AHL Game Preview: Manitoba Moose vs Iowa Wild with Line Combinations (03/16/2025)

Manitoba Moose vs Iowa Wild
Photo Credit: Conrad Jack (Inside The Rink)

Manitoba Moose (21-32-1-3, 46 pts) at Iowa Wild (20-32-4-1, 4 pts)

Venue: Wells Fargo Arena
Date: March 16th, 2025
Time: 3:00 pm CST
TV: FLO Sports

Purchase tickets via Ticketmaster

Season Head-to-Head

  • Manitoba has the edge on the Iowa Wild with a 4-1-0-0 win-loss record while the Wild are 1-3-1-0 on the season against the Moose.
  • Both teams were an even 4-4-0-0 in their 2023-24 contests.
  • Across the past five seasons, the Moose are 17-11-0-1 against Iowa while Iowa’s record is 12-15-1-1 against Manitoba.

Manitoba Moose News & Notes:

The Manitoba Moose come into this game looking to pick up a series sweep over the Iowa Wild. Manitoba’s 5-4 overtime win against Iowa yesterday was their fifth trip beyond regulation in the past 10 games.

With Mark Liwiski out of the lineup, as he serves his second game on his three-game suspension, the Manitoba Moose look to their newly signed players on amateur tryout contracts (ATO) in Reece Vitelli, Colson Gengenbach and Jamie Engelbert to fill spots for the suspended Liwiski and various other injured players.

Chris Driedger gets his second start in a Manitoba Moose uniform and his first on the road for the team since being acquired on March 6th for Kaapo Kahkonen.

With Manitoba holding sixth place in the AHL’s Central Division by a one-point lead, this contest against Iowa is a tone-setter for the playoff push as the Moose sit 10 points behind Rockford for the final playoff spot.

Iowa Wild News & Notes:

Iowa shapes up against Manitoba looking for a series split after their 5-4 overtime loss to the Moose. With a series split, the Wild would continue their hunt for the final playoff spot in the AHL’s Central Division.

Wild forward Graeme Clarke comes into this contest two assists shy of reaching 100 career AHL assists.

The key for Iowa to make a strong case against the Moose is to not give up the first goal of the game. In 11 of the last 13 games, Iowa has given up the first goal. Across their last eight consecutive games, Iowa has allowed a goal in the opening frame.

Manitoba Moose Projected Lines

Mason Shaw – Dominic Toninato – CJ Suess
Colson Gengenbach – Jaret Anderson-Dolan – Brad Lambert
Fabian Wagner – Ben King – Reece Vitelli
Tyson Empey – Danny Zhilkin – Carson Golder

Dylan Coghlan – Elias Salomonsson
Isaak Phillips – Simon Lundmark
Ashton Sautner – Tyrel Bauer

Chris Driedger
Domenic DiVincentiis

Iowa Wild Projected Lines

Liam Ohgren – Travis Boyd – Graeme Clarke
Michael Milne – Ben Jones – Ryan Sandelin
Luke Toporowski – Caedan Bankier – Tyler Madden
Gavin Hain – Connor MacEachern – Adam Raska

Carson Lambos – Cameron Crotty
Jack Peart – Ryan O’Rourke
Will Zmolek – David Spacek

Samuel Hlavaj
Dylan Ferguson

Players To Watch:

Manitoba Moose

  • Fabian Wagner has exploded on the goalscoring scene. He’s scored six goals in his last five games and has a six-game point streak heading into the Moose’s contest against Iowa.
  • Brad Lambert has been all over the Manitoba Moose lineup. The Moose’s leading scorer has shown adaptability and has excelled in the role on the wing and his team-leading 26 assists and 30 points show just that.
  • Jamie Engelbert, Reece Vitelli, and Colson Gengenbach are three new Moose players who joined the team on ATO contracts and have fit like gloves since their arrival.

Iowa Wild

  • Travis Boyd is the leading scorer for Iowa, a player the Wild has relied on heavily this season to produce. If the Wild want to take the series split to keep their playoff hopes alive, production from Boyd is a must for Iowa.
  • Carson Lambos facing his hometown team is a big game for him. In the previous two contests that Lambos has played the Moose, he’s gotten into fights and has been a thorn in the Moose’s side.

Next game

Manitoba Moose – March 19th vs Rockford IceHogs
Iowa Wild – March 22nd vs Ontario Reign

ITR 40: Headed For A Repeat? Inside The Rink

Join Chris and Conrad as they get you up-to-date on the Stanley Cup Playoffs!
  1. ITR 40: Headed For A Repeat?
  2. ITR 39: Conference Finals
  3. ITR 38: Quenneville is a Duck
  4. ITR 37: Round Two
  5. ITR 36: Coaching Carousel

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Conrad Jack

Conrad Jack is a Manitoba based sportswriter covering the Winnipeg Jets (NHL) and the Manitoba Moose (AHL). He also covers the NHL Draft and World Junior Championship for ITR. He writes the Bargain Bin blog which covers NHL News & Rumours.

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