GAME PREVIEW - IOWA WILD AT LAKE ERIE MONSTERS 12.3.15
Dec 3, 2015Iowa Wild (3-16-1-3, 10 Points) at Lake Erie Monsters (12-4-1-2, 27 Points)
Iowa and Lake Erie meet for the seventh of eight meetings this season. Lake Erie swept the last two meetings in Des Moines on Nov. 20 and 21 – with both games ending in a 3-2 decision. The Monsters have taken five of the six previous meetings and are 5-0-0-1 this season against Iowa. The Wild is 1-5-0-0 against the Monsters, including a 1-1-0-0 mark in Cleveland. All eight games of the season series will be played by the end of the week. Iowa is 8-4-0-1 all-time against Lake Erie and 4-2-0-0 on the road. Lake Erie is 5-4-2-2 all-time and 2-1-1-1 in Cleveland.
Iowa is 1-8-0-0 on the road this season, having been outscored 32-13 by the home teams. Wild is mired in a franchise record 13-game winless skid, going 0-11-0-2 over the last 12 games and getting outscored 47-22 during that span. Seven of the losses have been one-goal defeats. The Wild have scored three or more goals only five times this season. Iowa continues a six-game road trip on Thursday in Cleveland. The team has dropped the last seven road games. Iowa ended a franchise worst nine straight regulation losses on Sunday in Charlotte. The Wild is coming off a 2-1 shootout loss to the Checkers on Sunday.
Lake Erie is 6-0-0-2 at home this season, outdueling the visiting teams 26-16. The Monsters are 7-2-1-0 over their last ten games played. Lake Erie is coming off a 3-2 OT loss at Grand Rapids on Saturday. The Monsters are outscoring the opposition 39-27 in the final two periods of play. Lake Erie was 18-15-3-2 on home ice, outscored by the visitors 115-100.
Upcoming Games:
Team Date Time Radio / TV
at Lake Erie 12/3 6:00 PM CT KXNO / iHeartRadio
at Lake Erie 12/4 6:00 PM CT KXNO / iHeartRadio
vs. Chicago 12/8 7:00 PM KXNO / iHeartRadio / MC 22
at Rockford 12/11 7:00 PM KXNO / iHeartRadio
vs. Grand Rapids 12/13 4:00 PM KXNO / iHeartRadio
Transactions:
11.29.15: Add – D Gustav Olofsson – assigned by Minnesota (NHL)
11.29.15: Add – LW Kurtis Gabriel - assigned by Minnesota (NHL)
11.30.15: Delete – D Christian Folin - recalled by Minnesota (NHL)
11.30.15: Add – F Jordan Schroeder - assigned by Minnesota (NHL)
12.1.15: Add – F Mike Aviani signed PTO
12.1.15: Delete – F Andrew Yogan released from PTO
Last Time Out
The Iowa Wild were defeated by the Charlotte Checkers 2-1 in a shootout in front of 3,304 fans on Sunday at Bojangles Arena. Iowa’s Zack Mitchell scored with 6:39 left in regulation, tying the game and eventually sending it to overtime and a shootout. The Checkers outdueled the Wild 2-0 in the shootout to take the extra point. Charlotte goalie Drew MacIntyre made 22 regulation saves and stopped both attempts in the shootout win. Iowa goalie Leland Irving stopped 36 of 37 in regulation and he stopped one of three attempts in the shootout loss. With the shootout defeat, Iowa ends a string of nine straight regulation losses. The Wild extended its’ franchise record winless streak to 13 games. Checkers defenseman Ryan Murphy scored his club’s lone regulation goal in the team’s eighth straight win over Iowa.
Iowa Wild
Forwards Michael Keranen, Zack Mitchell, Grayson Downing and Christoph Bertschy lead the team in points. Rookie center Grayson Downing has tied for the team lead in scoring, despite missing the first 12 games of the season with an injury. The young centerman has five goals and 10 points in 11 games played. Keranen and Bertschy are both tied for the team lead with ten points each. Keranen has five goals and five assist in 19 games. Bertschy has two goals and a team high eight assists in 21 games. Right wing Zack Mitchell has a team-high, six goals and is tied for fourth in scoring with nine points in 23 games played. Defensemen Mike Reilly leads all defensemen in points with nine in 23 games.
Goalie Jeremy Smith (1-9-1) in 12 appearances. He has a 3.33 GAA and a .908 SV%. Leland Irving has made 12 appearances, going 2-7-3 with a 2.73 GAA and a .919 SV%.
Iowa ranks 30th after going 7-for-84 (8.3%) on the power play. The team is 72-for-88 (81.8%) on the penalty kill – 19th in the AHL.
Notables –
● Center Grayson Downing had a point in six straight games from Nov. 14-29 – tying the franchise record.
● RW Zack Mitchell plays in his 100th AHL game and D Tyson Strachan plays in his 300th on Thursday.
Lake Erie Monsters
Center TJ Tynan has come on strong of late to claim the team lead in points with 13 (all assists) in 19 games played. Forwards Ryan Craig, Kerby Rychel, Markus Hannikainen and Alex Broadhurst are tied for second on the team in points with 11. Rychel and Hannikainen are currently with Columbus in the NHL. Craig has 11 points (5g-6a) in 19 gams, while Broadhurst has 11 (2g-9a) in 18 games played.
Anton Forsberg (7-2-1) and Joonas Korpisalo (5-2-2) split time in net for Lake Erie. Forsberg has a 2.40 GAA and a .902 SV%. Korpisalo boasts a 1.80 GAA and a .941 SV%.
Lake Erie is 13 of 69 on the power play, sitting 11th in the league on the power play at 18.8%. The Monsters penalty kill is 72-for-81 and sits second at 88.9%.