GAME PREVIEW – IOWA WILD AT GRAND RAPIDS GRIFFINS 3.14.18
Mar 14, 2018Iowa Wild (28-18-9-5; 70 pts.) at Grand Rapids Griffins (32-22-1-6; 71 pts.)
Iowa Wild heads to Grand Rapids for a crucial Central Division battle Wednesday night at 6:00 p.m. CT, with just .001 percentage points separating the two teams in the standings. Wednesday’s contest is the seventh of 10 meetings between the clubs, with Iowa holding a 2-1-0-3 record against Grand Rapids this season.
Last Game
In a tightly contested affair, the Wild dropped a game to Rockford IceHogs 3-2 in overtime Tuesday evening. Goaltender Steve Michalek recorded a season-high 46 saves in the game, while forward Kyle Rau and defenseman Brennan Menell earned the goals.
WILD Notables
- Forward Cal O’Reilly recorded his 397th career AHL assist and 498th career professional point with an assist on Kyle Rau’s power-play tally.
- Forward Sam Anas has six points (3g, 3a) in six games against the Griffins this season.
- Forward Justin Kloos ranks fifth among AHL rookies in points with 43 (19g, 24a).
- Iowa has earned points in six of its last seven games, going 2-1-2-2 during that stretch.
GRIFFINS Notables
- Grand Rapids shut out Hershey Bears 3-0 on the road on March 11.
- The Griffins are led by forwards Matt Puempel (20g, 29a) and Ben Street (14g, 35a), each with 49 points on the season.
- Goaltender Tom McCollum earned his first shutout of the season in the team’s 3-0 win against Hershey.
- Grand Rapids assigned Luke Esposito to Toledo Walleye of the ECHL on March 12.
Upcoming Games:
Opponent Date Time Broadcast
at Grand Rapids 3/17 6:00 PM CT KXNO / iHeartRadio
at Chicago 3/18 3:00 PM CT KXNO / iHeartRadio
vs. Rockford 3/19 7:00 PM CT KXNO / iHeartRadio
vs. Grand Rapids 3/23 7:00 PM CT KXNO / iHeartRadio
vs. Grand Rapids 3/24 6:00 PM CT KXNO / iHeartRadio
The Iowa Wild 2017-18 season is presented by Mercy Medical Center and runs from October through April. For more information, please contact the Wild office by calling 515-564-8700 or by visiting www.iowawild.com.