Week 3 Report: Hogs Sweep Weekend Set

BACON BITS

The IceHogs snapped a season-opening, three-game skid with back-to-back wins over the Chicago Wolves Friday and Saturday night. The Hogs have now split the first four games against Central Division opponents and enter the week with a win in both their most recent home and road contest.

Rockford has scored the first goal of the game in each of its first five tilts of the 2019-20 season. The Hogs enter the week ranked as the lone team in the AHL to have scored first in each game thus far on the campaign. In addition, Rockford's five total games scoring first is tied for most in the AHL (also Charlotte and Toronto).

The IceHogs remain unbeaten when outshooting opponents following their back-to-back victories over the weekend. Rockford combined to outshoot the Wolves 72-64 Friday and Saturday. Conversely, the Hogs are 0-3-0-0 when being outshot by the opposition.

Tyler Sikura notched the IceHogs' first multi-point effort of the 2019-20 season with a pair of goals against the Wolves Saturday. Sikura's two-goal game marked just his second multi-goal effort of his AHL career and first since lighting the lamp twice on April 7, 2018 at Texas (57 games since his last multi-goal game).

Dylan Sikura notched his second two-game point streak of the season with a goal Friday and assist Saturday. Sikura has found the scoresheet in four of five games this season and 14 of his last 19 AHL contests dating to last season. He also fired a team season-high eight shots on goal Saturday, which is just one shot shy of the top mark from the entire 2018-19 campaign by Henri Jokiharju and Darren Raddysh.

Dylan and Tyler Sikura rank first and tied for second, respectively, among team skaters in scoring entering the week. The duo has combined for seven points in five games as of Monday.

The IceHogs were held scoreless on the power play for the fifth straight game Saturday. Rockford is 0-for-18 on the power play and remains the lone team in the AHL to have yet to score a power-play goal.

UPCOMING GAMES

Friday, Oct. 25 | Rockford at Cleveland (6 p.m.) The Rockford IceHogs seek a second straight road win as they open their 2019-20 season series with the Cleveland Monsters at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Rockford won just one of four games against the Monsters last season.

Saturday, Oct. 26 | Rockford at Cleveland (Noon) The Hogs cap a two-game weekend set in Cleveland with a noon matchup against the Monsters. The contest is Rockford's final road game until Nov. 10, when the team travels to Chicago.

BUD LIGHT MONTHLY MONDAY HOG TALK AT SKYBOX

Bud Light Hog Talk returns Tuesday, Nov. 12 at Skybox. The new venue is located inside the Indoor Sports Center at Mercyhealth Sportscore Two at 8800 E Riverside Blvd, Loves Park. Fans can join broadcaster Joseph Zakrzewski from 6-7 p.m. once per month throughout the season as he chats with IceHogs players, coaches and front office members. For those unable to attend the show in-person, the show will be streaming live on IceHogs.com. “Bud Light Hog Talk” will also be available on www.icehogs.com following the live show.

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 2019-20!

IceHogs individual game tickets can be purchased by calling (815) 968-5222 to reserve your seats for any regular season home game during the 2019-20 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.