GAME PREVIEW - IOWA WILD AT OKLAHOMA CITY BARONS 11.2.14
Nov 2, 2014Iowa Wild (2-6-0-0, 4 points) at Oklahoma City Barons (3-2-2-0, 8 Points)
The Iowa Wild concludes a three-game road trip with a rematch at Oklahoma City. The two teams played on Saturday night, with the Barons winning 5-3. Iowa and Oklahoma City are West Division rivals after the AHL realignment during the offseason. They play a total of eight games this season, including three more in OKC and four at Wells Fargo Arena. Iowa will host the Barons on Nov. 14 and 15. The Barons and Wild played four times last season, with OKC taking the final three meetings by outscoring Iowa 11-8. The Barons were 3-1-0-0, including 2-0-0-0 at home. The Wild was 1-1-1-1 overall, taking points in three of four games.
Iowa is 1-3-0-0 on the road this season, picking up its first road win of the season at Milwaukee on Wednesday night. Iowa has been outscored 14-11 on the road. The Wild was 16-14-4-4 on the road in 2013-14. Oklahoma City is 2-2-0-0 at home, outscoring opponents 16-14. The Barons were 23-12-1-2 at home last season.
Upcoming Games:
Team Date Time Radio / TV
at Oklahoma City 11/2 4:00 PM KXNO / iHeartRadio
vs. Rockford 11/6 10:30 AM KXNO / iHeartRadio
vs. Chicago 11/8 7:00 PM KXNO / iHeartRadio
vs. Chicago 11/9 3:00 PM KXNO / iHeartRadio
at Milwaukee 11/12 7:00 PM KXNO / iHeartRadio
Transactions:
10.29.14 Add – D Nicholas Rioux – (signed PTO from Quad City – ECHL)
10.30.14 Add – D Stu Bickel – (assigned by Minnesota – NHL)
10.30.14 Delete – F Stephane Veilleux (recalled by Minnesota – NHL)
11.1.14 Add – D Justin Falk – (assigned by Minnesota – NHL)
11.1.14 Delete – D Jon Blum (recalled by Minnesota – NHL)
Last Time Out
The Iowa Wild were defeated by the Oklahoma City Barons 5-3 in front of 2,913 fans at the Cox Convention Center on Saturday night. The Barons built a four-goal lead by the early stages of the second period only to watch the Wild trim the deficit to one in the last minute of regulation. Iowa’s line of Marc Hagel, Ryan Walters and Brady Brassart combined for all three goals on the evening, with each player picking up multiple points on the night. Walters started the rally in the second period and Hagel scored twice in the third to aid the comeback bid. Barons forward Ryan Hamilton scored twice to lead Oklahoma City to a 2-2-0-0 mark at home. Oklahoma City goalie Richard Bachman stopped 28 shots to preserve the win. Iowa goalie Johan Gustafsson made 19 saves in a defeat.
Iowa Wild
Through the eight games of the season, forward Jordan Schroeder leads the team in scoring with three goals and seven assists for ten points. Schroeder is ranked among the top point producers in the AHL and he also leads Iowa with six power-play assists, as well as 26 shots on goal. Center Tyler Graovac is second on the team in scoring with seven points off one goal and six assists. Counting the last ten games of the 2013-14 season, the second-year pro has 17 points in his last 17 AHL games. Forward Michael Keranen is third with two goals and three assists totaling five points. He leads all Wild rookies in points. Defenseman Jon Blum is fourth with a goal and four assists in seven games. Fellow blueliner Danny Syvret has a goal and two assists for three points in six games.
Goalies John Curry and Johan Gustafsson man the Iowa Wild crease. Curry is 0-2-0 with a 3.47 GAA and a .882 SV% with Iowa. Johan Gustafsson is 2-4-0 with a 3.38 GAA and a .893 SV %.
Iowa’s power play is ranked 15th at 16.7%, while the penalty kill sits 25th at 78.6%.
Notables –
· Iowa forward Jordan Schroeder has four multi-point games this season.
Oklahoma City Barons
In the first seven games this season, Iiro Pakarinen leads the Oklahoma City Barons in total points and goals with five goals and three assists for eight points. The rookie forward is second among AHL rookies in points. Forward Jason Williams is tied with Pakarinen for the team’s lead with four goals and four assists for eight total points in six games played in this young season. Williams, a 15-year professional hockey veteran, returned to the AHL after playing the past two seasons in the Swiss-A League, where he scored eight goals and ten assists for Ambri-Piotta last year in 32 games. Three-year Oklahoma City veteran Anton Lander has scored two goals and four assists for six total points in seven games played. The Baron’s captain split time between Oklahoma City and Edmonton in the 2013-14 campaign, tallying 18 goals and 35 assists between the two. Forward Oscar Klefbom has found the back of the net only once this season for the Barons, but leads the team in assists with six. Klefbom, who is in his sophomore season, scored one goal with nine assists in 48 games played with Oklahoma City last year. Left wing Ryan Hamilton has four goals and seven points in six games played.
The Barons have three eligible goalies, led by Richard Bachman (1-0-1) picked up the win on Saturday, he boasts a 2.92 GAA and a .902 SV%. Starting three games this season for the Barons, goalie Frans Tuohimaa (2-0-0) is posting a 4.22 GAA and a 0.904 SV% in 184:43 minutes. Goalie Laurent Brossoit (0-2-0) is posting a 4.07 GAA and a 0.867 SV% in two games played for Oklahoma City this year.
Oklahoma City’s power play is ranked 1st at 32.4%, while the penalty kill sits 27th at 75.9%.