HOGS SWEEP BARONS WITH 5-4 SHOOTOUT WIN

Rockford, Ill. – The Rockford IceHogs offense kept rolling as the Hogs knocked off the Oklahoma City Barons 5-4 by way of a shootout on Saturday night at the BMO Harris Bank Center.

Rockford’s offense has been hot as of late, scoring 20 goals over their past five contests or four goals per game.

With the score tied at 3-3 to begin the third period the IceHogs regained the lead in a back-and-forth affair. Terry Broadhurst finished off a nice sequence of passes from Mark McNeill and Brad Winchester for the IceHogs third power play goal of the night to garner a 4-3 lead 4:38 into the third period.

The Barons fought back and tied the game back up for the third time on the night as Martin Marincin fired a shot past Mac Carruth to lock the game at 4-4 with just 2:21 left in regulation.

After a scoreless overtime period that featured Carruth making a game-saving stop, the game would be decided in a shootout. Carruth came up big again in the skills session to deny all three Barons’ shooters while Joakim Nordstrom, Brandon Pirri and Terry Broadhurst all tallied for Rockford to take a 5-4 shootout win.

The Barons got the scoring started just 1:41 into the opening frame to take an early 1-0 advantage. Ryan Hamilton dished a pass from behind the net that Will Acton slipped under the pads of Carruth.

The IceHogs countered with two goals of their own though. After a scrum along the boards, the loose puck popped out to Philippe Lefebvre and the forward drove to the net before sniping a shot that beat Bachman to even the score at 1-1.

Then, Nordstrom gave the IceHogs their first lead of the night at 10:51 in the first period with his seventh goal of the season. With the Hogs on the man advantage, Brandon Mashinter sent a nice no-look pass across the goal mouth for Nordstrom to chip into a wide-open net.

The Barons wouldn’t let the IceHogs go into the first intermission with a lead though. With 35 seconds left in the game’s opening frame, Roman Horak found the back of the net to tie the game at 2-2.

The IceHogs regained control when they took advantage of a 5-on-3 power play to begin the second period and make it a 3-2 game. McNeill fired a shot that Bachman initially blocked but McNeill picked up his own rebound and lit the lamp with his team-best ninth goal of the season 1:14 into the second.

Just past the midway point in the second period Oklahoma City converted on a power play to tie the game once again. Ryan Hamilton sent a pass for Derek Nesbitt to one-time past Carruth and lock the game up at 3-3.

Carruth picked up his second straight win, stopping 20 of the 24 shots he faced. Bachman was handed a loss while turning away 32 chances. The IceHogs power play finished the night converting on three of their five opportunities.

Next Home Game: Saturday, Dec. 21 vs. Milwaukee Admirals at 7 p.m. The Hogs take on their Midwest Division rival Milwaukee Admirals on Bryan Bickell bobblehead night. The first 2,500 fans will pick up the first of three in the Champions series bobbleheads, compliments of Dental Dimensions.