Sunday Nov. 26 | 3:00 p.m. | Allstate Arena | The U Too | Facebook
WOLVES GONE WILD
There are a few familiar faces on the Iowa Wild roster: former captain Pat Cannone and top-line forward Landon Ferraro.
Ferraro’s Wolves tenure was short-lived as he only skated in 22 contests before a torn ACL ended his campaign during the 2016-17 season. In those 22 games, Ferraro collected seven goals and eight assists for 15 points and spent majority of the time skating on a line with Kenny Agostino and Wade Megan, the league’s eventual top point-producer and goal-scorer, respectively.
Cannone spent three seasons wearing burgundy and gold and finished his time cemented in the annals of the franchise record book. From 2013-16, the 31-year-old skated in 196 games and registered 133 points (50G, 83A) to finish No. 21 on the Wolves all-time scoring list. During the 2015-16 season — when he donned the “C” — Cannone was a 20-goal scorer and represented the Wolves in the 2016 American Hockey League All-Star Classic where he was named the Most Valuable Player.
Conversely, Wolves forward Teemu Pulkkinen will face his former team for the first time this season. The 25-year-old skated in 47 games with Iowa last season after being traded to by the Arizona Coyotes to the Minnesota Wild organization on Feb. 27. The Finn registered 18 goals and 18 assists for 36 points in that span.
LEIGHTON’S WILD PAST
Seasoned veteran Michael Leighton began playing professional hockey 12 years before the Iowa Wild began its run as an American Hockey League team. In the five seasons the two have overlapped, the 36-year-old has been a bit of a Wild tamer.
Through 13 contests against Iowa, Leighton owns a 10-2-1 record with a .935 save percentage and 1.81 goals-against average. The Ontario native also earned three of his American Hockey League-record 49 shutouts against the Wild.
Leighton’s bonus-time loss to the Wild came on Jan. 22, 2016, in a 4-3 shootout victory for Iowa over the Rockford IceHogs. In that contest, Leighton made 22 saves in relief of Mike Visentin and stopped 2 of 5 shots in the shootout. However, Zack Mitchell scored on the first shot and Michael Keranen netted the game-deciding goal as the fifth Wild shooter in the shootout.
By the Numbers:
- 1: On Saturday, defensemen Petteri Lindbohm collected his first goal of the 2017-18 campaign. The tally was a great reward for a player that head coach Rocky Thompson has challenged early on the in the year. “It’s good for him (getting his first goal of the year),” Thompson said. “I was pretty hard on him early in the year — challenged him on areas of his game and he really responded.” While Lindbohm hasn’t been leaving his stamp on the scoresheet, he had been leaving it on opposing players he plastered to the boards or battled in the difficult areas of the ice. “He’s a battler. He’s a warrior,” Thompson said. “You could see that (Saturday) night.”
- 8: Saturday night the Chicago Wolves were on the brink of franchise history — matching the club’s longest winless streak of nine games — for the second time in 24 years. However, with a hard-fought 4-3 win against their in-state rival, the Rockford IceHogs, the Wolves avoided snapped an 0-5-2-1 skid. Tonight, Chicago looks to gain another win and get a streak going in the W column.
- 9: Center Wade Megan ended his scoring drought at nine games with an assist in Saturday’s 4-3 victory. The Wolves are patiently waiting for the 27-year-old to regain his goal-scoring form. The American Hockey League’s leading goal-getter in 2016-17 with 33 tallies, Megan is not worried about his output as he feels he is getting the chances. However, the upstate New York native needs to restore his finishing touch to help the Wolves stay in the W column.
- 18: With an assist on the opening goal in Saturday’s 4-3 win over the Rockford IceHogs, left wing Teemu Pulkkinen continued his point-per-game average. Though the 25-year-old is currently averaging a point per game, he is in search of his first goal since Oct. 28. Pulkkinen is another offensive weapon the Wolves need to heat up if they want to sustain any kind of win streak. After registering two goals and seven assists for nine points in the season’s first three games, Pulkkinen has recorded just five assists over the last 10 games.
- 238: On Saturday, veteran left wing Brett Sterling showed his worth and collected his 238th career American Hockey League goal at 6:20 of the third period. That tally would serves as the game-winner as the 33-year-old Sterling moved into a share of the No. 49 spot (with Michel Harvey) on the AHL’s all-time goals list. Additionally, Sterling stands as the league’s goal-scoring leader among active players.
- 340: Chicago Wolves forward Brett Sterling also appeared in his 370th contest wearing a Wolves sweater. Since making his Chicago and professional debuts on Oct. 7, 2006, the Los Angeles native has piled up 181 goals and 159 assists for 340 points. The goals rank second on the Wolves’ all-time chart while the points stand fifth. He needs two points to catch former linemate Jason Krog for fourth on the list.
Game Rewind
Saturday, Nov. 25 (at) Chicago 4, Rockford 3
- The Wolves stopped a winless streak at eight games with an Illinois Lottery Cup victory against the IceHogs.
- Defensemen Jason Garrison and Petteri Lindbohm along with Stefan Matteau scored the first three goals for Chicago.
- Veteran left wing Brett Sterling netted the 238th tally of his AHL career to break the 3-3 tie and become one of the league’s all-time top 50 goal scorers.
- Goaltender Kasimir Kaskisuo turned aside 30 shots in the victory.
- Chicago earned its third straight point in its third consecutive extra-time game, but fell for the third time to the Admirals.
- Wolves wing Mackenzie MacEachern and captain Paul Thompson both scored.
- However, Harry Zolnierczyk netted two third-period goals and Bobby Butler delivered during overtime for the Milwaukee win.
- Goaltender Michael Leighton made 24 saves in his Wolves debut.
FOLLOW. LISTEN. WATCH.
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LAST MEETING
April 14, 2017
2017-18 Series
0-0-0-0
2016-17 Series
8-1-1-0 Chicago
30-5-3-2
SERIES GAME-BY-GAME
| Date | Location | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 11/26/2017 | Allstate Arena | |
| 12/16/2017 | Allstate Arena | |
| 01/01/2018 | Wells Fargo Arena | |
| 01/17/2018 | Wells Fargo Arena | |
| 02/09/2018 | Wells Fargo Arena | |
| 03/18/2018 | Allstate Arena | |
| 03/28/2018 | Allstate Arena | |
| 04/06/2018 | Wells Fargo Arena |
