GAME PREVIEW - CHICAGO WOLVES AT IOWA WILD 1.26.16

Jan 26, 2016

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Chicago Wolves (19-18-1-2, 41 Points) at Iowa Wild (11-27-2-3, 27 Points)

Iowa and Chicago meet for the fifth of 12 meetings this season. Chicago claimed the last meeting, a 3-0 decision on Jan. 15 at Allstate Arena. The Wolves are 3-1-0-0 this season against the Wild, which is 1-3-0-0 this season. Iowa is 6-13-1-2 all-time against Chicago and 2-7-0-1 at Wells Fargo Arena. Chicago leads the all-time series with a 16-3-1-2 record, including an 8-0-1-1 mark on road.  The Wolves have posted seven straight wins at Wells Fargo Arena, beginning with a 4-1 Wolves win on April 11, 2014 in Des Moines.

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Iowa is 4-14-2-2 at home this season, having been outscored 72-46 by the road teams. Iowa is 5-5-0-0 over its last ten games and is 6-5-0-0 since Dec. 26. The Wild is coming off a 1-0 loss at Rockford on Saturday. The team earned a split with the division leaders due to its 4-3 win on Friday night over the IceHogs.   

Chicago is 6-12-1-1 on the road this season, outscored by the home teams 72-54. The Wolves are 5-5-0-0 over the last ten games played. Chicago is 8-11-0-0 over the last 19 outings and 2-9-0-0 over the last 11 road games.

Upcoming Games:

Team                                      Date    Time              Radio / TV

vs. Chicago                              1/26       7:00 PM CT   KXNO / iHeartRadio

vs. Charlotte                             1/29        7:00 PM CT  KXNO / iHeartRadio

vs. Charlotte                             1/30     12:30 PM CT   iHeartRadio

All Star Skills Competition       1/31       7:00 PM CT   MC22 - Mediacom

All Star Challenge                     2/1       6:00 PM CT   MC22 - Mediacom

vs. Chicago                                2/5       7:00 PM CT   KXNO / iHeartRadio

Transactions:

1.23.16: Add – G Steven Michalek recalled Quad City (ECHL)

1.24.16: Add – F Jared Knight recalled from Quad City (ECHL)

1.25.16: Add – F Jordan Schroeder - assigned by Minnesota (NHL)

1.25.16: Add – D Tyson Strachan assigned by Minnesota (NHL)

Last Time Out

The Iowa Wild were defeated by the Rockford IceHogs1-0 in front of 6,185 fans at BMO Harris Bank Center on Saturday night. Rockford forward Mark McNeill scored a power-play goal at 15:02 of the third period, lifting the IceHogs past the Wild. Rockford goalie Michael Leighton stopped all 28 shots he faced in the win. Wild goalie Jeremy Smith stopped 22 of 23 shots in the loss. 

Iowa Wild

Forward Grayson Downing leads the team with 25 points in 26 games. Downing has eight points in his last seven games and is second on the team with 14 assists. Right wing Zack Mitchell leads the team in goals with 13 and is second on the team in points with 22 in 43 games played. Forward Christoph Bertschy is third on the team in scoring with 21 points in 40 games. Bertschy leads the team in assists with 17. Mike Reilly leads all defensemen with 18 points in 35 games. Jordan Schroeder has 20 points in 25 games and returns from his NHL callup.

Goalie Jeremy Smith is 4-13-2 in 20 appearances. He has a 2.88 GAA and a .913 SV%. Leland Irving has made 25 appearances, going 7-14-3 with a 2.78 GAA and a .912 SV%. Steven Michalek was added on Jan. 23, as Irving heals from an injury.  

Iowa ranks 19th after going 22-for-141 (15.6%) on the power play. The team is 110-for-138 (79.7%) on the penalty kill – 27th in the AHL.

Notables –

●       Iowa forward Jordan Schroeder has a point in each of his last three games.

Chicago Wolves

Center Pat Connone and defenseman Andre Benoit lead the Wolves in scoring. Cannone is second in assists with 20 and has 13 goals for 33 points in 38 games played. Benoit has four goals and 21 assists for 25 points in 37 games. Defenseman Peter Harold (19 pts), as well as forwards Danny Kritso (24 points) and Ivan Barbashev (20 pts), rounds out the top scorers. Right wing Ty Rattie is with the parent club in St. Louis. He had nine goals and 23 points in 29 games with Chicago.

Wolves goalies Niklas Lundstrom and Phoenix Copley split time in net, while Jordan Binnington remains in St. Louis.  Binnington (8-6-2) made 17 appearances, posting a 2.57 GAA and a .910 SV%. Phoenix Copley (10-11-1) has played in 23 games, holding a 2.78 GAA and .905 SV%. Lundstrom is 1-1-0-0 with a 3.28 GAA and a .897 SV%.

Chicago is 29-for-166 on the power play and sits 13th at 17.5%. The Wolves penalty kill sits 28th at 79.5%, going 124-for-156.

 

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