GAME PREVIEW - CHARLOTTE CHECKERS AT IOWA WILD 1.29.16
Jan 29, 2016Charlotte Checkers (25-13-1-2, 53 Points) at Iowa Wild (11-27-3-3, 28 Points)
Iowa and Charlotte meet for the seventh time this season. The Checkers have taken five of the first six meetings. Charlotte won the last meeting 3-2 on Dec. 17 at Bojangles Arena. The Wild has an all-time mark of 5-11-0-2 versus the Checkers, including a 1-6-0-1 mark in Des Moines. The Checkers have points in the last 10 (9-0-1-0) meetings with the Wild, dating back to Feb. 19, 2015. Charlotte is 13-4-1-0 all-time against Iowa, including a 7-1-0-0 record on the road. The teams will meet eight times this year, with the final meeting on Saturday afternoon in Des Moines.
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Iowa is 4-14-3-2 at home this season, having been outscored 76-49 by the road teams. Iowa is 4-5-1-0 over its last ten games and is 6-5-1-0 since Dec. 26. The Wild is coming off a 4-3 OT loss to Chicago on Tuesday.
Charlotte is 14-6-0-1 on the road this season, outscoring the home teams 71-60. The Checkers are 6-3-1-0 over their last ten games played. Charlotte is coming off a 3-1 loss at Rockford on Wednesday night.
Upcoming Games:
Team Date Time Radio / TV
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:
1.24.16: 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 Chicago Wolves 4-3 in overtime in front of 3,318 fans at Wells Fargo Arena on Tuesday night. Wolves forward Pat Cannone capped off a hat trick 41-seconds into overtime, leading the Wolves past the Wild with a four-point night. Forward Jared Caron scored the other Chicago goal, tying the game late in the third period. Goalie Jordan Binnington made 31 saves on 34 shots in the victory. Defenseman Christian Folin, as well as forwards Michael Keranen and Tyler Graovac, each scored as Iowa salvaged a point in the OT defeat. Goalie Jeremy Smith made 38 saves on 42 shots in the loss.
Iowa Wild
Forward Grayson Downing leads the team with 25 points in 27 games. Downing has 12 points in his last 11 games and is tied for second on the team with defenseman Mike Reilly 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 44 games played. Forwards Christoph Bertschy and Jordan Schroeder are tied for third on the team in scoring with 21 points. Bertschy leads the team in assists with 17. Mike Reilly leads all defensemen with 19 points in 36 games.
Goalie Jeremy Smith is 4-13-3 in 21 appearances. He has a 2.94 GAA and a .912 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 is injured.
Iowa ranks 17th after going 24-for-146 (16.4%) on the power play. The team is 114-for-143 (79.7%) on the penalty kill – 27th in the AHL.
Notables –
● Wild forward Jordan Schroeder has eight points in eight games this month (4g-4a).
● Iowa forward Marc Hagel and Charlotte’s Kyle Hagel are brothers.
● Iowa’s Brent Sutter and Charlotte’s Brody Sutter are cousins.
Charlotte Checkers
Center Derek Ryan is first on the team in points with 34 in 41 games played. He leads Charlotte with 21 assists as well. Defenseman Trevor Carrick is second on the team with 27 points in 38 games. He has the fifth most points from a defenseman in the league. Forward Brock McGinn and defenseman Jake Chelios are tied for third on the team in points with 23. Zach Boychuk rounds out the top scorers with 22 points in 41 games.
Goalies Drew MacIntyre and Daniel Altshuller share the crease after Rasmus Tirronen was reassigned to Florida (ECHL). MacIntyre is 10-9-1 with a 3.17 GAA and a .889 SV %. Tirronen was 6-2-1 with a 3.09 GAA and a .888 SV %. Altshuller is 9-2-1 with a 1.82 GAA and a .939 SV%. Altshuller has played in 12 of the last 16 games.
Charlotte is 41-for-176 on the power play and sits 2nd at 23.3%. The Checkers penalty kill sits 10th at 84.3%, going 156-for-185.