WEEK 22 RECAP - ICEHOGS TAKE THREE OUT OF FOUR POINTS AT HOME

Rockford keeps pace in West with strong weekend at the BMO

Week 22 Recap:
The IceHogs faced a steep task in Week 22 as the top two teams in the Western Conference visited the BMO on back-to-back nights. They fared well, taking three out of four points by beating Oklahoma City 5-1 on Friday and falling in overtime to Grand Rapids 3-2 on Saturday. While Rockford’s four-game winning streak was snapped at the hands of the Griffins, the IceHogs have now picked up points in five straight games and eight of their last 10, sitting four points back of the Griffins for first in the Midwest Division and the Western Conference.

Week 22 Results:
Friday, March 6, Oklahoma City 1 vs. Rockford 5
Saturday, March 7, Grand Rapids 3 vs. Rockford 2 (OT)

Week 23 Schedule:
Saturday, March 14 at Grand Rapids, 7 p.m.
Sunday, March 15 at Chicago, 3 p.m.

Bacon Bits:

-The IceHogs played two straight games against teams ranked atop the Western Conference, picking up three of a maximum four points

-As of Monday, the IceHogs are in fourth place in the conference with 73 points, four back from the Griffins for the Midwest Division and Western Conference lead

-Rockford ran their point streak to five straight games (4-0-1-0) in Week 22

-Over their past 10 games, Rockford is 7-2-0-1 and of those 10 outings, eight of them have come against teams currently in the top eight in the Western Conference

-The IceHogs have sold out six of their last eight games dating back to Jan. 24

-During those eight games, Rockford is averaging 6,064 per contest

-The IceHogs are now averaging 4,866 fans per game

-Last season, the IceHogs averaged a franchise record 4,804 fans per game

-Defenseman Zach Miskovic has points in three-straight games, totaling 1g-3a-4pts

-In his first 30 games this season, Miskovic only recorded one goal and two assists

-After their 5-1 win over Oklahoma City on Friday night, the IceHogs now show a record of 12-4-1-1 against the AHL’s West Division this season

-Defenseman Stephen Johns scored his first goal of the season, along with two assists on Friday against the Barons, finishing the game with a +3 rating

-The three-point game was the second straight multi-point performance for Johns, who grabbed two assists on Feb. 28 in Texas

-The rookie defenseman has 13 points (1g-12a) in 35 games this year, and is tied for second (first among blueliners) on the IceHogs roster with a +18 rating

-Newly acquired forward Spencer Abbott scored a goal and an assist on Friday in what was his Rockford debut

-Center Peter Regin extended a point-scoring streak to four games, picking up a goal on Friday and an assist on Saturday

-Regin has found the score sheet in seven of his last nine outings, picking up three goals and four assists over that stretch

-Second-year forward Garret Ross notched his team-leading 18th goal of the season on Friday and now shows 18g-18a-36pts in 52 games, surpassing his rookie total of 15g-19a-34pts in 74 games from a season ago

-Since Dec. 31, IceHogs goaltender Michael Leighton is 8-3-1-1 in 14 appearances with a .942 save percentage and a 1.71 goals against average

-The IceHogs have the lowest goals against average in the Western Conference at 2.33 goals allowed per contest

-After this weekend’s two-game road trip to Grand Rapids and Chicago, Rockford will have 16 games remaining, including 10 on home ice and just six on the road

Hot Hog: Week 22
Zach Miskovic Defenseman (2GP, 1G, 2A, 3PTS, +3)

Stepping up with a rare offensive outburst, defenseman Zach Miskovic paced the IceHogs offense in Week 22 with three points (1g-2a), running his personal point streak to three-straight games. Miskovic began the week with an assist on Friday night in Rockford’s 5-1 win over Oklahoma City. The veteran d-man then figured in on both of Rockford’s goals on Saturday as the IceHogs picked up a crucial point in a 3-2 overtime loss to Grand Rapids. Miskovic helped set up Rockford’s first goal and then gave the Hogs a third period lead with his second marker on the season. Overall, Miskovic has totaled seven points (2g-5a) with a +1 rating in 33 games.

Upcoming Games:
Saturday, March 14 at Grand Rapids Griffins: Game time is set for 7 p.m. The IceHogs travel to the Van Andel Arena to face the Griffins in another key Midwest Division showdown. All-time in Michigan, the Hogs hold a record of 9-10-1-4, but have won both previous visits this season.

Sunday, March 15 at Chicago Wolves: Face-off is at 3 p.m. After not facing their in-state rivals for over six weeks, the IceHogs meet with the Wolves for the penultimate game in the 2014-15 Illinois Lottery Cup series. Rockford can clinch their second Lottery Cup with a win at Allstate Arena on Sunday, a building they are 3-2-0-0 so far this year.

Bud Light Hog Talk Monday Night At Mulligan’s and Grill:
Bud Light Hog Talk returns on Monday, March 9 at Mulligan’s Pub and Grill from 6-7 p.m. Mulligan’s is located on North Main St. Fans can join Mike Peck or TJ Hogan from 6-7 p.m. on most Mondays throughout the season, as they chat with IceHogs players, coaches and front office members. The show will feature forwards Drew LeBlanc and Dane Walters. Take advantage of food and Bud Light specials at Mulligan’s. The show will be re-aired on Tuesdays from 7-8 p.m. on WIFR’s 23.2 “Antenna TV.”

The IceHogs Broadcasting Network:
Catch every IceHogs game, home and road, in 2014-15 on WIFR’s 23.2, “Antenna TV.” The games can also be viewed on Comcast Cable channel 436, Charter Cable channel 193 or Mediacom 101 in the Rockford market and online through AHLLive.com. Fans can also listen to the action for free on AHLLive.com. For a complete listing of TV stations carrying IceHogs games, visit IceHogs.com. Every broadcast will start with the IceHogs Warm Up 30 minutes prior to puck drop.

Tickets On Sale for 2014-2015!
IceHogs individual game tickets are now on sale! Call (815) 968-5222 to reserve your seats for any IceHogs regular season game during the 2014-15 season. Tickets can also be purchased online at IceHogs.com, in person at the BMO Harris Bank Center Box Office in downtown Rockford, or any Ticketmaster outlet, including Walmart.