DES MOINES, IA – The Rockford IceHogs cap a three-game road trip with a Monday-evening divisional showdown against the Iowa Wild at Wells Fargo Arena.
Puck drop is at 7 p.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 6:30 p.m. IceHogs fans can also listen to the game at sportsfanradio1330.com or watch live at AHLlive.com (subscription required).
Matchup: The IceHogs (32-24-4-4, 5th Central) furthered their playoff push by extending their point streak to six straight games with a victory over the Chicago Wolves on Saturday. The Hogs are 4-0-1-1 during their current streak and boast a 7-2-1-1 clip over their last 11 games since Feb. 18.
Matheson Iacopelli lit the lamp in Rockford’s most recent contest for his 10th marker on the year. With the tally, the IceHogs have now featured eight different skaters with double-digit goals in 2017-18, including five AHL rookies. Iacopelli joins fellow rookies Matthew Highmore, Tyler Sikura, Anthony Louis and William Pelletier with double-digit goals on the campaign.
Louis matched Iacopelli with a point on Saturday and has now found the scoresheet in each of his last three contests. The forward leads Rockford in both scoring (37 points) and assists (25), and enters tonight’s game tied for fifth among AHL rookies in helpers. Louis has collected three of his assists against Iowa and has four total points in the season series with the Wild.
Iowa (30-19-9-5, 3rd Central) was routed 7-3 by the Wolves last night and is just 4-2-2-2 over its last 10 contests. The Wild currently lead the IceHogs in winning percentage in the Central Division by .024 points, and own a one-point edge in the overall season series with a 5-3-2-0 record to Rockford’s 5-4-1-0 mark.
Forward Cal O’Reilly paces Iowa’s attack against the IceHogs with nine points (1g, 8a) in 10 games. He is shares the team lead in and is tied for ninth overall in the league with 52 total points this year after combining for 12 goals and 40 assists in 62 appearances. Fellow Wild forward Sam Anas has also compiled 52 points (20g, 20a) and is the team’s lone 20-goal scorer in 2017-18.
Between the pipes, Niklas Svedberg and Steve Michalek have appeared in 48 combined contests. Svedberg is 18-11-6 with a 2.52 GAA in 36 contests, while Michalek is 11-6-5 with a 3.16 GAA in 22 games.
Next Home Game: Friday, March 23 | Rockford vs. Milwaukee
The IceHogs host the Milwaukee Admirals at 7 p.m. at the BMO Harris Bank Center. Friday’s contest is Country Night with a live musical performance from local country band, “StateLine,” who will perform both pre and postgame on Friday. The first 2,500 fans in attendance can also complete their “Our Town, Our Team” bobblehead series with a free bobblehead of current Green Bay Packers defensive end and Rockford native, Dean Lowry.