Week 7 Report: Hogs Continue Winning Ways at Home

BACON BITS

The IceHogs split their weekend series with Grand Rapids, dropping a road game Friday 5-2 before rebounding with a 5-2 win Saturday at the BMO Harris Bank Center. The IceHogs have won six of their last eight games and are 8-4-0-0 since snapping a season-opening three-game skid. Rockford's eight wins since Oct. 18 are the fourth-most in the AHL behind only Milwaukee (9), Springfield (9) and Tucson (9).

Rockford has won six of its last seven home games after defeating the Griffins on Saturday. The Hogs' six total wins at home are tied for the most in the Western Conference and second-most in the entire AHL behind only Hartford (8). In addition, the Hogs are unbeaten at home this season when scoring at least three goals (0-3-0-0 with fewer than 3).

Kevin Lankinen notched his fourth consecutive win with a career-high 42 saves Saturday against Grand Rapids. Lankinen has allowed two or fewer goals in four straight games and limited opponents to no more than three goals in each of his last eight starts dating to last season. He boasts a 2.22 GAA and .925 save percentage over those eight games.

Dylan Sikura matched a season-high with eight shots on goal Friday and finished the week with 11 shots over two games. Friday marked the 25th game in which Sikura has fired four or more shots on goal during his career. He finished 11th among rookies in shots on goal last season despite playing in only 46 games and is currently ranks fourth in the league with his 61 shots this season.

Philip Holm netted his third goal of the season Friday at Grand Rapids. He currently leads the IceHogs in scoring with 10 points this season, is tied for sixth among league defensemen in goals and ranks tied for 12th in total points. Including his goal Friday, Holm enters the week with seven points (1g, 6a) over his last eight games.

Brandon Hagel posted his first career multi-point game with a goal and an assist Saturday. Hagel is in his first full professional season after notching 102 points with Red Deer in the Western Hockey League in 2018-19. The forward has found the scoresheet in four of the last six games and collected five points (3g, 2a) over those six contests.

UPCOMING GAMES

Saturday, Nov. 23 | Rockford at Texas (7 p.m.) The Rockford IceHogs kick off their Texas swing with a Saturday night showdown at the Stars. Texas won five of eight games in last year's series, including three of four on its home ice.

Sunday, Nov. 24 | Rockford at San Antonio (3 p.m.) The Hogs head to San Antonio for the first road game of their 2019-20 series with the Rampage. The IceHogs are 1-0-0-0 in the series this year with a 6-2 victory at the BMO on Oct. 30.

BUD LIGHT MONTHLY MONDAY HOG TALK AT SKYBOX

Bud Light Hog Talk returns Monday, Dec. 2 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. 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 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.