ROCKFORD TIES SERIES WITH CRUCIAL 3-2 WIN

Hogs even series, head back to Chicago on Friday

Rockford, Ill.- The Rockford IceHogs have made the West Division Finals a best-of-three series with a big 3-2 win at the Rockford MetroCentre over the Chicago Wolves.

With two of the final three games in the series scheduled for the Allstate, the next step is to figure out how to win in Rosemont where the IceHogs are without a victory in six attempts.

Martin St. Pierre put the IceHogs up 1-0 in the first. The IceHogs center scored his second goal of the postseason at 16:27 in the first on a power play when he picked up the loose puck on a rebound and shot it over Ondrej Pavelec. The Wolves goaltender was sprawled on the ice after stopping a shot from Derek Nesbitt. Petri Kontiola also had the assist.

Troy Brouwer was responsible for both of the IceHogs two remaining goals. His first came at 2:36 in the second. Pavelec stopped his shot but the puck popped out and rolled into the goal. Niklas Hjalmarsson and St. Pierre were credited with the assists.

Brouwer's second goal came at 19:00 in the second period with assists from Nesbitt and St. Pierre.

The Wolves came back in the third and threatened to tie the game. Brian Fahey put one past Corey Crawford with helpers from Bryan Little and Brett Sterling at 10:26 on the power play.

Then Jesse Schultz blasted the puck in as he was crashing the net at 13:38 to make the score 3-2. Little and Joe Motzko both added the helpers.

But that's as far as they could get at the IceHogs guaranteed a Game 6 back at the Big Orange Box on Sunday. Crawford had 32 saves for the win, while Pavelec had 27 in the losing effort.

The IceHogs were 1-7 on the power play and continue to improve in that category after starting the postseason 0-29. The Wolves finished with one man-advantage goal in six attempts.

The series now moves to the Allstate Arena, where the IceHogs are winless in six attempts between the regular season and playoffs. Now the home team has won 13 of the 14 games between these two teams.

Next Home Game: Sunday, May 11 vs. Chicago Wolves (Game 6). One team will be looking to end the best-of-seven West Division Finals, while the other will be fighting to stay alive and force a Game 7.