Commesso, Balanced Offense Lead Hogs
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WEEK 21 REPORT: HOGS' POINT STREAK SNAPPED AT FOUR
BACON BITS
The Rockford IceHogs notched points in two of three games last week, defeating Grand Rapids on the road and picking up a point in a shootout loss at Hershey. The Hogs pushed their point streak to four games with the SOL against the Bears and capped the week with a 9-3-0-1 record over their last 13 games since Jan. 25.
The Hogs have scored a power-play goal in seven of the last nine games since Feb. 6. The power-play unit is 8-for-39 (20.5%) with the man-advantage over that time.
Rockford’s penalty kill has rebounded from a tough stretch to allow just one power-play goal over the last four games. The IceHogs’ PK unit surrendered a PPG to the Griffins, but has killed off 10 of the last 11 opposing PP opportunities.
Peter Holland was acquired from the New York Rangers on Feb. 18. and logged points in two of his first three games with Rockford. The forward has registered points in 33 of his 55 games this season, including 14 multi-point efforts, and currently ranks tied for fourth in the league in scoring with 52 total points.
Henri Jokiharju tied Rockford’s longest point streak of the season in just his ninth AHL contest by picking up points in five straight games. He has now recorded a point in seven of 10 contests for the IceHogs and combined for nine points with one goal and nine assists. Jokiharju enters the week ranked third among AHL defensemen in points since making his AHL debut on Feb. 1.
Luke Johnson is third in the AHL in goals since Jan. 25 with eight goals in 13 games during that stretch. Johnson also leads Rockford in points over this last 13 games with a point-per-game average on eight goals and five assists. Through just 36 games, the forward has already matched his career-high total of 13 goals and is just six points shy of his career-best 30 points in 73 contests during the 2017-18 season.
UPCOMING GAMES
Tuesday, Feb. 26 | Rockford at Chicago (7 p.m.) The IceHogs travel to Rosemont for the final road game of the 2018-19 Illinois Lottery Cup series. Rockford currently leads the Wolves in the Cup standings with a record of 5-3-1-0 through nine contests.
Friday, March 1 | Rockford vs Grand Rapids (7 p.m.) The Hogs host Grand Rapids on Country Night at the BMO Harris Bank Center. Local country band, The Ethan Bell Band, will perform live throughout the evening, and the first 1,500 fans in attendance will receive a free IceHogs bandana, thanks to Texas Roadhouse.
BUD LIGHT MONTHLY MONDAY HOG TALK AT VINTAGE 501
Bud Light Hog Talk returns to Vintage 501 on Monday, March 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. The expected guests will be announced at a later date.
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.
