GAME PREVIEW - IOWA WILD AT SAN ANTONIO RAMPAGE 11.30.14
Nov 30, 2014Iowa Wild (5-14-1-0, 11 points) at San Antonio Rampage (12-6-1-0, 25 Points)
The Iowa Wild continues a five-game road trip with a stop in San Antonio on Sunday. The two teams last played on Oct. 10 at the AT&T Center, a 3-2 Rampage victory. It was the first of eight meetings on the season between the two teams. The two teams played six times in 2013-14. The Wild is 5-2-0-0 all-time against San Antonio, including a 2-1-0-0 mark at AT&T Center. San Antonio ended a five-game losing skid to Iowa with its opening night win on Oct. 10. The Rampage is 1-1-1-3 all-time, including a 1-0-1-2 mark at home.
Iowa is 2-7-1-0 on the road this season, having been outscored 37-25 by the home teams. The Wild is coming off a 4-3 defeat at Texas on Saturday. San Antonio is 7-4-1-0 at home, outscored by the visitors 33-31 at AT&T Center. The Rampage is 7-2-1-0 over the last ten games. The Rampage had a seven-game winning streak snapped on Saturday night, falling 4-3 in overtime to Oklahoma City. The team remains unbeaten in the last eight games of regulation at 7-0-1-0. Iowa is 3-6-1-0 over the last ten games.
Upcoming Games:
Team Date Time Radio / TV
at San Antonio 11/30 4:00 PM KXNO / iHeartRadio
at Charlotte 12/6 6:00 PM KXNO / iHeartRadio
at Charlotte 12/8 6:00 PM KXNO / iHeartRadio
vs. San Antonio 12/11 7:00 PM KXNO / iHeartRadio
vs. San Antonio 12/12 7:00 PM KXNO / iHeartRadio
Transactions:
11.29.14 Add – F Jason Gregoire (recalled from Alaska- ECHL)
11.29.14 Delete – D Justin Falk (recalled to Minnesota – NHL)
11.29.14 Add – D Mathew Dumba (assigned by Minnesota- NHL)
Last Time Out
The Iowa Wild were defeated by the Texas Stars 4-3 in front of 4,186 fans at Cedar Park Center on Saturday night. Texas forward Curtis McKenzie scored just over a minute into the third period and the Stars held off the Wild down the stretch to end their eight-game winless skid. Despite erasing a 2-0 lead and 3-2 lead, Iowa could not pull even with Texas after outshooting the Stars 30-20. Defenseman Christian Folin, as well as forwards Michael Keranen and Zack Mitchell scored in the defeat. Keranen (1g-1a) and center Zack Phillips (2a) each registered multi-point nights, as the Wild fell to 2-7-1-0 on the road this year. Iowa goalie Johan Gustafsson made 16 saves, as his club dropped its seventh straight decision to Texas dating back to the 2013-14 season. Stars goalie Jussi Rynnas stopped 27 of 30 shots for the win.
Iowa Wild
Through the 20 games of the season, forwards Tyler Graovac, Michael Keranen and Jordan Schroeder are the team’s leading scorers. Graovac is tied for first on the team with six goals and tied for second with nine assists for 15 points. Michael Keranen is second on the team in scoring with 14 points. He leads the team with ten assists in 20 games. Schroeder is third on the squad with four goals and 12 points in 17 games played. Center Brett Sutter is fourth on the team with 11 points in 20 games played off three goals and eight assists. Marc Hagel leads the team with six goals and has nine points in 12 games. Hagel has five points in his last six games, but has missed time recently with an injury.
Goalies Johan Gustafsson, John Curry and Josh Harding man the Iowa Wild crease. Johan Gustafsson is 4-9-1-0 with a 3.53 GAA and a .890 SV %. Harding has yet to make his AHL season debut. Curry is 1-5-0 with a 3.59 GAA and a .896 SV%.
Iowa’s power play is ranked 20th at 15.7%, while the penalty kill sits 30th at 77.0%.
Notables –
· Iowa center Tyler Graovac had a point in six straight games from Nov. 12 – Nov. 23, setting a new record for consecutive games with a point. From Nov. 12- Nov. 21, he set a new mark with a goal in four straight games.
· Winger Curt Gogol set a new team record on Wednesday night in Rockford with 35 penalty minutes in one game. He broke the previous mark held by himself and Brett Bulmer at 27 minutes in one game.
· Gogol and Captain Stephane Veilleux are suspended for games on Nov. 29 and Nov. 30.
San Antonio Rampage
In the first 19 games this season, forward Bobby Butler leads the San Antonio Rampage and is eighth in the AHL in scoring with nine goals and ten assists for 19 total points in 19 games. Forward Drew Shore is second on the team in total points with 17 and leads the team in assists with 13 in 19 games played this year. Forwards Garrett Wilson and Mark Mancari are also among the team leaders in scoring. Wilson has found the back of the net seven times and has accumulated seven assists in 18 games for 14 points. Suiting up in 19 games this season, Mancari has netted four goals and trails Shore by two for the team lead in assists with 11 for 15 points this season Defenseman Shane O'Brien leads all blueliners on the Rampage in scoring, netting four goals and eight assists for 12 points in 16 games.
Playing in 12 games this year, goalie Dan Ellis (8-4-0) is posting a 2.13 GAA and a 0.918 SV%. Goalie Michael Houser (4-2-0) is posting a 3.78 GAA and a 0.868 SV% in seven games played.
San Antonio's power play is ranked 6th in the AHL at 20.9, while its penalty kill is 27th at 79.3.%.