LETTIERI SCORES TWICE, ADDS SHOOTOUT WINNER IN IOWA’S 4-3 WIN
Dec 12, 2023DES MOINES, Iowa – Vinni Lettieri scored twice and netted the shootout winner as the Iowa Wild came from behind to take a 4-3 shootout victory over the Chicago Wolves on Tuesday night. Jake Lucchini recorded two assists for the Wild in the win.
Iowa took the lead early in the contest. After a Wild power play expired, Lucchini spun the puck toward the net and Nic Petan lifted the stick of a Chicago defender. The puck slid through to Steven Fogarty, who set up Lettieri for a one-timer past the blocker of Adam Scheel (21 saves) at 3:33.
Rocco Grimaldi tied the game at 1-1 with a power-play goal midway through the first. Vasily Ponomarev’s shot from the slot hit an Iowa defender and careened to the bottom of the left circle for Grimaldi to finish over Jesper Wallstedt (25 saves).
Chicago outshot Iowa 9-5 in the opening 20 minutes.
Nate Sucese put Chicago up 2-1 at 8:09 of the middle frame when he snapped a wrist shot under the glove of Wallstedt.
The Wolves carried the 2-1 lead and a 19-10 shot advantage into the second intermission.
Sammy Walker and the Wild equalized 7:33 into the third period. After Jujhar Khaira won the puck along the wall and set up Lucchini in the right circle, Lucchini threw a pass to the front of the net that Walker tipped home.
Ponomarev restored Chicago’s lead just 37 seconds later when his turnaround shot from the left circle found the back of the net.
Iowa knotted the game at 3-3 on a 6-on-4 power play with 1:44 to play. After Petan set up Mermis at the point, Mermis teed up a one-timer that Lettieri blasted home to net his second goal of the evening.
Following a scoreless overtime, Wallstedt saved all three Chicago shootout attempts. Lettieri sealed the win with a shot along the ice in the bottom of the third round.
Chicago outshot Iowa 28-25. Each team went 1-for-4 on the power play.
Iowa travels to BMO Center to take on the Rockford IceHogs on Friday, Dec. 15 at 7 p.m.
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