IOWA WILD EARNS TWO POINTS IN 4-3 VICTORY AGAINST MANITOBA
Mar 11, 2018Wild forwards Sam Anas, Cal O’Reilly break record for most points in single season in the win
DES MOINES, IOWA – Iowa Wild (28-18-8-5; 69 points) defeated Manitoba Moose (36-17-4-4; 80 points) 4-3 in a game where forwards Sam Anas and Cal O’Reilly both broke the team’s record for most points in a single season.
Manitoba opened the scoring at 9:38 in the first period with forward Mike Sgarbossa’s 14th goal of the season. After a blocked shot in the slot, the puck found its way to Sgarbossa low to the right side of the net. Sgarbossa, on his backhand using the toe of his stick, fluttered a shot into the back of the net to give the visitors a 1-0 lead.
At the end of the first period, the Wild trailed 1-0 but held a 13-4 shot advantage.
Wild forward Cal O’Reilly evened things up at 1-1 when he potted a power-play tally at 3:15 in the second period. O’Reilly caught a pass from defenseman Zach Palmquist at the top of the left circle and rifled the puck past Moose goaltender Eric Comrie (24 saves) for his 14th goal of the season. Forward Sam Anas recorded a secondary assist, giving him 47 points on the season and breaking forward Tyler Graovac’s record for most points in a single campaign.
Wild rookie Justin Kloos notched his 19th goal of the season to give Iowa the 2-1 lead at 5:48 in the middle frame. Anas set up Kloos with a pass from behind the net, which Kloos slammed past Comrie’s left pad. Kloos’ goal tied the team record for most goals in a single season by a rookie.
Forty-one seconds later, Manitoba tied the game with a goal from defenseman Jan Kostalek. Kostalek beat Niklas Svedberg (11 saves) with a snap shot for his second goal of the season.
Iowa regained the lead at 8:45 in the second period off a shot from defenseman Ryan Murphy. Circling the offensive zone, Murphy worked his way into the high slot and wristed a shot on net. With forward Gerry Mayhew screening Comrie, Murphy’s shot beat the goaltender, resulting in his fourth goal of the season to give the Wild the 3-2 lead.
The Moose knotted the game at 3-3 at 10:11 in the middle stanza when forward Michael Spacek had a shot trickle through Svedberg’s five-hole for his 12th goal of the season and Manitoba’s lone power-play goal. The goal also capped off a stretch of five goals in 6:56 between the two clubs.
At 17:32 in the second period, Svedberg was assessed a match penalty for high sticking and by rule, was ejected from the game. Goaltender Steve Michalek (13 saves) finished the contest for Iowa.
Following two periods of play, the score was tied 3-3 with the Wild holding a 23-16 shot advantage.
O’Reilly scored the game-winner at 8:27 in the third period, once again on the power play. Moving toward the net from the left circle, Anas hit O’Reilly with a cross-ice pass. Looking at a wide open net, O’Reilly buried his shot for his second of the game. His goal also gave him 47 points on the season, thus breaking the Wild’s single-season point record as well.
When the final buzzer sounded, Iowa earned the two points with the 4-3 victory and outshot Manitoba 28-27. The game marked the first time since Jan. 6-7 the Wild outshot its opponents in back-to-back games.
Anas’ three-assist game was his second of the season and third night with three points in 2017-18. The game was O’Reilly’s first multi-goal contest of the season.
Iowa heads back on the road for a four-game trip, starting in Rockford Tuesday. Puck drop is at 7:00 p.m.
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.