GAME PREVIEW - OKLAHOMA CITY BARONS AT IOWA WILD 10.13.13
Oct 13, 2013Oklahoma City Barons (0-3-0-0, 0 points) at Iowa Wild (1-0-0-0, 2 points)
The Oklahoma City Barons and the Iowa Wild meet for the second of four meetings this season. The two teams met on Saturday night at Wells Fargo Arena, a 1-0 victory for the Wild. Sunday marks the final visit of the regular season for the Barons to central Iowa. The Wild will round out the season series with a trip to Oklahoma City to end the season in mid-April. Iowa hosted its first game in team history on Saturday night, posting the highest recorded attendance for an AHL Opening Night in central Iowa with 10,213. The Oklahoma City Barons opened their season last weekend at home, dropping a pair of games to Charlotte, both 3-2 defeats. Oklahoma City has lost three straight.
Minnesota's AHL Affiliate was in Houston for the 2012-13 season, going 40-26-5-5 (90 points / .592 %). The Aeros met the Barons 12 times last season, going 8-4-0-0. Over the last five years, Houston was 18-9-0-2 all-time against Oklahoma City, including a 10-3-0-2 mark at home. Wild defenseman Brian Connelly enjoyed success against the Barons last year, leading the team with eight assists and finishing second in team scoring with nine points in ten games. Iowa forward Jason Zucker scored five goals and totaled eight points in eight games versus Oklahoma City.
Upcoming Games:
Team Date Time Radio
vs Oklahoma City 10/13 4:05 KXNO 1460
at Charlotte 10/19 6:05 PM (CT) KXNO 1460
at Charlotte 10/20 12:30 PM (CT) KXNO 1460
vs Chicago 10/24 7:05 PM KXNO 1460
vs Grand Rapids 10/27 5:05 PM KXNO 1460
Latest Transactions:
10/13 – Add goaltender Darcy Kuemper (assigned by Minnesota)
10/11 – Add goaltender John Curry (signed SPC)
10/10 – Delete – Stephane Veilleux (recalled to Minnesota)
Last Time Out:
The Iowa Wild defeated the Oklahoma City Barons 1-0 in front of 10,213 fans on Saturday night at Wells Fargo Arena. Iowa goalie Johan Gustafsson (1-0) made 29 saves in his AHL debut, leading the Wild to a victory in the first game in team history. Left wing Bret Bulmer scored the game's lone goal, breaking a scoreless tie at 7:06 of the second period. Oklahoma City goalie Richard Bachman (0-3) stopped 26 in the loss.
Iowa Wild
The Wild return 12 players from the 2012-13 squad that took the ice in Houston last year. The roster includes six rookies, eight veterans and 11 Minnesota Wild draft picks. Overall, 18 of the 23 players on the roster were drafted by an NHL team. Forward Jason Zucker is the highest-scoring returnee. During his rookie campaign, the 2013 Western Conference All-Star led the team with 24 goals and 205 shots on goal. He also led the team with 12 power-play goals, 24 power-play points and eight game-winning goals in just 55 games played. Defenseman Brian Connelly was third on the team in scoring despite playing in only 54 games. He led the team with 34 assists, including 20 power-play assists, and finished with 39 points. Veteran forward Chad Rau was third on the team with 16 goals scored in 60 games played. Forward Zack Phillips produced 27 points in 71 games played as a rookie.
Goalies Johan Gustafsson and John Curry man the nets for Iowa. Goaltender Darcy Kuemper remains on recall to Minnesota. Gustafsson, a rookie, is playing his first season in North America. He spent last season in Sweden, posting a 20-13-0 mark with a .932 SV% and a 1.70 GAA. Head Coach Kurt Kleinendorst leads the Wild in its first season.
Oklahoma City Barons
The Barons return nine players from the 2012-13 team which posted a 40-25-2-9 record. The AHL Affiliate of Edmonton features 10 Oilers draft picks and 16 overall NHL draft picks. Forward Linus Omark returns to North America after a season in Sweden. He also had stints with OKC in 2010-11 and 2011-12. He has 47 points in 48 games as a Baron. Left wing Derek Nesbitt had 26 goals and 47 points in 66 games with Peoria last season. Goalie Richard Bachman is in his first season with Edmonton after four years in the Dallas organization. He is 44-32-6 in 86 AHL appearances.
Todd Nelson enters his fourth season in Oklahoma City, leading the Barons to the Western Conference Finals in each of the last two seasons.