Rockford earns a point in 5-4 overtime loss

Oklahoma City, Okla.- Excuse the Rockford IceHogs if they aren't happy, despite stretching their point streak to a season-best 11 games, closing the month of February 9-0-1-1. The IceHogs dropped a 5-4 overtime contest to the Oklahoma City Barons on Friday in a game they didn't trail until the final shot.

The offense kept rolling for Rockford as they notched four goals for a third straight game and ninth time in 10 outings, averaging 4.363 goals per contest in February.

Fresh off a recall from the ECHL's Toledo Walleye, Bobby Shea tallied the game's first goal on Friday. Shea picked up a loose puck at the Barons blueline and his point shot deflected over the shoulder of Richard Bachman and in at 6:44 off a Barons' stick.

Later in the frame Terry Broadhurst made it 2-0 with a pretty goal in transition. Broadhurst picked up a Mark McNeill pass and skated around a Barons defenseman where he shelved his 12th goal of the season on the back hand over Bachman at 13:39.

The Barons power play made it a 2-1 game with a power play goal later in the stanza. Matthew Ford deflected a Mark Arcobello shot from the left face-off circle under Jason LaBarbera at 16:44.

Early on the second frame, Oklahoma City found themselves on a 4-on-3 power play and once again they would capitalize. Arcobello found some open ice on the left wing and tucked his fifth goal of the season under the cross bar at 1:36 to tie the game.

Rockford got it right back at 2:24, however, to reclaim the lead. Terry Broadhurst cleaned up an Alex Broadhurst rebound for his 13th tally of the season and second of the game to make it 3-2.

But Oklahoma City would tie the game back up, this time at 3-3, moments after a Rockford power play expired. Ford was on the doorstep to knock in his second of the game off of a Tyler Pitlick rebound.

Tied 3-3 in the third period and skating 4-on-4, Shea would step into a Brandon Pirri drop pass and beat Bachman top shelf for his third goal of the season at 12:52. Jeremy Morin marked the secondary assist on the goal to run his point streak to 11-straight games.

Looking to seize the two points, Rockford couldn't hang on. Ben Eager led a transition rush into the IceHogs zone and wristed a shot that deflected off of LaBarbera's glove and in to tie the game at 17:14.

The goal forced overtime and the Barons needed just 46-seconds to end Rockford's five-game winning streak. Joakim Nordstrom swiped a faceoff deep in the IceHogs zone into the slot and Pitlick stepped in all alone on LaBarbera and fired the game-winner home under the cross bar.

Next Home Game: Tuesday, March 4 against Rochester Americans. The puck is set to drop at 7 p.m. It is a WXRX Dollar Day and all fans in attendance can receive $1 hot dogs, soft drinks, beers and companion tickets.