BACON BITS
The Rockford IceHogs have won a season-high four straight games and five of the last six contests since Jan. 19. Rockford is now just three points in back of Milwaukee for fourth place in the Central Division and a potential playoff spot.
The IceHogs won their eighth overtime game during Saturday’s contest at Milwaukee to improve to 8-3 in games decided in OT. Rockford is tied for the most OT games (17) and OT wins in the AHL, and its eight overall OT wins are the most in a single season during the IceHogs’ AHL affiliation.
The Hogs are concluding a stretch of 40 consecutive games against opponents from the Central Division this week. Rockford last faced an opponent outside of its own division on Oct. 27 against the Cleveland Monsters, and will break the 40-game stretch with Wednesday’s matchup against the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. The IceHogs went 17-16-2-5 against the Central Division over the 40 games.
Rockford has scored 3+ goals in four straight games and in five of the last six contests dating to Jan. 19. The IceHogs have totaled 15 goals in their last four games, good for an average of 3.75 goals/game in that span. Including each of the two wins last week, Rockford is 19-1-1-1 when scoring at least three goals.
Terry Broadhurst has logged points in a season-high five straight games since snapping his season-high 17-game scoreless skid. Broadhurst has two goals and four assists during his streak, and the five-game streak is tied with Anthony Louis and Tyler Sikura for the longest point streaks among all IceHogs skaters this season. Broadhurst is also tied for 14th in the AHL in scoring during his streak.
Anton Forsberg has allowed two or fewer goals in four of his last five appearances since Jan. 15. The netminder has won back-to-back games for the first time this season during that stretch and boasts a 2.01 GAA and .934 save percentage over that five-game span.
UPCOMING GAMES
Wednesday, Feb. 6 | Rockford vs Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (7 p.m.) The IceHogs face a non-divisional foe for the first time since late October when they host the Penguins on Wednesday. Fans can bring their dog to the contest for Wednesday Dog Days, and the first 2,000 fans through the doors will receive a free slice of pizza, courtesy of Papa John’s.
Friday, Feb. 8 | Rockford vs Tucson (7 p.m.) The Hogs host Tucson for the first time in team history on Friday night at the BMO Harris Bank Center. The first 1,000 fans ages 21 and older in attendance will receive a free IceHogs grill brush, courtesy of Bud Light.
Saturday, Feb. 9 | Rockford vs Tucson (6 p.m.) Rockford caps a two-game weekend with a Saturday night showdown against the Roadrunners. The first 1,000 fans through the doors will receive a free IceHogs sock money, courtesy of Midway Village Museum.
BUD LIGHT MONTHLY MONDAY HOG TALK AT VINTAGE 501:
Bud Light Hog Talk returns to Vintage 501 on Monday, Feb.4. Vintage 501 is located in downtown Rockford at 501 E. State St. Fans can join broadcaster Joseph Zakrzewski from 6-7 p.m. on the first Monday of every month throughout the season as the duo chats with IceHogs players, coaches and front office members. For those unable to attend the show in-person, Monday’s show will be streaming live on IceHogs.com. “Bud Light Hog Talk” will also be available on www.icehogs.com following the live show. Fans can access the podcast through the “Audio Highlights” link in the “Multimedia” menu. Tonight's guests are defenseman Blake Hillman and forward Luke Johnson.
ICEHOGS BROADCASTING NETWORK:
Catch the IceHogs this season on WIFR’s 23.2 Antenna TV. The games can also be viewed on Comcast Cable channel 434, Charter Cable channel 194, Dish Network channel 252 or Mediacom 102 in the Rockford market and online through watchtheAHL.com. Each TV broadcast will start with “IceHogs Warm Up” 30 minutes prior to puck drop. Fans can also listen to the action for free at sportsfanradio1330.com, facebook.com/rockfordicehogs and IceHogs.com. For a complete listing of TV stations carrying IceHogs games, visit IceHogs.com, and for the complete schedule of radio broadcasts, visit sportsfanradio1330.com.
TICKETS ON SALE FOR 2018-19!
IceHogs individual game tickets can be purchased by calling (815) 968-5222 to reserve your seats for any regular season home game during the 2018-19 season. Tickets can also be purchased online at IceHogs.com, in person at the BMO Harris Bank Center Box Office in downtown Rockford or at any Ticketmaster outlet, including Walmart.