Everything Else

High On The Hog: Rough Weekend In Texas

By Jon Fromi 1647 0

The Rockford IceHogs dropped the first two games of what will be a three-game road trip in Texas. The IceHogs picked up a standings point Friday against the Texas Stars, but lost that game in Gus Macker Time before losing the following night in San Antonio.

In losing 4-3 to the Rampage, San Antonio leapfrogged the Hogs in the Central Division standings. Rockford (16-16-3-5) is now in seventh place in the division.

 

Roster Activity

Defenseman Neil Manning was brought back from the Indy Fuel of the ECHL on Wednesday. Going to Indy (on paper at least) was defenseman Luc Snuggerud, who returned to the Hogs the following day.

Snuggerud has been inactive since a concussion suffered on November 3. Perhaps this is a sign that he is ready to begin skating in Indy or Rockford soon.

Also being assigned to the Fuel was forward Matheson Iacopelli. Like last season, Iacopelli has found it difficult to secure steady ice time in Rockford. He’s appeared in 25 games with the IceHogs this season with two goals and two assists.

On Sunday, defenseman Brandon Davidson was loaned to Rockford by the Blackhawks after he cleared waivers earlier this week. Jan Rutta, who Chicago had sent to the Hogs a month ago, was traded Friday to Tampa Bay.

Recaps

Friday, January 11-Texas 4, Rockford 3 (SO)

This back and forth contest was settled in penalty shots, where veteran Stars forward Travis Morin got the only puck into a net to limit the Hogs to a point in the standings.

Texas took a 1-0 lead with a power play goal by Joel L’Esperance, who put a rebound past Rockford goalie Kevin Lankinen at 12:41 of the first period. The IceHogs drew even late in the period while on the man advantage. Lankinen had just stopped a shorthanded attempt by the Stars James Phelan. Rockford came down the ice, scoring with 44 seconds left when Dylan Sikura knocked in a pass from Andreas Martinsen.

Denis Gurianov put Texas up 2-1 midway through the second period. Late in the period, Nathan Noel tied the game with an outstanding individual effort for a shorthanded goal. An Anthony Louis power play goal 4:38 into the third period gave Rockford a 3-2 advantage. Texas, however, tied it up at 15:42 with Gurianov’s second goal of the night.

It was a scoreless overtime before Morin beat Lankinen in the shootout. Viktor Edjsell, Sikura and Louis all came up empty on their attempts.

 

Saturday, January 12-San Antonio 4, Rockford 3

Jordan Schroeder had a two-goal evening…but so did the Rampage’s Jordan Nolan. The veteran’s three-point night proved to be too much for the Hogs.

Trevor Smith hit a one-timer from the slot that zipped past Rockford goalie Anton Forsberg and into the net 7:43 into the opening period. The IceHogs tied the score early in the second. Luke Johnson dropped a pass to Dylan Sikura above the right circle. His attempt found its way past San Antonio goalie Jared Coreau at the 1:29 mark.

The Rampage built a 3-1 lead in the second period on strikes by Tanner Kaspick and Nolan. The IceHogs closed the gap to 3-2 4:23 into the third after a faceoff win by Johnson. Schroeder gathered in the puck in front of the San Antonio crease and lifted home the goal past Coreau’s blocker.

San Antonio caught the Hogs napping midway through the third. Nolan took a stretch pass from Joey LaLeggia, skated to the high slot and beat Forsberg to the cord for a 4-2 Rampage lead at the 11:05 mark. Schroeder got his second goal with ten seconds to play with Forsberg on the bench, assisted by Darren Raddysh and Viktor Ejdsell. Unfortunately for Rockford, time ran out on the comeback bid.

 

Coming Up

The IceHogs finish the road trip with a rematch with the Rampage on Tuesday night. Rockford then comes back to the BMO Harris Bank Center for a Friday tilt with Grand Rapids. Saturday night, the Hogs visit Rosemont for a game with the Wolves.

Follow me @JonFromi on twitter for thoughts on the IceHogs all season long.

 

 

Everything Else

High On The Hog: Snapping With Style

By Jon Fromi 1373 0

The Rockford IceHogs, AHL affiliate to the Chicago Blackhawks, split a home-and-home with the Central Division-leading Iowa Wild this weekend. The piglets won the back half of the two-game series, exploding for six goals to break a six-game losing skid.

