GAME PREVIEW - GRAND RAPIDS GRIFFINS AT IOWA WILD 2.24.15

Feb 24, 2015

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Grand Rapids Griffins (30-17-5-1, 66 points) at Iowa Wild (18-36-1-1, 38 points)

Iowa makes a quick stop at home after three road games, the team heads to Lake Erie this weekend. Iowa and Grand Rapids meet for the fourth and final time this season. Grand Rapids has taken the first three games of the season series, including their last meeting on Jan. 29, a 6-0 victory over the Wild at Wells Fargo Arena. The Griffins have outscored the Wild 19-5 this season. Grand Rapids and Iowa both played in the Midwest Division last season. Iowa was moved to the West over the summer. The Wild is 2-10-1-0 all-time against Grand Rapids, having been outscored 35-18 last year. The Griffins have a six-game winning streak over the Wild dating back to last year. Iowa is 0-5-1-0 all-time at home against Grand Rapids. The Griffins are 11-2-0-0 all-time, with a 6-0-0-0 mark at Wells Fargo Arena.

Iowa is 8-18-0-0 at home this season, having been outscored 81-54 by the visiting teams. The Wild is coming off a 4-2 win at Milwaukee on Saturday. With the win, Iowa ended a franchise record – seven-game losing streak. The team is still mired in a seven-game winless streak on home ice, dating back to Jan. 18. The club record for consecutive losses is 8 – from Nov. 2 – Nov. 24, 2013. Iowa is 3-13-0-0 over the last 16 games. The Wild is 3-7-0-0 over the last 10 games, while the Griffins are 7-1-2-0. Grand Rapids is 14-9-1-0 on the road, outscoring the home teams 72-54. The Griffins are coming off a 2-0 win at home over Hamilton on Saturday – Grand Rapids fifth straight win. The team is 11-1-2-0 over the last 14 games. During that stretch, they have outscored the opposition 51-30.

Upcoming Games:

Team                          Date    Time               Radio / TV

vs. Grand Rapids           2/24     7:00 PM             KXNO / iHeartRadio

at Lake Erie                   2/27     6:00 PM CT        KXNO / iHeartRadio

at Lake Erie                   2/28     6:00 PM CT        KXNO / iHeartRadio

at Texas                           3/6      7:30 PM             KXNO / iHeartRadio

at San Antonio                 3/7      7:00 PM             KXNO / iHeartRadio

Transactions:

2.17.15 – Add – F Ian Schultz (signed PTO – from Allen ECHL)

2.18.15 – Delete – F Michael Keranen (recalled by Minnesota – NHL)

2.20.15 – Delete – D Christian Folin (recalled by Minnesota – NHL)

2.20.15 – Add – D Stu Bickel (assigned by Minnesota – NHL)

2.23.15 – Add – D Steve McCarthy (signed PTO)

Last Time Out

The Iowa Wild defeated the Milwaukee Admirals 4-2 in front of 7,349 fans on Saturday night at the BMO Harris Bradley Center. Iowa scored twice in the second period and twice again in the third period, pulling away from Milwaukee and ending the team’s seven-game losing skid. Veteran winger Ruslan Fedotenko scored twice, while Tyler Graovac and Brady Brassart added goals for Iowa, which clinched the season series over Milwaukee with 5-3-0-0 mark. Iowa goalie Johan Gustafsson made 36 saves for the road win. Milwaukee goalie Marek Mazanec made 26 saves on 29 shots in the defeat.

Iowa Wild

Through 56 games this season, forward Tyler Graovac is the team’s leading scorer. He leads the team in goals with 17 tallies and is first with 37 points in 53 games. Recalled last week, Michael Keranen was second on the team in scoring with 32 points and was first with 23 assists in 52 games. On recall to Minnesota, forward Jordan Schroeder was third on the club in points with 10 goals and 18 assists for 28 points in 35 games played. Right wing Marc Hagel is second among active skaters with a career-high 26 points in 47 games played. Rookie Zack Mitchell is fourth among active skaters with 15 goals and 25 points in 56 games played. Defenseman Jon Blum is the leader in points from the blueline. He has eight goals and 24 points in 46 games played. Veteran center Brett Sutter is also among the team leaders with 20 points in 52 games played.

Goalies Johan Gustafsson, John Curry and Josh Harding (injured) man the Iowa Wild crease. Harding is 0-1-1 with a 3.37 GAA and a .920 SV%. John Curry is 8-14-0 with a 2.91 GAA and a 0.911 SV%. Gustafsson is 8-18-0 with a 3.29 GAA and a .898 SV %.

Iowa’s power play is ranked 21st at 15.7%, while the penalty kill sits 30th at 77.0%.

Notables –

·       Iowa is 28th ( 2.29 GPG) and Grand Rapids is 3rd (3.17 GPG).

·       The Wild is 28th (3.29 GAA) and the Griffins are 9th (2.53 GAA).

Grand Rapids Griffins

In the first 53 games of this season, center Andy Miele is the team’s active leading scorer with 51 points in 48 games played. He has a club high 33 assists and is second among active skaters with 18 goals this season. Miele also leads the club with 14 power-play assists and 21 power-play points. The Griffins center has 13 assists and 18 points in his last 14 games. The club is without second-year Griffin Teemu Pulkkinen, who was recalled to Detroit after leading the club in scoring with 30 goals and 57 points in 44 games played. Left wing Mitch Callahan is third on the club with 38 points in 48 games played. He is third in goals (16) and tied for third on the club with 22 assists. Right wing Landon Ferraro is the club’s active goal-scoring leader with 20 goals in 53 games played. He also has 29 points, placing fourth among the team’s skaters. Defenseman Nathan Paetsch leads all Grand Rapids blueliners with 28 points in 52 games played.

Playing in 23 games this season for Grand Rapids, goalie Tom McCollum (10-8-5) is posting a 2.50 GAA and a .904 SV%. Goalie Petr Mrazek (5-2-0) is posting a 2.63 GAA and .903 SV% eight games played for the Griffins this year. Rookie Jared Coreau is 13-6-1 with a 2.15 GAA and a .926 SV%.

Grand Rapid’s power play is ranked 11th at 18.4%, while the penalty kill sits 10th at 84.9%. 

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