HOGS FALL SHORT IN A SHOOTOUT

Hogs earn a point but fall in shootout

Toronto – The Rockford IceHogs (2-1-0-1) and the Toronto Marlies (3-2-0-0) took the ice at the Ricoh Coliseum in Toronto for a Sunday matinee. Each team played the previous night and would play more than the 60 minutes of scheduled hockey as the IceHogs fell to the Marlies 1-0 in the fifth round of a shootout.

Rockford and Toronto traded opportunities in the final period of regulation but IceHogs goaltender Michael Leighton and Marlies Antoine Bibeau turned aside all shots that came their way to earn a point for their respective teams.

Greg McKegg the fifth round participant for the Marlies, was the final skater to put the puck behind the IceHogs goaltender. The IceHogs answered the Marlies in the first two rounds of the shootout and had goals from Joakim Nordstrom and Teuvo Teravainen but were unable to beat Bibeau in the remaining rounds to drop the contest.

Rockford’s penalty kill continued its early season perfection, killing off all three Marlies power play chances. The IceHogs have not allowed a man advantage goal this season going 15 for 15 through the season’s first four games.

Leighton had 28 saves in 67 minutes played to earn his first shutout of the season and 37th of his AHL career, ranking fourth in league history.

Next Home Game: Saturday, Oct. 25 vs. Chicago Wolves. Puck drop is 7 p.m. The IceHogs will kick off the next installment of the Illinois Lottery Cup when the Wolves visit the BMO Harris Bank Center. The first 5,000 fans through the gate will leave with an IceHogs magnetic schedule courtesy of T6 Broadband.