Left wing Brendan Ranford is second on the club with 35 points in 48 games played. He is second among the Stars with 23 assists. Rookie forward Derek Hulak has emerged as a team-scoring leader with 27 points in 44 games. Hulak is tied for third on the team with 12 goals. Forwards Greg Rallo and Justin Dowling are tied for fourth on the team in points with 26 each. Rallo has 14 goals and 12 assists in 45 games. Dowling has 11 goals and 15 assists in 37 games played. Derek Meech and Max Fortunus lead all defensemen in points with 24 each.
Goalies Jussi Rynnas takes the bulk of time in net for Texas. He shares time with newly acquired Henrik Kiviaho. Rynnas was in the Finnish Elite League last season. He is 14-4-6 with a 2.62 GAA and a .916 SV%. Kiviaho has yet to make his AHL debut.
Texas’ power play is ranked 6th at 19.0%, while the penalty kill sits third at 87.3%.