WINNIPEG, MB, Can., – The Iowa Wild (15-18-2-1, 33 points) defeated the Manitoba Moose (14-14-3-2, 33 points) 4-2 in front of 5,492 fans on Saturday night at the MTS Centre. Iowa erased a 2-1 deficit in the second period and Zack Mitchell’s goal 1:26 into the third period gave Iowa a lead it would not relinquish. Iowa goalie Steve Michalek (6-8-1) made 13 saves in the second period and finished with 28 to help his team snap a four-game losing skid. Defensemen Mike Reilly and Zach Palmquist, as well as forward Alex Tuch, also scored and the Wild improved to 6-1-0-0 in Winnipeg all-time. Moose goalie Ondrej Pavelec (7-5-2) stopped 34 of 37 in defeat. Iowa remains in Winnipeg for a rematch with the Moose on Sunday at 2 PM. 
The Wild opened the scoring at 3:19 of the first period for the 1-0 lead. Center Pat Cannone eluded defenders out of the Moose right-wing corner and slipped a pass to defenseman Zach Palmquist. The cross-ice feed found Palmquist for a one-timer off the crossbar and past goalie Ondrej Pavelec. Right wing Christoph Bertschy also had an assist on Palmquist’s second goal of the season. The Moose evened things up 1-1 at 11:46 of the first period. Defenseman Julian Melchiori carried the puck deep into the Wild zone in behind the net. Melchiori swept a pass to the Iowa crease that J.C. Lipon tipped past goalie Steve Michalek. Lipon’s fourth goal of the year was also assisted by defenseman Brandon Tanev.
The Moose took its first lead of the game at 5:02 of the middle frame. Defenseman Brandon Kitchton sent a pass from the right point to the left side for defenseman Peter Stoykewych. He rifled a slapshot through traffic and into the Iowa net for his third goal of the year and a 2-1 Moose lead. The Wild answered back at 10:42 after rookie Alex Tuch scored his eighth goal of the season. Right wing Teemu Pulkkinen slipped a backhand pass, setting up Tuch for a one-timer, that quickly zipped by Pavalec for the 2-2 score.
The Wild regained the lead 1:26 into the third period off Zack Mitchell’s third goal of the season. Right wing Teemu Pulkkinen slipped a pass to Mitchell in the neutral zone off a rush. Mitchell skated in over the blueline and snapped a long shot past Pavalec for the 3-2 lead. Cannone added an assist on the game-winning goal. Defenseman Mike Reilly lofted a near 200-foot long shot for an empty-net goal at 18:55. Pulkkinen added an assist on Reilly’s fourth goal of the year.
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