Wild Comeback: Iowa Triumphs Over Chicago with Third-Period Surge
In a thrilling Sunday night showdown at Rosemont's Allstate Arena, the Iowa Wild orchestrated an electrifying comeback, scoring four unanswered goals in the third period to secure a 6-4 victory over the Chicago Wolves. Dylan Gambrell was the star of the night, notching a hat trick, while Nicolas Aubé-Kubel dazzled with three assists.
The action kicked off with Gambrell capitalizing on his own rebound just 3:43 into the game, slipping the puck past Chicago's Amir Miftakhov, who made 18 saves on the night. David Spacek set the stage with a crisp assist on the opening goal.
Chicago quickly responded with Ryan Suzuki threading a wrist shot past Cal Petersen at 4:18, leveling the score. The Wolves took the lead with Ronan Seeley’s power-play goal at 17:17, navigating through a screen to beat Petersen.
A major penalty to Iowa’s goaltender led to William Rousseau stepping in for Petersen, and he held strong with 20 saves over the final two periods. The first period saw both teams trading shots, nine apiece, setting the tone for a hard-fought battle.
The Wolves extended their lead to 3-1 in the second period when Evan Vierling found the net on the power play. Yet, the Wild weren't backing down.
Aubé-Kubel connected with Gambrell at 9:36, narrowing the gap to one goal. Chicago responded with Charles Alexis Legault deflecting a pass from Nikita Pavlychev, restoring their two-goal cushion.
Heading into the third period, Chicago led the shot count 19-17, but Iowa was far from finished. Rasmus Kumpulainen ignited the comeback with his first AHL goal, tipping Roman Schmidt’s shot past Miftakhov. Aubé-Kubel added another assist to his tally.
The momentum shifted as Schmidt and Kumpulainen set up Caedan Bankier for a wrister that tied the game at 9:52. Then, with just under seven minutes left, Aubé-Kubel’s redirection led to a Riley Heidt rebound goal, putting Iowa ahead for good.
Gambrell sealed the deal, completing his hat trick at 16:43. Jean-Luc Foudy’s clever wall pass found Gerry Mayhew, who delivered a spinning backhand feed for Gambrell to deflect into the net, capping off a remarkable rally.
Despite being outshot 30-24, the Wild showcased resilience, converting one of their four power-play opportunities, while the Wolves capitalized twice on five chances.
The Wild will look to build on this momentum as they host the Wolves again at Casey’s Center on Wednesday. Fans can catch all the action live, with games streaming on AHLTV via FloHockey.
For those eager to experience more of the Wild's thrilling hockey, season tickets for the 2026-27 season are now available. Visit the Iowa Wild’s website for more information and to secure your spot for another exciting season.