GAME PREVIEW - IOWA WILD AT MANITOBA MOOSE 1.1.16
Jan 1, 2016Iowa Wild (7-23-2-3, 19 Points) at Manitoba Moose (9-16-1-2, 21 Points)
Iowa and Manitoba meet for the second of eight meetings this season. The Moose beat the Wild 4-3 in Winnipeg on Thursday night in the first-ever meeting between the two teams. Each team will host four games this season, including the next meeting in Des Moines on Feb. 22. The NHL’s Winnipeg Jets moved their AHL team from St. John’s to Winnipeg for the 2015-16 season. The Moose previously played in the AHL from 2001-2011 as an independent team (no NHL affiliate). The team posted a 420-287-23-35-35 record in 800 outings.
Iowa is 4-11-0-1 on the road this season, having been outscored 50-30 by the home teams. Iowa is 3-6-1-0 over its last ten games. The Wild is coming off a 4-3 loss at Manitoba on Thursday. The team has two wins in the last three outings. With the defeat yesterday, the team missed on an attempt for its first three-game winning streak of the season and its’ first since Feb. 27 – Mar. 6 of 2015.
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Manitoba is 6-5-1-1 at home this season, outscored by the visitors 32-30. The Moose is 4-5-0-1 over the last ten games played. The team is coming off the 4-3 win at home over Iowa. The Moose had not played a game in ten days with an extended holiday break.
Upcoming Games:
Team Date Time Radio / TV
at Manitoba 1/1 7:00 PM CT KXNO / iHeartRadio
at Milwaukee 1/9 7:00 PM CT KXNO / iHeartRadio
vs. Rockford 1/10 7:00 PM CT KXNO / iHeartRadio
at Chicago 1/15 7:00 PM CT KXNO / iHeartRadio
vs. San Jose 1/16 7:00 PM CT KXNO / iHeartRadio
Transactions:
12.22.15: Add – D Mike Reilly - assigned by Minnesota (NHL)
12.27.15: Delete– D Guillaume Gelinas – assigned to Quad City (ECHL)
12.29.15: Delete– C Brady Brassart – assigned to Quad City (ECHL)
Last Time Out
The Iowa Wild were defeated by the Manitoba Moose 4-3 in front of 13,774 fans at the MTS Centre on Thursday night. Manitoba broke out with four goals in the second period and held off a late charge from Iowa to win the first meeting of the season between the two clubs. Four different Moose skaters scored in the middle frame, as the two clubs combined for six goals in the period. The Wild tied the game with a pair of goals late in the second, but Scott Kosmachuk put Manitoba in front roughly two minutes later with the eventual game-winning goal. Moose goalie Eric Comrie turned aside 43 of an Iowa season-high 44 shots. Wild goalie Jeremy Smith suffered the loss with 29 saves. Iowa defenseman Mike Reilly and forward Christoph Bertschy each had a pair of assist in the defeat. Defenseman Dylan Labbe, as well as forwards Jordan Schroeder and Grayson Downing, each scored for the Wild.
Iowa Wild
Forward Christoph Bertschy is the team leader with 19 points in 32 games played. He sets the pace with 15 assists this season. Mike Reilly leads all defensemen and he is second on the team in points with 18. He has five goals and 13 assists in 31 games played. Reilly has seven points in his last fives games. Center Grayson Downing has 16 points in 18 games played. He is tied for first in goals with 10 and is tied for third in points. Winger Michael Keranen (injured) is tied for third on the team with 16 points in 28 outings. Right wing Zack Mitchell leads Iowa in scoring with ten goals and is tied for fourth with 15 points in 33 games played. Center Jordan Schroeder has 14 points in 20 games played.
Goalie Jeremy Smith (3-11-2) in 17 appearances. He has a 3.10 GAA and a .909 SV%. Leland Irving has made 20 appearances, going 4-12-3 with a 2.68 GAA and a .916 SV%.
Iowa ranks 21st after going 17-for-118 (14.4%) on the power play. The team is 99-for-122 (81.1%) on the penalty kill – 24th in the AHL.
Notables –
● Wild Captain Maxime Fortunus played for the AHL Moose from 2005-09 and ranks among the all-time team leaders for games played. Jordan Schroeder played for the Moose from 2009-11.
Manitoba Moose
Center Chase De Leo and defenseman Brenden Kichton lead the team in scoring with 17 points. De Leo leads the team with eight goals in 28 games. Kichton leads the team in assists with 14 in 24 games. Right wing JC Lipon is tied for third on the team in scoring with six goals and seven assists for 13 points in 22 games. Forward Austen Brassard sits tied for third on the team with six goals and seven assists for 13 points. Rookie Nic Petan rounds out the top scorers with 13 points in only 15 games.
Eric Comrie (6-9-2) holds a 2.87 GAA and a .912 SV% in 17 appearances Jussi Olkinuora (0-1-0) has played in one game this season, posting a 9.00 GAA and .735 SV%
Manitoba is 15-for-117 and sits 25th at 12.8%. The Moose is 93-for-115 and sits 25th at 80.9%.