IOWA EXTENDS WIN STREAK TO FOUR GAMES WITH 3-1 VICTORY AGAINST CHICAGO
Jan 2, 2019-The Wild leap-frogged the Wolves for first place in the Central Division-
Iowa Wild (19-8-4-3; 45 pts.) extended its winning streak to four games when it defeated the Chicago Wolves (20-11-3-1; 44 pts.) by a score of 3-1 Wednesday evening. The win also gave Iowa sole possession of first place not only in the Central Division but also in the Western Conference.
Chicago took a 1-0 lead just 1:50 into the game when defenseman Dylan Coghlan potted his sixth goal of the season. Forward Reid Duke took a shot from the left side that was stopped by goaltender Andrew Hammond (28 saves), but Coghlan chipped the rebound over Hammond’s left pad for the score. Forward Stefan Matteau earned the secondary assist on the 4-on-4 goal.
At the end of the first period, Chicago led 1-0 and outshot Iowa 11-5.
Iowa tied the game at 1-1 just 70 seconds into the second period thanks to a shorthanded goal from forward Matt Read. Read picked up a loose puck in the neutral zone and raced into the attacking third of the ice. Read then wristed a shot over the blocker of goaltender Maxime Lagace (23 saves) unassisted for his eighth of the season. The goal marked the fifth shorthanded tally of the year for the Wild.
Read added his second goal of the game just more than five minutes later, giving the Wild a 2-1 lead. Forward Justin Kloos caught a pass from forward Gerry Mayhew and drove to the Chicago net, forcing Lagace to make a diving paddle save. Kloos followed up his shot and pushed the puck back in front of the goal mouth, where Read buried it into the open net. With his tally, Read has nine points (6g, 3a) in his last eight games and Kloos’ assist marks his 17th point (6g, 11a) in his last 12 contests.
Through two periods of play, the Wild led 2-1 with Chicago owning an 18-16 shot advantage.
The Wild added an empty net goal at 19:51 to clinch the 3-1 victory. Forward Joel Eriksson Ek got the tally, giving him four goals in his three games with Iowa this season. Eriksson Ek now has 13 points (8g, 5a) in 12 AHL games and a point in seven consecutive AHL competitions, dating back to last season. Forward Landon Ferraro notched an assist on the empty-netter.
Final shot totals were 29-26 in favor of Chicago and both teams went 0-for-4 on the power play. Wednesday’s win put Iowa 11 games above .500, the highest total so far this season and continues a franchise-best campaign.
Iowa returns to Wells Fargo Arena for a matchup against the Rockford IceHogs Friday night. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:00 p.m.
The Iowa Wild 2018-19 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.