Preview: IceHogs Conclude Road Trip in Des Moines
15 hours ago
WEEK 27 REPORT: HOGS STORM DOWN STRETCH WITH PLAYOFFS IN SIGHT
PLAYOFF PRIMER
BACON BITS
The Rockford IceHogs won two of three games last week to enter Monday’s action with a magic number of just one... The Hogs can now clinch a berth in the 2017-18 Calder Cup playoffs with either a point on Tuesday against Iowa, or Milwaukee loss vs. Chicago on Tuesday...Rockford has won 14 of the last 20 games and notched points in 16 of those 20 contests dating back to Feb. 18...Rockford is 14-4-1-1 during that stretch of 20 games.
The IceHogs posted a pair of season-high streaks through Friday prior to snapping each streak with a loss on Saturday...The Hogs won a season-high six straight games from March 24 - April 6, and collected points in a season-high nine straight road games from March 10 - April 6...Rockford went 7-0-1-1 on the road over that span.
Forward Chris DiDomenico logged points in a season-high 10 straight games through Friday’s contest at Texas...DiDomenico concluded the streak a total of 14 points on five goals and nine assists over those 10 games...His streak ranks tied for the fifth-longest point streak in the AHL this season, and was the longest point streak for an IceHogs skater since Jeremy Morin’s 13-gamer during the 2013-14 season.
Forward Tyler Sikura has points in three straight games and has now found the scoresheet in 10 of his last 11 contests since March 16...Sikura has three multi-point efforts over that span and ranks sixth in the AHL with 13 total points (6g, 7a) during those 11 games...In addition, he begins the week tied for third among all AHL rookies with a +21 rating on the season.
Forward Matthew Highmore has logged points in four of five games since being assigned from Chicago, including three multi-point efforts...Highmore now has 11 points (3g, 8a) over his last 10 games, and leads the IceHogs with 42 total points on the year.
Goaltender Collin Delia is unbeaten in regulation over his last 11 AHL appearances since Feb. 18 (his last regulation loss was Feb. 9)...Delia is 9-0-1-1 with a 2.04 GAA and .925 SV% over that 11-game stretch.
UPCOMING GAMES
Tuesday, April 10 | Rockford at Iowa (7 p.m.) The Rockford IceHogs cap a four-game road trip with a Tuesday evening contest against the Iowa Wild...Rockford can clinch a playoff berth with a victory over Iowa at the Wells Fargo Arena.
Friday, April 13 | Chicago vs. Rockford (7 p.m.) The IceHogs host their regular-season home finale with an Illinois Lottery Cup series showdown with the Chicago Wolves. Friday is Fan Appreciation Night and the first 2,500 fans in attendance will receive a free copy of this season’s team photo, courtesy of American Solutions for Business. In addition, the first 2,500 fans will also receive a scratch-off card to win a variety of prizes from the IceHogs and local businesses.
Saturday, April 14 | Rockford at Chicago (7 p.m.) Rockford concludes the 2017-18 regular season with the final matchup of the Illinois Lottery Cup series against the Chicago Wolves. The Hogs enter the set of back-to-back games against Chicago with a record of 6-4-0-0 against the Wolves in 2017-18.
BUD LIGHT MONTHLY MONDAY HOG TALK AT VINTAGE 501
Bud Light Hog Talk returns to Vintage 501 on Monday, April 16. Vintage 501 is located in downtown Rockford at 501 E. State St. Fans can join broadcasters Joseph Zakrzewski and Brittany Toolis 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 for the 16th are defenseman Carl Dahlstrom and forward Henrik Samuelsson.
ICEHOGS BROADCASTING NETWORK
Catch every IceHogs game, home and road, in 2017-18 on WIFR’s Cozi TV on 23.3. 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 AHLLive.com. Every 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 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 2017-18!
IceHogs individual game tickets can be purchased by calling (815) 968-5222 to reserve your seats for any regular season home game during the 2017-18 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.