The IceHogs, now 16-15-3-4, remain in sixth place in the Central Division with a .513 points percentage. Rockford is now steeling itself for a Texas road trip that will see the Hogs play in Texas Friday night before games with San Antonio on Saturday and Tuesday.

 

Roster Activity

The IceHogs get a boost in the form of Dylan Sikura and Andreas Martinsen, who were sent to Rockford on Saturday. Both took part in the Hogs 6-2 win over Iowa Sunday.

In Sikura, Rockford gains speed and play-making ability as the organization tries to get him big minutes at the AHL level. Sikura was leading the Hogs in points when he was called up last month and had an assist on a Jacob Nilsson goal Sunday afternoon.

Martinsen, who cleared waivers before being assigned to the IceHogs, spent nearly all of last season with Rockford, putting up 28 points and bringing a very physical element to the mix. The big Norwegian proved to be a productive player in the AHL and should be a key piece for the Hogs moving forward.

Speaking of forwards, Rockford has 15 healthy forwards on the roster. Nick Moutrey, who played Sunday, is nearing the end of his PTO contract. He has two more games left on that agreement, so expect to see some kind of action taken on Moutrey this week.

Viktor Edjsell has now missed nine games with an injury. His return would further crowd the Hogs up front.

Rockford may elect to send a player or two to Indianapolis for a stretch. Matheson Iacopelli, who has been a frequent scratch, went down to the Fuel around this time last season and made a big impact.

Perhaps one of Rockford’s AHL signings, Henrik Samuelsson, Terry Broadhurst, or William Pelletier get sent to the Fuel. Nathan Noel is another prospect that could get minutes in Indy if the team decides there are too many forwards around for now.

In other roster news, Rockford re-assigned defenseman Neil Manning to the ECHL’s Indy Fuel following Sunday’s game. It would seem likely that the team expects to get back Lucas Carlsson and/or Jan Rutta back from injury before the Hogs fly to Texas. If both are ready to return, expect to see D Josh McArdle return to the Fuel late this week.

Minus Manning and McArdle, the Hogs have eight defensemen on the roster. This includes Luc Snuggerud, who was concussed in a game against Iowa on November 3 and has not played since.

 

Fuel Notes

A number of players on AHL contracts with Rockford has spent quite a bit of time with the Fuel, who are 18-16 on the season. Indy is in fourth place in the ECHL’s Central Division. Here’s how the season is going for the Rockford signings in Indy.

F Brett Welychka has six goals and nine assists in 19 games with Indy. F Radovan Bondra has four goals and 11 helpers in 28 games, while F Connor Moynihan has five goals and six assists in 24 games.

Manning has played 29 games in Indy, with 17 points (2 G, 15 A). McArdle has a goal and three assists in 26 appearances.

Goalie Matt Tomkins has been in 26 games for the Fuel. He has a 14-11 record to go with a 3.14 GAA and a .910 save percentage. Tomkins has also been named CCM ECHL Goalie Of The Week on two occasions this season.

 

Recaps

Friday, January 4-Iowa 3, Rockford 0

The IceHogs were shut out for the fifth time in the 2018-19 season on their way to their sixth-straight defeat.

It was a scoreless standoff until the seventh minute of the third period, when Iowa’s Colton Beck sent a wrister from the top of the right circle past the blocker of Hogs goalie Anton Forsberg. Less than a minute later, Will Bitten knocked in a rebound to make it 2-0 Wild. Iowa added an empty net goal by Justin Kloos with 29 seconds remaining in the contest.

Kaapo Kahkonen stopped 26 Rockford shots to record his fifth shutout of the season. The Wild rookie has blanked the Hogs three times this season. Forsberg recorded 31 saves in taking the loss.

Sunday, January 6-Rockford 6, Iowa 2

In breaking their six-game losing streak, the IceHogs scored more goals at the BMO Sunday (6) than in the last six games combined (5). Jacob Nilsson led the way with a hat trick as Rockford finally got some pucks in nets.

Colton Beck spoiled an IceHogs power play with a shorthanded goal midway through the first period. Rockford began the offensive charge early in the middle frame.

Andrew Campbell took a pass from Jordan Schroeder at the left circle. Campbell sent a shot to the net that glanced off of the left pad of Wild goalie Andrew Hammond and tumbled into the cage, tying the score 1-1 at the 1:19 mark.

