RECAP: Hogs Tame Wild in 6-2 Beatdown

Rockford, Ill. - The Screw City IceHogs defeated the Iowa Wild 6-2 Friday night at the BMO Center. The IceHogs won their first game at home this season thanks to a three-goal start in the first period and two strikes on the power play.

The Orland Park, Illinois native David Gust started things off early in the first period with the opening goal while stickhandling between two defensemen for his third goal of the year (4:16). Skating from the blue line to the slot, Gust took a wrist shot from the slot, and the puck snuck past Wild netminder Jesper Wallstedt.

With five minutes left in the first period, a tic-tac-toe play gave Ryder Rolston a shot in the low slot to give Screw City a 2-0 lead (15:02). Anders Bjork skated into the right corner before giving a pass to Mike Hardman who shuffled the puck to Rolston for the second goal of the game.

A power-play opportunity off a cross-checking penalty from Iowa gave Screw City the odd-man advantage. Brett Seney, waiting all alone at the blue line, took a wrist shot and scored a power-play goal on a pass from Ethan Del Mastro (17:36).

Physicality was the theme for the second act. In the first 10 minutes of the second period, four penalties were called between both teams. Screw City used the adrenaline to increase their lead. A loose puck traveling towards the blue line found the stick of Isaak Phillips, who then sent a shot in front of the net where Logan Nijhoff tipped the puck into the back of the net for his first AHL goal (9:36).

Michal Teply found twine late in the second thanks to Rolston. The rookie Rolston stole the puck from the Wild in their defensive zone and skated around the boards before leaving the puck for Teply in the slot to score the fifth goal of the game (15:27).

Iowa responded to Screw City’s 5-0 lead with a goal scored by Kyle Masters from the blue line to put the Wild on the board (17:49).

The third period started with a 4-on-4, Iowa’s Mike O’Leary and Screw City’s Josh Healey were charged with roughing. Two minutes into the third, Greg Meireles scored from a shot in the slot to cut the IceHogs’ lead 5-2 (1:27).

The Wild were charged with another penalty in the third on Ryan O’Rourke for interference. An odd-man rush on the ensuing power play led Joey Anderson and Seney crashing towards the net with Anderson scoring Rockford's second power-play goal to respond to Iowa’s two previous goals (8:09).

The IceHog’s scored in two of their three power-play opportunities. So far this season, they scored seven power-play goals. Screw City holds a league best power-play percentage of 46.7% and are tied for first with the most power-play goals.

IceHogs goaltender Jaxson Stauber finished his first win of the season with 23 saves on 25 Iowa shots.

The IceHogs return to the BMO Center tomorrow to host the Grand Rapids Griffins. Puck drop is set for 7 p.m.