GAME PREVIEW - CHARLOTTE CHECKERS AT IOWA WILD 3.21.15

Mar 21, 2015

MEDIA KIT - HERE

Charlotte Checkers (25-33-5-1, 56 points) at Iowa Wild (21-38-1-2, 45 points)

Iowa continues a season high six-game home stand, which opened with a 4-3 shootout loss at home on Sunday to Utica. Iowa finishes the regular season with 10 home games and four road games. The Wild welcomes Charlotte for the final time this season, starting the two-game set on Saturday and finishing on Sunday. It marks the seven of eight meetings between the two clubs this season. Charlotte has taken four of the previous six, sweeping a two-game set at Time Warner Cable Arena in February. The matchup features the 14th and 15th ranked teams in the AHL’s Western Conference. Iowa and Charlotte played four times in 2013-14. Charlotte is 6-4-0-0 in the all-time series, including a 3-1-0-0 record in Des Moines.  Iowa is 4-6-0-0 all time, including a 1-3-0-0 mark at Wells Fargo Arena.

Iowa is 8-19-0-1 at home this season, having been outscored 91-59 by the visiting teams. The Wild is coming off a 4-3 shootout defeat to Utica at home on Mar. 15. Iowa is mired in a franchise-record, nine-game winless streak on home ice, dating back to Jan. 18. The team ended a record tying stretch of eight straight losses on Sunday with the shootout defeat to Utica. The drought tied the club record for consecutive losses of 8 – from Nov. 2 – Nov. 24, 2013. The Wild is 4-5-0-1 over the last 10 games, while the Checkers are 5-5-0-0. Charlotte is 8-20-4-0 on the road, having been outscored 110-59. The club has the fewest road goals this season and is second for most goals allowed on the road. The Checkers are coming off a 9-3 loss at San Antonio on Tuesday. Overall, Charlotte has been outscored 15-4 over the last two road games.

Upcoming Games:

Team                          Date    Time               Radio / TV

vs. Charlotte                  3/21      7:00 PM             KXNO / iHeartRadio / MC22

vs. Charlotte                  3/22      3:00 PM             KXNO / iHeartRadio

vs. Texas                      3/24      7:00 PM             KXNO / iHeartRadio

vs. San Antonio              3/27      7:00 PM             KXNO / iHeartRadio

vs. San Antonio              3/28      12:30 PM           KXNO / iHeartRadio

Transactions:

3.3.15 – Add – F Stephane Veilleux (assigned by Minnesota – NHL)

3.4.15 – Delete – F Greg Wolfe (released PTO)

3.12.15 – Delete – F Joe Perry (assigned to Quad City - ECHL)

3.12.15 – Delete – D Benjamin Dieude-Fauvel (released PTO)

3.12.15 – Add – D Nicholas Rioux (signed PTO)

3.21.15 – Add – F Ruslan Fedotenko (re-signed PTO)

Last Time Out

The Iowa Wild were defeated by the Utica Comets 4-3 in a shootout in front of 4,944 fans on Sunday at Wells Fargo Arena. After rallying from a three-goal deficit, Iowa preserved the point in the shootout defeat. Defensemen Steve McCarthy and Collin Bowman, along with center Tyler Graovac led the rally with as Iowa scored three straight to force OT and the eventual shootout. Iowa goalie John Curry stopped 29 of 32 shots in regulation and had no saves in two Utica attempts. Forwards Nicklas Jensen and Alex Friesen, as well as defenseman Bobby Sanguinetti each scored in the Comets road win. Utica goalie Jacob Markstrom made 23 saves on 26 shots and was two of two in the shootout, recording the victory.

Iowa Wild

Through 62 games this season, forward Tyler Graovac is the team’s leading scorer. He leads the team in goals with 20 tallies and is first with 41 points in 59 games played. Michael Keranen is second on the team in scoring with 34 points and is first with 25 assists in 57 games. Right wing Marc Hagel is third among active skaters with a career-high 29 points in 53 games played. Rookie Zack Mitchell is fifth among active skaters with 15 goals and 27 points in 62 games played. Defenseman Jon Blum is the leader in points from the blueline. He has nine goals and 29 points in 52 games played. Veteran center Brett Sutter is also among the team leaders with 24 points in 57 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 11-16-1 with a 2.77 GAA and a .915 SV%. Gustafsson is 8-18-0 with a 3.36 GAA and a .898 SV %.

Iowa’s power play is ranked 20th at 15.6%, while the penalty kill sits 30th at 76.8%.

Notables –

·       Wild forward Marc Hagel needs one more game to become only the fourth player in Iowa history to play in 100 games – joining Tyler Graovac, Jon Blum and Zack Phillips. Forward Brett Bulmer is at 85 games and Captain Stephane Veilleux at 80 games played for I-Wild.   

Charlotte Checkers

In the first 64 games this season, forward Jason Shugg leads the team in scoring with 33 points in 53 games played. His 17 goals are tops on the team and his 16 assists are tied for third. Veteran Chad LaRose is second in scoring with 31 points. The veteran winger has 16 goals and 15 assists in 52 games played. Left wing Brendan Woods is also among team leaders in points with 25 in 56 games played off 13 goals and 12 assists. Phil Di Giuseppe (23 points) and Brock McGinn (22 points) are also among the team scoring leaders. Offensive minded defenseman Ryan Murphy is in Carolina with the Hurricanes. He had 17 assists in 25 games prior to his recall. Trevor Carrick is the active leader in scoring from the blueline with 23 points in 64 games played.

Playing in 43 games this year, goalie Drew MacIntyre (17-22-4) is posting a 2.85 GAA and a .913 SV%. Goalie John Muse (8-11-2) is posting a 2.74 GAA and a .915 SV% in 19 games played.

Charlotte's power play is ranked 27th in the AHL at 12.9%, while its penalty kill is 11th at 84.6%.

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