Iowa regained the lead on the power play, with Justin Kloos getting to the backdoor ahead of Hogs starter Kevin Lankinen. The Hogs trailed 2-1 5:33 into the period but would soon take control of the contest.

Schroeder got to a loose puck in neutral ice and sent it off the half boards and into the Wild zone. Nilsson redirected a nifty backhand pass from Sikura past Hammond at 6:04 of the second to even the score at two goals.

On the subsequent faceoff, the IceHogs got control of the puck behind the Iowa net. Henrik Samuelsson hit Anthony Louis in the high slot. His offering was redirected by Luke Johnson to put Rockford up 3-2 at 6:19 of the second period.

In the final period, Rockford put its foot on the pedal. Louis got things started in the sixth minute, taking a stretch pass from Joni Tuulola and skating down the right side on an odd-man rush. Electing to take the shot, Louis went far side on Hammond and made it 4-2 Hogs at 5:43 of the third.

As time began to run out on the Wild, Nilsson picked off a clearing attempt by Iowa’s Carson Souchy inside the Wild blueline. A few strides and a wrist shot later, the puck settled into the netting behind Hammond and Rockford led 5-2 with 5:17 to play. With help from Andreas Martinsen and Louis, Nilsson completed the hat trick with an empty net goal with 2:49 remaining.

Lankinen made 31 saves in picking up the victory for Rockford. Nilsson, Johnson and Louis were named the Three Stars of the game.

Follow me @JonFromi on twitter for game updates, news and analysis on all things Rockford throughout the season.

 

 

Everything Else

High On The Hog: Help!

By Jon Fromi 1569 0

The Rockford IceHogs, AHL affiliate of the Blackhawks, have a real issue with goal scoring this season. As the midway point of the 2018-19 season approaches, it’s beginning to create some separation in the AHL’s Central Division standings. For the Hogs, that’s not in a good way.

As has been the case for a while now, Rockford is in sixth place in the division. However, the gap between the IceHogs and fifth-place Milwaukee is growing. The Hogs (.514 points percentage) are closer to seventh-place San Antonio (.485) than they are the Admirals (.571).

This week, the IceHogs were on the short end of a pair of 2-1 decisions. Kevin Lankinen and Anton Forsberg kept things close. In the end, Rockford was not up to the task offensively.

The defense, surrendering just 2.83 goals per game, is ranked fifth in the league. It’s a crying shame the organization doesn’t put some goal-scorers on this team every year. Right now, the IceHogs are made up of prospects and a couple of decent complimentary scorers.

As of this morning, the Hogs are still dead last in the AHL in scoring. Their figure has dropped over the last five games to 2.22 goals per contest. RFD has scored 0, 2, 1,1 and 1 in those past five. To the surprise of no one, the piglets have lost all five of those games.

If RFD is going to pick it up in the second half, some of the kids need to start finding the net. They also are going to need some help in the form of veteran pickups.

Last year, Stan Bowman filled the scoring needs with some trade deadline acquisitions, as well as assigning some players from the bottom of the Hawks roster. The bolstered Hogs reached the conference final. Two years ago, things went sour in Rockford when the team was not shored up with needed talent.

The organization may not start making moves for a few weeks yet. That means that the IceHogs are going to have to start treading water and hope help arrives.

 

All-Star Selections

The AHL announced the rosters for the leagues All-Star Classic in Springfield, Massachusetts at the end of this month. Andrew Campbell was named a captain of the Western Conference squad back on December 20. Goalie Collin Delia, who is currently playing with the Blackhawks, was also named from the Central Division.

 

Roster Moves

On Thursday, the IceHogs brought up defensemen Josh McArdle and Neil Manning from the Indy Fuel. Though Dennis Gilbert was back in the lineup this week after missing a few games, Lucas Carlsson and Jan Rutta were out for Wednesday’s game with Milwaukee. The IceHogs were forced to go with 13 forwards and just five defensemen against the Admirals.

 

Recaps

Monday, December 31-Grand Rapids 2, Rockford 1

The scoreboard wasn’t used until the midpoint; Carter Camper converted for the Griffins on a two-man advantage at 11:19 of the second period. A goal by Graham Knott was waved off due to a goalie interference call on Luke Johnson a few minutes later.

