GAME PREVIEW - CHICAGO WOLVES AT IOWA WILD 11.8.14
Nov 8, 2014Chicago Wolves (6-2-2-0, 14 Points) at Iowa Wild (2-8-0-0, 4 points)
The Iowa Wild continues a three-game home stand with a visit from the Chicago Wolves. The two teams will meet eight times this season after playing in 10 games last year. Over the summer, Iowa was shifted to the West Division and is no longer a Midwest Division rival of the Wolves. Iowa finished with a record of 4-3-1-2 against Chicago in 2013-14, including a 2-2-0-1 record at Wells Fargo Arena. Chicago went 6-1-1-2 overall, including a 3-0-1-1 record at Iowa.
Iowa is 1-4-0-0 at home this season, having been outscored 19-11 by the visitors. The Wild is coming off a 5-3 defeat at home to Rockford on Thursday. Iowa has suffered three straight defeats after two straight wins. Chicago is coming off a 3-1 victory at Grand Rapids on Wednesday. Chicago has won three of its last four games. The Wolves are 2-2-0-0 away from home. Chicago has been outscored 14-13 on the road.
Upcoming Games:
Team Date Time Radio / TV
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
vs. Oklahoma City 11/14 7:00 PM KXNO / iHeartRadio – MC22
vs. Oklahoma City 11/14 7:00 PM KXNO / iHeartRadio – MC22
Transactions:
11.6.14 Delete – D Nicholas Rioux (released from PTO)
11.7.14 Add – D Corbin Baldwin (recalled from Alaska – ECHL)
Last Time Out
The Iowa Wild were defeated by the Rockford IceHogs 5-3 in front of 4,542 fans on Thursday at Wells Fargo Arena. Led by forward Joakim Nordstrom, the IceHogs jumped out to a 4-0 second-period lead, only to watch the Wild come back and close within a goal in the third period. Three other Hogs scored as the team rattled off its seventh straight win. Iowa forwards Marc Hagel, Jordan Schroeder and Brady Brassat scored with seven minutes of each other to close the gap to 4-3 in the early settings of the third period. Rockford goalie Scott Darling made 30 saves to preserve the win. Iowa goalie John Curry stopped 39 of 44 in defeat. Wild forward Brett Sutter and defenseman Stu Bickel each had two assists in the loss.
Iowa Wild
Through the ten games of the season, forward Jordan Schroeder leads the team in scoring with four goals and seven assists for 11 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 32 shots on goal. Center Tyler Graovac is tied for 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 20 AHL games. Forward Michael Keranen is tied for second in scoring with three goals and four assists totaling seven points. He leads all Wild rookies in points and shots (21). Prior to his NHL call-up, defenseman Jon Blum was fourth with a goal and four assists in seven games. Fellow blueliner Danny Syvret has a goal and two assists for three points in eight games. Ryan Walters has four points in his last three games.
Goalies John Curry and Johan Gustafsson man the Iowa Wild crease. Curry is 0-3-0 with a 3.92 GAA and a .883 SV% with Iowa. Johan Gustafsson is 2-5-0 with a 3.49 GAA and a .891 SV %.
Iowa’s power play is ranked 18th at 16.3%, while the penalty kill sits 27th at 75.9%.
Notables –
· Iowa forward Marc Hagel has four goals in his last four games.
Chicago Wolves
In the Chicago Wolves first ten games this season, forward Jeremy Welsh leads the team in total points and goals with five goals and three assists for eight points. Welsh split time between the Utica Comets and the Vancouver Canucks last season, where he tallied eight goals and seven assists in 68 games played. In his sophomore season, forward Ty Rattie is tied with Welsh in goals this year but trails by one in assists with two for seven points. As a rookie, Rattie led Chicago in total points with 31 goals and 17 assists for 48 points in 72 games played. Three-year AHL veteran Rob Bordson spent last season with the Adirondack Phantoms, netting 11 goals and 14 assists to match his career high in points (25) in 75 games played. Now with the Wolves, the forward has found the back of the net twice with five assists for seven points in 10 games played in the 2014-15 campaign. Forward Pat Cannone has scored two goals and five assists for seven points in ten games played this season. Cannone is now starting in his second year with Chicago after scoring 16 goals and 18 assists for 34 in 59 games played last year.
Playing in six games this season, goalie Matt Climie (4-1-0) is posting a 2.29 GAA and a 0.895 SV% in 367:22 minutes. Goalie Jordan Binnington (2-1-0) is posting a 2.00 GAA and a 0.912 SV% in 240:18 minutes in four games played this year.
The Wolves’ power play is ranked 12th in the AHL 17.8%. Chicago’s team penalty kill is also sits at 14th in AHL at 85.3%.