Preview: IceHogs Head East to Take on Lehigh Valley
9 hours ago
ROAD HOGS FACE MORNING MATCHUP WITH WILD
ROCKFORD, Ill. -- The Rockford IceHogs seek to return to their winning ways as they face the Iowa Wild at Wells Fargo Arena Thursday morning. The IceHogs are 2-0-0-0 against the Wild in 2017-18, including an OT road win in the teams’ most recent meeting Oct. 25.
Puck drop is at 10:30 a.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 10:00 a.m. IceHogs fans can also listen to the game at sportsfanradio1330.com or watch live at AHLlive.com (subscription required).
Matchup: The IceHogs (7-4-0-0, 2nd Central) enter the matchup in the midst of a two-game skid after dropping contests in Cleveland and Milwaukee last week.
Defenseman Erik Gustafsson currently boasts the team’s only active point streak (four games), and has recorded six points (2g-4a-6pts) in his last six games to bring his season total to 3g-7a-10pts. He ranks second in team scoring and third among all AHL defensemen.
Rockford has seven players with at least two points against Iowa this season. Matthew Highmore and Matheson Iacopelli each have two goals in the series, while in net, goaltender J.F. Berube boasts a perfect 2-0-0-0 record.
The Wild (3-6-2-0, 7th Central) split their matchup with San Antonio last weekend to mark their lone in their last six outings. Colton Beck leads the team in scoring with 6g-3a-9pts, including two goals against the IceHogs this season. Pat Cannone and Cal O’Reilly follow with seven and six points, respectively.
Niklas Svedberg has served as Iowa’s go-to option between the pipes, having started 10 of their 11 games, prior to being recalled by Minnesota on Wednesday. Adam Vay has otherwise started one game in which he allowed five goals in a 5-4 OTL to Tucson.
Next Home Game: The IceHogs return to the BMO Harris Bank Center on Nov. 10 to take on the San Antonio Rampage on Pucks & Paws Night. Fans are invited to bring their dogs to the BMO for this special occasion, and the first 1,500 through the doors will receive a plush Otis dog toy, courtesy of Riverside Dental. Tickets can be purchased at IceHogs.com, by calling (815) 968-5222 or in-person at the BMO Harris Bank Center Box Office.