Rockford tied the game for real after a faceoff win at the left dot by Nathan Noel. Henrik Samuelsson tapped the puck to Matheson Iacopelli, who slid it back to Lucas Carlsson just inside the Grand Rapids blueline. The long-distance shot got the best of Griffins goalie Harri Sateri and nestled into the twine to even the score at a goal apiece at 15:50 of the middle frame.

Grand Rapids took a 2-1 lead with 4:44 remaining in regulation when Chris Terry’s maneuvering created the space for Joe Hicketts to send a slap shot past Hogs goalie Kevin Lankinen. Lankinen was pulled with 2:32 to go for an extra skater, but the IceHogs weren’t able to get a shot past Sateri.

 

Wednesday, January 2, Milwaukee 2, Rockford 1

Rockford dropped its fifth-straight game, falling to the Admirals at the BMO in front of 3330 humans, several dozen canine friends and at least one pet of the porcine variety.

The Hogs dug a 2-0 hole for themselves over the first two periods. The Admirals swarmed Rockford in the opening minutes, taking a 1-0 advantage on a Yakov Trenin goal 1:45 into the contest. Connor Brickley put back a rebound of an Alexandre Carrier shot 4:21 into the second to double the Milwaukee lead.

Rockford’s starter in net, Anton Forsberg, did not allow another Admirals goal to give his club a chance to rally. The IceHogs had the game’s only four power play chances but could not convert. William Pelletier, Rockford’s most active skater all evening, redirected a Tyler Sikura shot for his first goal of the season. This cut the lead to 2-1 4:26 into the final period.

Hogs coach Derek King went with six skaters for the final two-and-a-half minutes, to no avail. Raddysh sent a shot off the left post but that’s as close as Rockford could get to the equalizer.

 

Wild Times With Iowa

The prospect of breaking Rockford’s losing streak is made tougher with a home-and-home series with the Iowa Wild this weekend. The Hogs begin the action in DesMoines Friday. The teams come to the BMO Harris Bank Center on Sunday.

Iowa sits atop the Cental Division. The Wild (19-8-4-3) won their fourth straight Wednesday night, beating Chicago 3-1. Iowa has won three of the four games against Rockford this season, outscoring the piglets 11-5 in those games.

The scoring has been spread throughout the lineup; 13 active Iowa skaters have double digit points, compared to just seven for the IceHogs. Cal O’Reilly, the Wild captain and an All-Star selection, paces his club with 25 points (5 G, 20 A). Iowa is getting goals from Gerry Fitzgerald (12), Colton Beck (10) and Justin Kloos (10).

Rookie goalie Kaapo Kahkonen has three wins over the Hogs this season. In fact, he’s shut them out twice. Rockford has just one goal against Kahkonen, who will also represent the Wild at the All-Star Classic, this season.

Of Rockford’s five goals against the Wild, Anthony Louis has three of them. Two came on November 4 in a 4-2 Hogs victory. Louis (8 G, 13 A) is tied with Darren Raddysh (7 G, 14 A) for the team lead in points with 21.

Follow me @JonFromi on twitter for my thoughts on the IceHogs all season long.

 

Everything Else

High On The Hog: Search For Offense Continues

By Jon Fromi 1470 0

The Rockford IceHogs have 34 games behind them this season. They currently sit in sixth place in the AHL’s Central Division with a 15-12-3-4 mark, good for a .544 points percentage. Truth be told, this year’s Hogs are faring about as well as they did a season ago.

Yes, before the roster was bolstered with veteran talent in the last three months, it was a young, inexperienced group that was in a similar position at this time of the 2017-18 campaign. Through 34 games, that club was 18-14-1-1 for a .558. That’s about the difference of a standings point for those of you who don’t want to do the math.

The glaring difference in this year’s and last year’s club is the offensive numbers. The IceHogs of a season ago scored at nearly a goal per game better than this year’s crop of piglets. In 2017-18, Rockford had 105 goals scored and 101 goals allowed at this point of the season. This year, the Hogs have drawn cord 78 times while surrendering 98 goals.

Even with the Wolves putting together a 10-0-1 streak this month, the Central Division is pretty closely contested. No one has run away with the division yet. Last season, several teams put together hot stretches of hockey that had them moving up and down the division ladder. It stands to reason that the playoff spots are all up for the taking come spring.

For that to happen, Rockford is going to have to be better in the opposing zone. The IceHogs do not have a player in the top 20 scorers of the league. That’s a huge understatement, actually. Defenseman Darren Raddysh, Rockford’s top point man with 21, is currently tied for 85th in the AHL in that category.

