IOWA LOSES TO MANITOBA 3-2
Jan 14, 2018Wild forward Zach Mitchell scores first goal since reassignment
WINNIPEG, MANITOBA – Iowa Wild (17-13-6-3; 43 points) fell to Manitoba Moose (26-8-3-2; 57 pts.) 3-2 at MTS Bell Place Sunday afternoon. Wild goaltender Niklas Svedberg (33 saves) made his first start since Dec. 15 in the loss.
Manitoba scored the first goal of the game just 1:19 into the first period when defenseman Peter Stoykewych took a shot from the blue line. His shot deflected off Svedberg’s glove, bounced off forward Buddy Robinson and into the back of the net.
Stoykewych added a power-play goal to his assist at 5:06 in the first period to double Manitoba’s lead. Stoykewych one-timed a pass from the right point and beat Svedberg glove side for the 2-0 advantage.
Wild forward Sam Anas cut into the Moose’s lead when he potted his 14th goal of the season. On the power-play, defenseman Zach Palmquist fed forward Cal O’Reilly the puck on the point, who rifled a shot on net. O’Reilly’s shot ricocheted off the cross-bar and right to Anas at the back door. With a wide-open net, Anas buried the rebound, recording the Wild’s 10th consecutive road game with a power-play goal.
At the end of the first period, Manitoba led 2-1 with a 14-3 shot advantage. All three goals in the frame were power-play goals.
The Moose regained a two-goal lead when Manitoba forward Francis Beauvillier scored his first of the season. On a 2-on-1, forward Michael Spacek sent a pass to Beauvillier and he lofted the puck over Svedberg’s glove to take a 3-1 lead.
Wild forward Zach Mitchell scored his first goal since being reassigned to Iowa at 16:28 in the second period. Wild forward Christoph Bertschy sprung Mitchell with a lead pass and Mitchell snuck his shot through Moose goaltender Eric Comrie’s (18 saves) legs for the breakaway goal.
After two periods, the Moose led 3-2.
The score held through the third period and when the final horn sounded, the Wild dropped the game 3-2 and was outshot 36-20. In the loss, O’Reilly recorded a point in his third consecutive game, registering seven points (2g, 5a) during that stretch. Anas added a goal to extend his point streak to four games, recording seven points (3g, 4a) in those contests.
The Wild returns home to Wells Fargo Arena for a three-game home stretch starting Wednesday. The homestand kicks off with a 7:00 p.m. puck drop against Chicago Wolves.
The Iowa Wild 2017-18 season is presented by Mercy Medical Center and runs from October through April. For more information, please contact the Wild office by calling 515-564-8700 or by visiting www.iowawild.com.