Special Teams Power Wild to Victory over Silver Knights, 3-2
HENDERSON, NV – A night after being blown out 8-2, the Iowa Wild found themselves tied after two periods but, this time, the team scored two goals in the final frame before holding on for a 3-2 victory over the Henderson Silver Knights. A power-play and a short-handed tally proved to be the difference in the game. Mason Shaw scored the game winner and Jesper Wallstedt had 21 saves.
Wallstedt and Isaiah Saville were dominant early on as neither team came away with a goal in the first. Saville made nine saves and Wallstedt six.
In the second, both teams got on the board. Steven Fogarty broke the scoreless game at 1:14 when he delivered his ninth goal of the season. Jake Lucchini passed the puck to Kevin Conley at the left faceoff circle, who blasted a one-timer that Saville saved, but Forgarty put in the rebound to make it 1-0.
A little over three minutes, the Silver Knights were on the power-play. Daniil Miromanov passed the puck to Sheldon Rempal at the right faceoff circle. He lifted a shot that Wallstedt got a piece of but the puck slipped under the goaltender’s arm for his 20th goal of the season.
The score remained tied through the first 10 minutes of the third, but Will Butcher put Iowa on top for good at 10:11. This time the Wild capitalized on the power-play as Nic Petan fed the puck back to Butcher in the high slot. He lifted a wrist shot that found its way through traffic and past Saville to make it 2-1.
A little over four minutes later, Shaw extended the lead to two. Henderson was on the power-play when Shaw intercepted a pass inside his own zone, sending him the opposite way on a breakaway. As he approached, Shaw lifted a shot just past the glove of the Silver Knights netminder for his fourth of the year.
The Wild were in control, but Henderson made this a one goal game with two minutes left. Byron Froese lifted a backhand shot that found its way over the shoulder of Wallstedt for his eighth goal of the year.
The Silver Knights pulled their goaltender with a little over a minute left, but the Wild were able to shut down Henderson to preserve the victory.
The Wild (15-25-3) return to the ice on Friday when they welcome the Tucson Roadrunners (28-13-2) to town. The puck drops at 7:00.
By Robert Pannier
