WILD TOPS WOLVES 6-4
Nov 26, 2017ROSEMONT, IL – The Iowa Wild (10-7-2-0; 22 pts.) used multiple point efforts from four skaters, as the team topped the Chicago Wolves (5-10-3-1; 14 pts.) by a score of 6-4 on Sunday afternoon at Allstate Arena.
The Wild has won back-to-back games and seven of its last eight overall, to climb into 2nd place in the Central Division.
Wild winger Sam Anas put Iowa in front just 2:09 into the contest, when he buried a rebound from the bottom of the right circle for an even-strength goal. His second tally of the campaign was assisted by defenseman Carson Soucy and winger Kyle Rau.
After 20 minutes of play, the Wild led 1-0 and the shots were even at nine apiece.
At 7:09 of the second period, the Wolves tied the score on center Wade Megan’s first of the year. Just over two minutes later, T.J. Tynan capitalized on a Wild turnover and Chicago had a 2-1 lead. Both goals were even strength and they were set up by Brandon Pirri, who finished the night with three assists for the home side.
Wild center Pat Cannone pulled the visitors even at 13:55 when he followed up defenseman Ryan Murphy’s shot and lifted the puck past Wolves goaltender Michael Leighton (17 saves). The goal was Cannone’s eighth of the season.
Just 20 seconds later, the Wild regained the lead. Rushing into the offensive zone, Rau stickhandled past Wolves defenseman Jake Bischoff before firing a shot from the left circle that beat Leighton high, glove side. Rau’s fifth of the season was set up by center Cal O’Reilly.
Later in the second period, Wild goaltender Niklas Svedberg (25 saves) denied Wolves captain Paul Thompson on a penalty shot, keeping Iowa in front, 3-2. Then, in the final minute of the period, the Wolves thought they tied the game on a one-timer from Thompson, but after the officials conferred, they deemed the Wild net was off its pegs, and after 40 minutes of play, the Wild maintained their 3-2 lead.
Chicago connected on a power play less than four minutes into the third period to equalize things at 3-3, as Megan recorded his second of the game, taking a Pirri feed and scoring from outside the left circle.
Iowa pulled back in front on Anas’ second of the match, a backhanded deflection from just outside the goal crease that knuckled over Leighton’s left arm. O’Reilly got the only assist.
Defenseman Alex Grant padded the Wild’s lead, striking on the power play at 11:04 of the stanza. Joel Eriksson Ek and Murphy picked up the helpers on the eventual game-winner. On the play, Eriksson Ek floated an aerial feed to the high slot where Grant was able to launch his shot through some traffic and past Leighton.
Former Wild winger Teemu Pulkkinen got Chicago back within one in the closing minutes, recording his team-leading seventh goal, a slap shot from just outside the right circle.
O’Reilly salted away the club’s third road win, depositing the puck into an empty net with the Wild on a power play in the final moments of regulation play. It was his fourth goal of the year. The assists went to forward Justin Kloos and Rau.
The six goals matched a season-high for Iowa, as Murphy (2a), Anas (2g), Rau (1g, 2a) and O’Reilly (1g, 2a) all picked up multiple points in the club’s 11th all-time victory over the Wolves.
Iowa was outshot in the contest, 29-23. The Wild finished 2-for-4 on the power play while Chicago was 1-for-7.
The Wild returns home to host the Milwaukee Admirals on Tuesday, November 28 at 7 p.m. from Wells Fargo Arena.