Preview: IceHogs Head East to Take on Lehigh Valley
20 hours ago
HOGS RETURN FROM BREAK FOR CLASH WITH MOOSE
ROCKFORD, Ill. – The Rockford IceHogs return from the All-Star break seeking redemption against the first-place Manitoba Moose on Friday night at the BMO Harris Bank Center.
Puck drop is at 7 p.m. and fans can tune in to all the action on Cozi TV 23.3 or Dish Network Channel 252, beginning with IceHogs Warmup at 6:30 p.m. IceHogs fans can also listen to the game at sportsfanradio1330.com or watch live at AHLlive.com (subscription required).
Matchup: The IceHogs (24-17-2-3, 4th Central) host Manitoba for the first time since dropping the series-opener 8-1 on Nov. 28. Rockford enters tonight's game with points in nine of the last 11 contests and a record of 6-2-1-2 over that span.
Forward William Pelletier notched an assist in the final game before the All-Star break and has now tallied nine points (4g, 5a) over his last 10 contests. Pelletier has found the scoresheet in seven of those 10 games, including netting his first professional hat trick in the IceHogs’ win at Ontario on Jan. 10.
Defenseman Adam Clendening has also contributed offensively for the IceHogs as of late, leading the team with eight points (1g, 7a) in eight tilts since making his team debut. The blueliner enters Friday tied for second all-time in points among IceHogs defenseman with 23g-103a-126pts in 193 career appearances with Rockford.
Manitoba (29-10-3-2, 1st Central) returns to Rockford boasting the second-best road record in the AHL at 17-4-1-0. The Moose feature three of the AHL’s top scorers in Mason Appleton (42 points), Nic Petan (39 points) and Buddy Robinson (36 points). Appleton is fifth in league in overall scoring and enters tonight’s contest riding a four-game point streak over which he has amassed 4g-3a-7pts.
In net, Eric Comrie has posted a 2.61 GAA and .916 save percentage in 21 appearances for Manitoba this season.
Next Home Game: Wednesday, Feb. 7 | Rockford vs San Antonio Rampage (7 p.m.)
The IceHogs host the Rampage on a Fas Fuel Winning Weekday. Fans can enjoy discounted hot dogs, select beer, and companion tickets. If the Hogs win, tickets from Wednesday’s game can be redeemed for a ticket of equal or lesser value to the following Fas Fuel Winning Weekdays game on Tuesday, Feb. 13. Tickets can be purchased at IceHogs.com, by calling (815) 968-5222 or in-person at the BMO Harris Bank Center Box Office.
