GAME PREVIEW - IOWA WILD AT CHICAGO WOLVES 3.29.15
Mar 29, 2015Iowa Wild (21-42-2-2, 46 points) at Chicago Wolves (33-25-6-1, 73 points)
Iowa concluded a six-game home stand on Saturday afternoon, wrapping up with an 0-4-1-1 stint. The team is playing its third game in the last three days. After Sunday’s road game in Chicago, the team will return with four straight on home ice starting Apr. 3 with Rochester. Chicago and Iowa meet for the seventh time this season, with the Wolves taking five of six decisions by a combined score of 21-11. Chicago took the last meeting, a 3-0 besting at Wells Fargo Arena on Jan. 13. The two teams will meet eight times this season after playing in 10 games last year. Iowa is 5-8-1-2 against Chicago overall, including a 3-2-1-1 record at Allstate Arena. Chicago is 11-2-1-2 overall, including a 4-2-0-1 record at home.
Iowa is 13-19-1-1 on the road this season, having been outscored 111-82 by the home teams. The Wild is 3-5-1-1 over the last 10 games, while the Wolves are 5-4-1-0. Chicago is 15-12-3-1 at home, having been outscored by the visiting clubs 80-68. The team has been on a roll of late with a four-game winning streak heading into Sunday’s game. The team is coming off a 3-2 OT win over Milwaukee on Saturday night at home. Chicago is two points behind Milwaukee for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference.
Upcoming Games:
Team Date Time Radio / TV
at Chicago 3/29 3:00 PM KXNO / iHeartRadio
vs. Rochester 4/3 7:00 PM KXNO / iHeartRadio
vs. Texas 4/7 7:00 PM KXNO / iHeartRadio
vs. Rockford 4/9 7:00 PM KXNO / iHeartRadio
vs. Oklahoma City 4/10 7:00 PM KXNO / iHeartRadio
Transactions:
3.21.15 – Add – F Ruslan Fedotenko (re-signed PTO)
3.22.15 – Add – D Benjamin Dieude-Fauvel (signed PTO)
3.24.15 – Add – F Pavel Jenys (signed ATO)
3.26.15 – Add – F Grayson Downing (signed ATO)
3.29.15 – Add – D Christian Folin (assigned by Minnesota - NHL)
Last Time Out
The Iowa Wild were defeated by the San Antonio Rampage 4-1 in front of 6,008 fans on Saturday at Wells Fargo Arena. Forwards John McFarland and Dany Heatley scored power-play goals 26 seconds apart midway through the first period, pushing San Antonio past Iowa. Forwards Bobby Butler and Wade Megan also scored for San Antonio in the road win. Rampage goalie Sam Brittain made 30 saves on 31 shots, recording the club’s eighth straight win. Forward Olivier Archambault scored the lone Iowa goal. Wild goalie Johan Gustafsson stopped 26 of 30 shots in the defeat. Iowa fell to 0-5-1-1 over the seven outings. The club also saw it’s home winless streak fall to 14 games at 0-12-1-1.
Iowa Wild
Through 67 games this season, forward Tyler Graovac is the team’s leading scorer. He leads the team in goals with 20 tallies and is first with 42 points in 64 games played. Michael Keranen is second on the team in scoring with 34 points and is first with 25 assists in 62 games. Right wing Marc Hagel is third among active skaters with a career-high 31 points in 58 games played. Rookie Zack Mitchell is fifth among active skaters with 16 goals and 30 points in 67 games played. Defenseman Jon Blum is the leader in points from the blueline. He has nine goals and 32 points in 57 games played. Veteran center Brett Sutter is also among the team leaders with 24 points in 62 games played.
Goalies Johan Gustafsson and John Curry man the Iowa Wild crease. John Curry is 11-18-2 with a 2.74 GAA and a .915 SV%. Gustafsson is 8-20-0 with a 3.41 GAA and a .895 SV %.
Iowa’s power play is ranked 22nd at 14.5%, while the penalty kill sits 30th at 75.9%.
Notables –
· Wild defenseman Jon Blum needs one more point to surpass Brian Connelly’s team record for points in a season by a defenseman with 32 in 2013-14. Blum is the team’s all-time leading scorer from the blueline with 61 points in 120 games.
· Chicago is 17th in the AHL averaging 2.74 goals per game and Iowa is 29th at 2.22.
· Chicago is 9th defensively allowing 2.55 goals per game and Iowa is 28th at 3.25.
Chicago Wolves
Through 65 games this season, forwards Shane Harper, Ty Rattie, Pat Cannone, Phillip McRae and Jeremy Welsh lead the Wolves in scoring. Harper is first on the team with 29 goals and he is first with 44 points in 65 games played. Harper is tied for second in the AHL for goals scored. Cannone is second in points with 41 in 54 games played. He leads the team with 29 assists. Ty Rattie is second on the team in goals scored with 20 and he is third in points with 39 in 58 games played. He has also played in five games for the St. Louis Blues this season. Jeremy Welsh is fourth in points with 35, scoring 17 times and setting up 18 others for 35 points in 65 games played. McRae has played in 58 games this season and is fourth on the club in goals with 15. He is fifth in points with 32. Right wing Cody Beach is among the AHL leaders with 203 penalty minutes in 39 games played.
Playing in 31 games this season, goalie Matt Climie (12-12-3) is posting a 2.26 GAA and a 0.915 SV%. Goalie Jordan Binnington (21-13-4) is posting a 2.44 GAA and a 0.913 SV% in 38 games played this year.
Chicago’s power play is ranked 11th at 18.0%, while its penalty kill sits at 19th at 82.4%.