RECAP: Hogs Win Sixth Straight after Cates Scores Twice in Four-Goal First Period

Game Recap Presented by IBEW

ROSEMONT, Ill.—Jackson Cates led the Rockford IceHogs to their sixth-straight victory with two goals and an assist in a 4-1 win over the Chicago Wolves at Allstate Arena on Saturday. The Hogs scored four goals in the first period and protected the lead throughout the rest of the game to capture their third straight win over the Wolves.

The six-game win streak is the longest for Rockford since the 2018-19 season. Saturday's win kept the Hogs within two points of the third-place Texas Stars.

Rockford has also scored at least four goals in five straight games for the first time since November of 2022.

Cates led Rockford out of the gates with two goals in the first five-and-a-half minutes of the first period. The two goals gave Cates his second career multi-goal game and his first of the season.

Cates' first strike came via a deflection on Ethan Del Mastro's point shot just over a minute into the first (18:58). Minutes later, Wyatt Kaiser deked across the blueline and fed the puck towards the net where Cates bashed in a rebound (5:27).

Brett Seney continued the hot start for the Hogs by bagging his team-best 18th goal and his 10th power-play tally of the season (9:48). Rem Pitlick and Cole Guttman helped win the puck for Seney who extended his goal streak to four games.

With just over three minutes left in the first, Guttman landed Rockford's fourth goal of the period, tying a season high for the team in one period. Cates fed a wide-open Guttman in the slot for the score (16:51).

Chicago's Josh Melnick scored on the power play to make it 4-1 in the second period (5:39).

Rockford goaltender Drew Commesso picked up his third straight win by stopping 23 of 24 Chicago shots. Commesso has now held the opposition to three or fewer goals in eight straight contests and is 12-12-3-1.