Preview: IceHogs Conclude Road Trip in Des Moines
10 hours ago
PLAYOFF PUSH ROLLS ON WITH DIVISIONAL CLASH AGAINST ADS
ROCKFORD, Ill – The Rockford IceHogs open a two-game weekend homestand with a Friday night divisional matchup against the Milwaukee Admirals 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 (33-24-4-4, 5th Central) upended the Iowa Wild 5-2 on Monday to extend their point streak to a season high-tying seven straight games. The Hogs are 5-0-1-1 during their current streak and boast an 8-2-1-1 clip over their last 12 games since Feb. 18.
Rockford netted a pair of power-play goals in the victory Monday and now has three power-play goals over the last two games. The IceHogs were just 1-for-20 on the man-advantage from March 3-16 but have since converted on three of 10 power plays over the last two contests.
Forward Chris DiDomenico tallied his first multi-goal game of the season during the IceHogs’ victory over the Wild, finding twine in both the first and second period. DiDomenico enters tonight’s contest with points in three straight games and five points (3g, 2a) over his last five contests since March 11.
Milwaukee (32-28-4-1) arrives in Rockford with three consecutive losses. However, the Admirals have won seven of nine meetings with the IceHogs this season, including each of their four games at the BMO Harris Bank Center.
Forward Emil Pettersson paces Milwaukee in scoring with 40 points (12g, 28a) in 61 games this season. Pettersson has also dominated the series with the IceHogs and enters Friday with a team-high 12 points (4g, 8a) in nine contests against Rockford in 2017-18. The forward seeks to continue his success against the Hogs and return to his usual form after tallying just one point in his last eight games.
In net, Anders Lindback has appeared in a league-high 49 games and is 27-18-4 with a 2.76 GAA and .910 save percentage this year. Lindback has also won seven of eight outings against the IceHogs, going 7-1-0 with a 2.45 GAA and .926 save percentage.
Next Home Game: Saturday, March 24 | Rockford vs. Chicago
The Hogs continue the 2017-18 Illinois Lottery Cup Series with a showdown against the Wolves on Fitness Night. The first 1,000 fans will receive a free dri-fit IceHogs shirt, courtesy of Peak Fitness. In addition, Fans will be treated to a behind-the-scenes look at the IceHogs players’ fitness routines through several in-game videos on the video board.
