Rockford earns six of eight possible points in Week 25
Week 25 Recap:
Three straight victories to close out Week 25 kept the Rockford IceHogs’ playoff hopes alive as they are now four points out of eighth place in the Western Conference. Rockford started the week on a sour note, dropping a 3-1 decision to Hamilton on Tuesday, but came back on Friday to take a 2-1 win versus Houston thanks to goals from Brian Fahey and Rostislav Olesz. Then on Saturday, Rockford found themselves in a 1-0 hole versus the Aeros early on, but Rob Flick (1g-1a) and Philippe Paradis (2g) helped lift the Hogs to a 4-1 victory. On Sunday, the IceHogs gave up the tying goal to Milwaukee late in the third, but came back to take a 3-2 shootout win. Rockford faces three playoff rivals in Week 26, including home tilts against Peoria and San Antonio before traveling to Milwaukee again.
Week 25 Results
Tuesday, March 20: Hamilton 3 vs. Rockford 1
Friday, March 23: Houston 1 vs. Rockford 2
Saturday, March 24: Houston 1 vs. Rockford 4
Sunday, March 25: Rockford 3 at Milwaukee 2 SO
Week 26 Schedule
Friday, March 30 vs. Peoria, 7:05 p.m.
Saturday, March 31 vs. San Antonio, 7:05 p.m.
Sunday, April 1 at Milwaukee, 3 p.m.
Bacon Bits:
Rockford is three games over .500 for the first time this season
Following the team’s shootout win over Milwaukee on Sunday, Rockford is tied with the Admirals for fourth place in the Midwest Division, the first time since Oct. 29 that the IceHogs were not in fifth place
Rookie winger Rob Flick has 4g-2a-6pts with a +4 in nine March games
In Flick’s prior 31 contests, he tallied 2g-3a-5pts with a -5
Rookie forward Philippe Paradis has 3g-4a-7pts with a +4 over his last nine games
Over his past 14 starts dating back to Feb. 24, Carter Hutton is 11-2-0-1 with a 1.31 GAA and a .951 SPCT
Since suffering a 7-3 loss to the Milwaukee Admirals on Dec. 26, Rockford is 7-0-0-0 against their Midwest Division rivals
Since Feb. 24, Milwaukee is 0-3-0-2 against the IceHogs and 9-3-0-0 against the rest of the AHL
Wade Brookbank tallied his first goal of 2011-12 on Sunday in Milwaukee, his first tally since Feb. 4, 2011, also in Milwaukee
Winger Kyle Beach returned on Friday after missing 57 games due to injury and notched a goal and an assist in three contests over the weekend
Mark McNeill and Terry Broadhurst made their pro debuts with Rockford during Week 25, making seven different players to do so in 2011-12
14 of the 20 skaters in Rockford’s lineup on Sunday in Milwaukee were first or second year players
Since Jan. 7 when Rockford was 12-19-1-3, the team has gone 20-10-1-2 (.651)
On Jan. 12th, Rockford’s GAA was last in the AHL at 3.76 after giving up 139 goals in 37 games
In the 31 games since, Rockford GAA is 2.13, allowing 67 goals, lowering the team’s GAA to 3.03 (24th in the AHL)
Hot Hog: Week 25:
Carter Hutton, Goaltender
Carter Hutton continued his impressive play in goal in the second half of the 2011-12 season with three more wins for Rockford in Week 25. After giving up a pair of goals on Tuesday against Hamilton in a loss to the Bulldogs, Hutton rebounded to sweep the weekend. On Friday, the backstop made 27 saves in a 2-1 win over Houston. Saturday featured a rematch with the Aeros, and again Hutton held them to just one goal in a 17 save performance. Hutton and the IceHogs needed a shootout to top Milwaukee on Sunday as he made 29 saves for his seventh straight win over the Admirals.
Upcoming Games:
Friday, March 30 vs. Peoria Rivermen. The puck drops at 7:05 p.m. The IceHogs and Rivermen meet for a 12th and final time this season when they square off at the BMO Harris Bank Center. It is also Rockford’s final Illinois Lottery Cup matchup of 2011-12. The first 1,500 fans to the game will receive an IceHogs Fitness Towel courtesy of Peak Fitness and the band The Sensations will perform before the game, during each intermission, and after the contest ends.
Saturday, March 31 vs. San Antonio Rampage. Game time is 7:05 p.m. Rockford continues their three-game weekend against San Antonio. It is the fourth and final matchup between the two teams this season. The first 1,500 fans in attendance will receive an IceHogs T-shirt sponsored by Anderson Toyota Scion.
Sunday, March 25 at Milwaukee Admirals. Puck drop is scheduled for 3 p.m. Rockford and Milwaukee faceoff for the 11th of 12 contests in 2011-12. The IceHogs have won seven straight games versus the Admirals dating back to Jan. 22 and have an overall record of 8-1-0-1 against their Midwest Division rivals this season.
Bud Light Hog Talk is Back Tonight:
Bud Light Hog Talk makes its weekly appearance at Granite City Food and Brewery tonight as Mike Peck hosts IceHogs head coach Ted Dent, rookie forward Terry Broadhurst and rookie defenseman Connor Goggin. Granite City is located at 7140 Harrison Ave. next to CherryVale Mall. Fans can join Mike Peck or Stephen Nelson from 6-7 p.m. most Mondays as they chat with IceHogs skaters and coaches. Stop by to take advantage of food and Bud Light specials. If you can't make it to Granite City, tune into 100.5 NTA FM or 1330 AM WNTA.
The IceHogs Broadcasting Network:
Rockford IceHogs fans can catch all of the IceHogs regular and post-season games on the Hogs’ flagship radio station, Rockford’s Voice 100.5 NTA FM and 1330 AM WNTA, and 30 regular season games on ESPN Radio 1380 AM WTJK. Fans can also watch and listen to the Hogs on the World Wide Web with AHL Live! Visit the IceHogs website (icehogs.com) and click on the “click here to watch the AHL Live” icon, and for just $7 you can catch all of the IceHogs action on your computer. Also, fans with Comcast Cable television in Rockford can tune in to Channel 57 for all the IceHogs hockey action at the BMO Harris Bank Center this season. All Saturday home games will also be televised on My Network TV digital subchannel 17.2 along with Comcast and Charter Cable channel 16. The broadcast begins with the U.S. Cellular Pregame Show 30 minutes before the puck drops. Make sure to give your opinion during the Comcast Post-Game Call-In Show following each game at (815) 874-8255.
Tickets Now On Sale!
IceHogs individual game tickets are now on sale! Call (815) 968-5222 to reserve your seats for any IceHogs regular season game during the 2011-12 season. Tickets can also be purchased in person at the BMO Harris Bank Center Box Office in downtown Rockford or on the Web at www.theBMOHarrisBankCenter.com. Tickets start at just $7.