Iowa Wild Hand Utica Comets Rare Loss
The Iowa Wild handed the league-leading Utica Comets a rare home loss on Saturday night, beating the 22-7-5-0 team by a final score of 2-0. The Iowa win was just the second time the Comets have been beaten at home all season.
The Wild and goaltender John Curry held off the Comets in the first period despite being outshot 10 to 4.
The second period was the only time where the Wild outshot the Comets and that’s where they took a lead that they never relinquished. Jordan Schroeder got the scoring going just over a minute into the second, beating Joacim Eriksson. Eriksson got the start over the team’s usual starter, Jacob Markstrom, who has been a top goaltender in the AHL this season posting a .932 SV% and a 1.91 GAA.
The goal was Schroeder’s tenth of the season, putting him just a pair behind Tyler Graovac‘s team lead. Schroeder has been hot lately, tallying five goals and an assist in his last five games. With Graovac up with the NHL club the last four games, Schroeder is closing the gap on the team-lead in goals quickly.z
Additionally, Schroeder’s goal came with a primary assist to Marc Hagel, who has points in three of his last four games, which follows immediately on the heels of a seven-game slump for the 26-year-old forward.
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The next marker was again a tally for the Wild, just under four minutes into the third. Zack Mitchell potted the goal with assists going to Jonathon Blum and Schroeder. Blum has points in five of his last eight games.
The Comets wouldn’t get one past Curry until Will Acton scored one a little over 11 minutes into the third. Acton was acquired by the organization in late November when the Canucks moved LW Kellan Lain to Edmonton in exchange for Acton.
That would be the final tally, with Curry stopping 27 of the 28 shots he faced.
The win moves the Wild up to 12-20-1-1, just two points behind the Charlotte Checkers in the division and one point from handing off the title of last place in the league to the Norfolk Admirals.
The Wild will head to Texas next for a Friday match-up against last season’s Calder Cup Champion Texas Stars and a Saturday tilt against the San Antonio Rampage.