Iowa Wild Lose to Chicago Wolves 5-1

After an impressive 5-1 win on Saturday, the Iowa Wild found themselves on the wrong side of 5-1 decision Sunday, dropping the second of a back-to-back against the Chicago Wolves.

Iowa went shot for shot with Chicago throughout the game, ultimately outshooting the Wolves 28-26, but in an unfortunate 180, Johan Gustafsson allowed four goals on 26 shots (.840 Sv%) after stopping 24 of 25 (.960 Sv%) on Saturday. The loss breaks a streak four straight games with a save percentage of .917 or higher.

Chicago opened the scoring just 50 seconds into the game on a tally from Rob Bordson.

Zack Mitchell scored the Iowa’s lone goal, one of his team-leading four shots Sunday afternoon, just 3:14 into the first, evening up the score 1-1. Assists on that one went to Jonathon Blum and recent acquisition Benjamin Dieude-Fauvel.

Blum, of #FreeBlum fame, has four goals and nine assists through 24 games this season, tying him for fifth in points on the team.

From that point on Wolves goaltender Jordan Binnington, who got the nod over last night’s starter Matt Climie, closed the door, leaving Chicago to take control of the scoreboard.

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Despite the lopsided final score, the game stayed tied till about halfway through the second when the Wolves’ Shane Harper tallied. That would be the only goal scored in the second, leaving the Wild within reach at 2-1.

In the third, the Wolves pulled away with John McCarthy netting two goals before Colin Fraser iced the game with an empty-netter.

The loss puts the Iowa Wild at 9-18-1-1 on the season, last not only in the West Division, but last in the Western Conference, three points back of the Rochester Americans.

The team has looked significantly improved, if occasionally outmatched, since John Torchetti took over the team following the firing of coach Kurt Kleinendorst on November 10. We hope that improved look will start to pay dividends after the short holiday break by at least bringing the team out of the league’s basement, where they finished last season.

Iowa goes on break now until December 26 when they take on the Rockford IceHogs on the road, followed by another road game against the Grand Rapids Griffins. They’ll close out an extended weekend with a home game on Monday against the Milwaukee Admirals.