WILD BLANK ROADRUNNERS 5-0 AS KYLE RAU HAS MILESTONE PERFORMANCE
Nov 20, 2021
DES MOINES, Iowa – Iowa Wild (8-3-1-0; 17 pts.) defeated the Tucson Roadrunners (4-6-1-0; 9 pts.) by a score of 5-0, in front of 6,342 at Wells Fargo Arena. Iowa forward Kyle Rau scored his 67th and 68th goals as a member of the Wild, moving him into sole possession of third place all-time in goals scored in franchise history. Wild goaltender Andrew Hammond (17 saves) recorded his second shutout in a row in the win and league-leading third shutout of the season.
Iowa forward Matt Boldy, who made his season debut, won a puck battle in the right corner of the offensive zone and slid a pass to Rau waiting in the slot. Rau one-timed Boldy’s pass past Roadrunners goalie Ivan Prosvetov (29 saves) at 3:35 of the first period. Both Boldy and Wild center Marco Rossi recorded assists on Rau’s milestone goal that put Iowa up 1-0.
Rau struck again at 16:20 of the first period as he collected a Rossi pass just outside of the offensive zone, walked into the top of the left circle, and blew a slap shot past Prosvetov. Rossi and Wild defenseman Calen Addison assisted on Rau’s second goal that gave Iowa a 2-0 lead.
At the end of the first period, the Wild held a 2-0 lead and led 11-5 in shots.
After Wild forward Nick Swaney ripped a shot from the right side half wall that rung off the post to the right of Prosvetov, Iowa forward Adam Beckman found Wild center Dominic Turgeon parked in the slot with a backhand feed. Turgeon finished the chance to give Iowa a 3-0 lead at 2:32 of the second period. Beckman and Swaney collected assists on the play, marking the third straight game with an assist for Beckman.
On the power play, Wild defenseman Joe Hicketts fed Boldy at the right faceoff dot and Boldy rifled home his first goal of the 2021-22 season at 6:06 of the second period. Hicketts recorded the primary assist and Rossi tallied his third assist of the evening as Boldy’s goal gave the Wild a 4-0 lead.
At 8:52 of the second period, Iowa forward Connor Dewar poked a puck free in the defensive zone, was slashed on a breakaway opportunity and awarded a penalty shot. Dewar slowly went from the right post to the left post on his forehand and attempted to lift the puck over Prosvetov but the Roadrunners goaltender sprawled and deflected his shot over the top of the net.
At the conclusion of the second period, Iowa led 4-0 and led 24-11 in total shots. Shots in the second period were 13-6 in favor of the Wild.
Wild forward Joseph Cramarossa held the puck tight to the edge of the right side circle until he found a streaking Boldy with a pass spanning the diameter of the circle. Boldy fired a shot past Prosvetov’s blocker and gave the Wild a 5-0 lead at 7:48 of the third period. Cramarossa and Wild defenseman Turner Ottenbreit recorded assists on what stood as Iowa’s final goal of the night.
At the end of the game, the Wild emerged victorious with a 5-0 win. Iowa outshot Tucson 10-6 in the third period and 34-17 in the game. The Wild converted one of their six power play chances and the Roadrunners did not score on any of their four power play opportunities.
The Wild are back in action again at home against Tucson on Sunday, Nov. 21, 2021. Faceoff is set for 1 p.m. CT.
Iowa Wild hockey is presented by MercyOne Des Moines Medical Center. For more information, please visit www.iowawild.com. Fans can purchase single-game tickets through the team’s website at www.iowawild.com. Group tickets (10 or more), suites, Wild 365 memberships or premium tickets can be purchased by contacting the Iowa Wild Ticket Department at 515-564-8700 or tickets@iowawild.com.
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