WEEK 26 REPORT: HOGS WIN 4TH STRAIGHT, CLOSE IN ON PLAYOFFS

PLAYOFF PRIMER

BACON BITS
-The Rockford IceHogs swept last week’s three-game slate with a pair of victories in Manitoba and a win over the San Jose Barracuda at home on Saturday...The IceHogs have now won four straight games and notched points in 14 of the last 17 contests dating to Feb. 18...Rockford is 12-3-1-1 over that span.

-The IceHogs’ magic number has dropped to just eight following the team’s recent run of success...The Hogs have moved into playoff position to rank fourth in the Central Division with 82 points and an overall record of 37-25-4-4...Rockford is seven points clear of the fifth-place Milwaukee Admirals entering this week’s action.

-Defenseman Adam Clendening was named the CCM/AHL Player of the Week for the period ending April 2, 2018...Clendening produced multi-point efforts in each of his three games last week and finished tied for the league lead in scoring with seven points (2g, 5a) in that span...He is Rockford’s second player to win the award this year and first defenseman since Dustin Byfuglien on Oct. 21, 2007.

-Chris DiDomenico has logged points in a season-high eight straight games dating to March 16...The streak currently ranks as the longest for an IceHogs skater this season, surpassing the previous season-high mark of six contests by Vinnie Hinostroza and Adam Clendening...DiDomenico shares the league lead with 12 points (4g, 8a) over his last eight games since the beginning of the streak on March 16.

-Matthew Highmore returned from the Blackhawks on March 26 and has tallied three points (1g, 2a) in two contests since rejoining Rockford...The AHL All-Star has points in six of his last seven contests and is second on the team in overall scoring with 38 points (22g, 16a) in 58 games this season.

-Goaltender Jeff Glass earned a win against both Manitoba and San Jose last week and has now won five of his last six appearances...Glass now ranks first on the IceHogs with 15 wins this season and is just two victories shy of tying his career-high mark of 17 wins during the 2008-09 season with the Binghamton Senators.

UPCOMING GAMES
Wednesday, April 4 | Rockford at San Antonio (7 p.m.) The Rockford IceHogs open a four-game road trip with a Wednesday matchup against the San Antonio Rampage. Rockford is 2-2-0-1 thus far in the series with San Antonio.

Friday, April 6 | Rockford at Texas (7:30 p.m.) The Hogs play back-to-back games at the Texas Stars, beginning with Friday’s contest at H-E-B Center at Cedar Park. Rockford is 2-0-0-0 thus far in the series with the Stars.

Saturday, April 7 | Rockford at Texas (7 p.m.) The IceHogs cap their Texas swing with a Saturday night matchup against the Stars. The Hogs have outscored the Stars 8-3 through the first two contests of the 2017-18 series.