RECAP: Hardman Scores Lone Hogs Goal in 3-1 Road Loss to Moose

WINNIPEG, Manitoba—The Rockford IceHogs dropped the second game of the two-game series at Canada Life Centre 3-1 to the Manitoba Moose on Sunday evening. After missing six games due to a shoulder injury, Mike Hardman tallied the IceHogs’ only goal in the first period.

Rockford was unable to mount a comeback in the final frame, and the third period remained scoreless to end the game. The Moose outshot the IceHogs 27 to 20.

Both teams combined for eight penalties and a total of 22 penalty minutes, but neither club could capitalize on the power play, and both went 0-for-3 on the man advantage.

After the puck took an odd bounce off the back wall and hit the side of the net, the Moose jumped out to an early 1-0 to start the first period as Jeff Malott chipped the loose puck over the blocker of Rockford netminder Jaxson Stauber (1:32).

Manitoba quickly tacked on its second goal of the introductory frame nearly four minutes later when Malott shuttled a pass to the left point, and Parker Ford netted a slapshot through a screen in the crease to extend the lead to 2-0 (5:12).

Forward Mike Hardman put the IceHogs on the board 2-1 in his first game back since a shoulder injury on Nov. 17 against Milwaukee, knocking a wrister from the low slot past Manitoba goaltender Collin Delia after David Gust and Anders Bjork won the puck below the goal line from three Moose defenders (11:49).

With a slow start offensively for both teams in the second period, Rockford’s best look came on a breakaway attempt from Gust and Brett Seney (3:00). Gust had the opportunity to take a shot but opted to set up a shot for Seney, and Delia laid out to make a sprawling save at the last second to prevent the IceHogs from evening the score.

Despite the Hogs going a perfect 3-for-3 on the penalty kill and stifling Mantitoba’s power-play unit, Wyatt Bongiovanni broke up the scoreless middle stanza and extended the lead to 3-1 (14:03). Nicholas Jones angled a pass from the right circle to the left circle where Bongiovanni went shortside on Stauber and sniped the puck over his shoulder.

Stauber marked 24 saves on 27 shots, and Delia stopped 19 of Rockford’s 20 shots.

Next Home Game
It’s another $2 Beer Friday on Friday, Dec. 8 when the IceHogs take on the San Diego Gulls! Every Friday home game is a $2 Beer Friday, featuring $2 cans of Bud Light, Budweiser, and Busch Light available at numerous concession areas through the end of the second intermission. Not a beer drinker? You can get a 12-oz soft drink for just $2 every Friday as well!

Tune In LIVE on the IceHogs Broadcast Network Presented by BMO
Watch and listen to every game this season on the IceHogs Broadcast Network presented by BMO! Listen from your favorite device, at home, or on the road at IceHogs.com and on the IceHogs app and watch LIVE on AHLTV and selected games in High Definition on 19.2 Circle TV! Fans can also tune in on all of Mid-West Family’s local stations including 104.9 The X, B103, 95.3 The Bull, and Rockford Greatest Hits 100.5 and featured on Rock River Current, the Stateline’s premiere source for local events, news and culture.