Rockford returns home to 2-0 win over Stars
Rockford, Ill. – It’s been more than two weeks since the Rockford IceHogs have played at home, but they gave the home crowd of 4,717 a 2-0 win over the Texas Stars at the BMO Harris Bank Center on Monday afternoon.
Carter Hutton earned the first shutout of the season for the IceHogs, turning away 31 shots from Texas. The IceHogs, last in the AHL with a 3.55 goals against average, have allowed just three goals over the team’s last three games.
Brandon Svendsen got the IceHogs on the board nearly halfway through the middle frame. Brandon Pirri carried the puck to the left of goaltender Andrew Raycroft, and then fed a pass through several Stars players to Svendsen, who tapped the puck into a wide open net to give the IceHogs a 1-0 lead at 8:49 of the second period. The goal was Svendsen’s first goal of the season in the AHL.
Jeremy Morin sealed the game with a power play tally at 16:01 of the final frame. Ben Smith tried a stuff attempt in front of the net, but the puck bounced out to a waiting Morin, who hammered home his ninth goal of the season to give Rockford a 2-0 lead.
The IceHogs went 1-for-4 on the power play, while Texas did not convert on any of their four man advantage opportunities.
Raycroft stopped 29 IceHogs shots in the loss.
Next Home Game: Friday, Jan. 20 vs. Chicago Wolves. The puck drop is at 7:05 p.m. It’s Ted Dent bobblehead night as Rockford squares off against Chicago for the sixth time this season. The first 2,500 fans in attendance will receive a Ted Dent bobblehead, sponsored by Dental Dimensions. It is also another Illinois Lottery Cup tilt.
For every goal that the Rockford IceHogs score in 2011-12, IceHogs head coach Ted Dent will make a donation to children’s cancer research. BMO Harris Bank will also make a donation for every goal to the “BMO Harris Bank Goals For Grades”