Quick Strike Tallies Doom IceHogs

Rockford, Ill. — After allowing two tallies in 30 seconds in the third frame, the Rockford IceHogs fell 4-3 to the Toronto Marlies at the BMO Center on Friday night. The IceHogs and Marlies played a back-and-forth contest, but it was the first place Marlies outlasting Rockford despite a late third period push.

Tied 2-2, the Marlies received back-to-back tallies from Joseph Blandisi at 11:16 and Mikhail Abramov at 11:45 in the third period.

On a power play and down by a pair, Rockford forward Brett Seney snuck the puck past Toronto goaltender Joseph Woll at 17:51 and shortened the Marlies’ lead to 4-3, but it wasn’t enough to catch Toronto. The IceHogs pulled Jaxson Stauber for nearly five minutes, including during the power play, in favor of the extra attacker but couldn’t complete the comeback.

Striking immediately and jumping out to an early 1-0 lead, IceHogs defenseman Isaak Phillips fired a wrister from the high slot over the shoulder of Woll and netted his third goal of the season :48 into the first stanza.

Toronto defenseman Noel Hoefenmayer countered Phillips’ early first period goal with one of his own early in the middle period when his wrister from the high slot snuck past Stauber :55 into the second period. Skating in the crease in front of Stauber, Nick Abruzzese shoveled the puck past the IceHogs goaltender at 8:33 to give the Marlies’ their first lead of the night.

Forward Cole Guttman broke away through the Toronto slot and punched a backhanded shot behind Woll at 18:36 to tie the contest 2-2 heading into the sandwich intermission.

In his first game back in a Rockford sweater after his first career recall to the Chicago Blackhawks, Stauber turned away 27 of 31 Toronto shots, but Woll totaled 29 saves and earned the win.