DES MOINES, Iowa – Matt Boldy continued his hot streak since signing with the Iowa Wild, assisting on two goals to help lead the team to a 3-2 comeback victory over the Rockford IceHogs on Friday evening. Brandon Duhaime scored the game-winner, his third straight game with a goal, and Hunter Jones took over for Dereck Baribeau, stopping all 20 shots he faced to earn the win. The victory moved Iowa to 12-10-4, two points and 90 percentage points ahead of the Texas Stars.
Rockford came out dominating play early on and took the lead 3:33 into the contest. Josiah Slavin dealt the puck to Chris Wilkie, who was standing just inside the right faceoff circle. No one closed on Wilkie, giving him enough time to make a move to his left, drawing Baribeau that direction before he fired a wrist shot around the Iowa netminder for his seventh goal of the season.
A little over four minutes later, the Wild tied the score. Rockford goaltender Cale Morris came out to play the puck behind the net, but Boldy quickly swept in, taking the puck from Morris, then passing it to Gerry Mayhew in front, who simply tapped the puck into the empty net for his eighth goal of the year.
The IceHogs retook the lead less than a minute later. The Wild were trying to clear the puck out of their own end, but Anton Lindholm was able to intercept the clearing attempt, firing a shot from the point that Garrett Mitchell tipped past Baribeau for his second goal of the year.
With a little under a minute left in the period, Wilkie was trying to outrace Baribeau for a puck and wound up colliding with the Wild goalie, knocking him out of the game. Wilkie received a five-minute major putting the Wild on the power play.
They were unable to capitalize in the final 41 seconds of the first period, but scored a goal with the man-advantage 1:21 into the second to tie the score. Boldy had the puck near the right half-boards, swinging it to Calen Addison at the point who passed it to Connor Dewar just above the left faceoff circle. Dewar moved in about five feet before firing a wrist shot that beat Morris for his 11th tally of the year.
Boldy earned his second assist of the game on the goal. He now has three goals and four assists in seven games since joining the team.
The score remained tied until the 15-minute mark when the Wild took the lead. Gabriel Dumont gained control of the puck behind the Rockford goal, moving in front trying to stuff in a backhander. Morris made the save, but the rebound came out where Duhaime gained control. He initially started moving toward the right faceoff circle before deciding to spin around and take a shot. That proved to be a smart decision as he beat Morris over the shoulder to put Iowa on top, 3-2.
Jones made the one-goal lead stand, stopping all 20 shots he faced over the final 40:41 of the contest. The victory moved Jones to 5-8-2 on the season and lowered his goals-against average to 4.06. Iowa is 7-1-1 over their last nine games.
The same two teams square off again on Saturday evening. The puck drops at 6 p.m.
