Iowa Wild Beat San Antonio Rampage 4-1

The Iowa Wild picked up a rare win on Thursday as they returned to Des Moines for a four-game home stand after a long road trip.

Brett Sutter opened the scoring just 24 seconds into the second period with assists going to Mathew Dumba and Danny Syvret. (Listen to the call.)

San Antonio answered just a couple minutes later when Ryan Martindale scored an unassisted short-handed goal. For all the struggles Iowa has had this year, it was the first short-handed goal the team has given up all season.

The second period would end with the game tied 1-1. Like the second, the Wild came out and took the lead almost immediately. Michael Keranen scored just over five minutes in on the power play. That’s his fifth goal and 17th point of the season. He’s second on the team, behind Tyler Graovac, in total point. (Listen to the call.) You can get a glimpse of the end of that goal in the @IAwild Vine below.

Assists on that one went to Syvret and Guillaume Gelinas, who was singled out by Tom Witosky as a player who stood out.

That’s great to hear because Gelinas carries a huge offensive upside from the blue line, but has struggled to jump from the QMJHL to the AHL and keep the amazing production he had last year in the Q.

The game would stay 2-1 until the 17:54 mark when Sutter grabbed his second goal of the night with assists to Jonathon Blum and Stephane Veilleux, who would register two assists on the night. (Listen to the call.) The Wild would close out the Rampage shortly afterward when Brady Brassart potted an empty-netter — his third of the year — to seal the game while short-handed. That was the team’s first shortie of the season.

John Curry stopped 33 of 34 San Antonio shots to take home the win.

The win bumps the Wild up to 7-15-1-1 on the season, putting them just two points behind the Charlotte Checkers and the Toronto Marlies, which means that they aren’t far from pulling themselves out of the league’s cellar.