Iowa Wild Weekly Report

This week, the Minnesota Wild's farm team took to the road, playing one game in Milwaukee last Wednesday, and a pair of games in Oklahoma City on Saturday and Sunday.

Against the Milwaukee Admirals, the Wild took a first period lead on a weird Keranen deflection goal off a shot from Jake Parenteau. Parenteau's assist was his first professional point. In the second period, Iowa scored two power play goals: Marc Hagel with one and Zack Mitchell with the other. Jordan Schroeder got the secondary assist on both of those goals. Danny Syvret capped off the night with an empty net goal. Gustafsson looked solid in net, stopping 37 of 39 shots that came his direction. Even after getting run over by the Admirals' Arvidsson, he stayed steady for a 4 to 2 victory.

Gustafsson and the Wild would not fare as well against the Oklahoma City Barons. On Saturday night, Iowa spotted the Barons a three goal lead, giving up two goals to Ryan Hamilton, and one goal to Luke Gazdic. In the second period, the Oilers' farm club extended the lead to four before Ryan Walters scored one for Iowa. Marc Hagel scored two in the third to bring the game within one, but Kale Kessy put the game out of reach with an empty net goal. Saturday's game would end 5 to 3 for Oklahoma City.

On Sunday, Iowa once again gave up a lead in the first period, but responded back much quicker with a power play goal off the stick of Zack Phillips, his second of goal of the year. Oklahoma City would score the next three. Michael Keranen scored the last goal of the night, assisted by Kurtis Gabriel and Brett Sutter, ending the game 4 to 2. Gabriel also was assessed a five minute major and a game misconduct for charging with less than two minutes left in Sunday's game.

News & Notes:

• After the game on Wednesday, Jon Blum gave credit for the win to the penalty kill and Johan Gustafsson's strength in the net. Joe O'Donnell also interviewed Michael Keranen post-game on Sunday. "We have to be better," Keranen said. In an interview with Justin Falk, the defenseman tells O'Donnell that the defense gave up a few easy goals that were not Gustafsson's fault.
• Jordan Schroeder is currently 7th in the AHL in scoring. Tom Witowski reviews Schroeder's early successes in Iowa. Schroeder could (and probably should) be the next forward called up to the NHL Wild.
• The Iowa Wild signed Nicholas Rioux to a PTO.
• Both Justin Falk and Stu Bickel were reassigned to Iowa and joined the team for both games in Oklahoma City. Bickel had one assist and four minutes in penalties on the weekend.