ROSEMOUNT, IL – The Iowa Wild (23-39-4-4, 54 points) defeated the Rockford IceHogs (36-20-9-4, 85 points) 4-3 in front of 5,781 fans at the BMO Harris Bank Center on Saturday night. Wild defenseman Tyson Strachan chose the right moment to score his first goal of the season, netting the game-winning goal 2:26 into overtime. Defenseman Dylan Labbe as well as forwards Grayson Downing and Kurtis Gabriel added a goal each for Iowa. Wild goalie Steve Michalek (7-5-0) made 28 saves on 31 shots in the victory. Rockford goalie Drew MacIntyre (13-15-3) stopped 25 of 29 shots in the defeat. Defenseman Ville Pokka as well as forwards Patrice-Cedric Labrie and Mark McNeill scored a goal each in the IceHogs loss. Iowa travels to San Antonio on Friday, Apr. 8 for a 7 p.m. against the Rampage.
Wild forward Grayson Downing opened the scoring 1:15 into the game, helping Iowa grab an early 1-0 lead. Forward Marc Hagel picked up the lone assist on the goal. Hagel feathered a pass to Downing through the neutral zone, springing Downing on a breakaway. Downing entered the offensive zone uncontested, beating goalie Drew MacIntyre with a high-wrist shot for his 19th goal of the season. IceHogs forward Patrice-Cedric Labrie scored on a breakaway at 15:03 of the period, tying the game 1-1. Defensemen Nolan Valleau and Jonathan Carlsson each tallied an assist on the goal. Labrie won the race for a loose puck inside the Iowa blueline, freeing himself on a breakaway. Labrie pushed the puck to his backhand, sliding the puck through Michalek’s five-hole for his 20th goal of the season.
IceHogs defenseman Ville Pokka scored 5:50 into the second period, giving Rockford a 2-1 lead. Defenseman David Rundblad and forward Vinnie Hinostroza each earned an assist on the power-play goal. Rundblad fired a shot on net from the right point. Michalek made the initial save, sending the rebound off his right leg. The puck squirted out to Pokka at the left faceoff circle. He one-timed the puck past a sprawling Michalek for his eighth goal of the season. Iowa forward Kurtis Gabriel scored at 11:49 of the period, tying the game 2-2. Defensemen Christian Folin and Zach Palmquist each earned an assist on the tying goal. Folin fed a cross-ice pass to Palmquist along the blueline. Palmquist walked the puck to the point, sending a shot on goal. Standing in front of the net, Gabriel redirected the puck past MacIntyre for his sixth goal of the season. Iowa defenseman Dylan Labbe scored at 15:16 of the period, reclaiming a 3-2 lead for the Wild. Forward Colton Beck and defenseman Conor Allen each earned an assist on the goal. Beck scooped the puck off the left boards, sending a cross-ice pass to Labbe at the right point. Labbe sent an untouched slapshot through traffic in front of the net, beating MacIntyre over the glove for his fourth goal of the season. Rockford center Mark McNeill scored shorthanded with 1:03 remaining in the second, tying the game 3-3. Defenseman Kyle Cumiskey earned the lone assist. McNeill picked up the loose puck in the neutral zone after an Iowa turnover, leading to a breakaway. Streaking into the zone, he beat Michalek low on the blocker side with a snapshot for his 22nd goal of the season.
A scoreless third period sent the game to overtime in a 3-3 tie. Wild defenseman Tyson Strachan scored 2:26 into the extra frame, helping Iowa grab a 4-3 victory. Forwards Marc Hagel and Rob Bordson each tallied an assist on the game-winning goal. Bordson and Hagel applied heavy pressure in front of the IceHogs goal. Hagel fired a backhander off MacIntyre’s leg from below the right circle. Crashing the net from the blueline, Strachan one-timed the loose puck into the open net for his first goal of the season.
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