Last season, the IceHogs were shut out just once. So far, Rockford has been already been blanked on four occasions. The lack of scoring punch is being felt all over the lineup

The Hogs potted three goals in three games this week, squeezing a point on Saturday because of a strong performance from goalie Kevin Lankinen. At 2.29 goals per game, they occupy the league basement. Like Saturday’s overtime loss, what’s keeping Rockford in contention this season is the play in the crease.

There is rarely elite scoring on the Hogs roster from year to year. Most seasons, they’ve put up points by committee. This season, Rockford again lacks top-end scoring power…and the committee has been out to lunch.

Matthew Highmore, last year’s high goal scorer, has missed all but seven games with a shoulder injury. Tyler Sikura, who put up 23 goals a season ago, has just six so far. Vikor Ejdsell is currently out with a groin injury and has just four goals in 27 games.

Jordan Schroeder has 18 points (7 G, 11 A) on the season and is putting up numbers that measure up to his past output in the AHL. However, he is a complimentary scorer. Veteran Terry Broadhurst (2 G, 4 A) hasn’t been productive from a scoring standpoint, but, like Schroeder, he isn’t a guy who should be pacing your club.

There are bright spots. Raddysh has stepped up his game in his sophomore campaign, with seven goals and 14 helpers. Rookie Lucas Carlsson (6 G, 10 A) has also come on in the last few weeks in response to increased responsibility on the blue line.

Jacob Nilsson (7 G, 8 A), who was up for one game with the Blackhawks, has five goals this month. Nilsson isn’t going to lead this team to offensive respectability single-handed. Several players need to bring more to the table. Here are but a few:

Graham Knott (2 G, 6 A in 32 games)-If this kid could find the net on the opportunities he’s had, it certainly would help. Knott has had some top-six time at center and has put himself in places to score at times. He just hasn’t shown any knack for getting a puck past a goalie in his season-plus in Rockford.

Alexandre Fortin (2 G, 3 A in 10 games)-Fortin seems to be a bit more under control after a spell in Chicago. He’s now getting top-line minutes and power play time with the Hogs. Now would be a good time for him to go on a points explosion.

William Pelletier (0 G, 2 A in five games)-Recently returned from offseason surgery, Pelletier is a player who can be used throughout the lineup. He’s capable of chipping in on the offensive end; hopefully he’ll start making a dent as he gets more games under his belt.

You can also toss Sikura and Broadhurst onto that heap. Unless the organization swings a trade that brings a blue-chip AHL goal scorer to town (not counting on it), Rockford is going to have to pick it up throughout the lineup.

 

Roster Bits

On Friday, Jacob Nilsson was sent back to Rockford by the Blackhawks. He played in both weekend games against Chicago. Defenseman Dennis Gilbert suffered a lower body injury in Wednesday’s loss in Iowa. He did not suit up for either game this weekend.

Following Sunday’s trade with Edmonton, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see a player assigned to Rockford from the current Hawks roster. If Garrison, who had 28 points (8 G, 20 A) in 58 games with the Wolves last season, gets through waivers, his shot would be a welcome pickup for the IceHogs.

 

Recaps

No lines this week.

Wednesday, December 26-Iowa 4, Rockford 0

This Boxing Day effort was nothing to write home about. The Hogs went to DesMoines and got shut out by Kaapo Kahkanen. The rookie goalie stopped 39 Rockford shots to continue his impressive season.

The IceHogs out shot Iowa 15-3 in the opening period, though neither team scored. The Wild took a 1-0 lead 3:11 into the second period on a Matt Bartkowski snipe. A defensive zone turnover led to a Gerry Fitzgerald goal at the 14:41 mark put the Hogs down a pair.

A Will Bitten tip-in made it 3-0 1:25 into the final frame and pretty much sealed the fate of Rockford. Hogs coach Derek King yanked starting goalie Kevin Lankinen for an extra skater with 3:17 remaining to try and foil the shutout bid, but Matt Read intercepted a pass and threw in an empty netter to close out the scoring.

Rockford denied three Wild power plays but failed to convert on four of its own man advantage opportunities.

 

Friday, December 28-Chicago 4, Rockford 2

Rockford dropped its second straight game despite leading twice in this game. Curtis McKenzie’s two goal effort provided the winning margin at the BMO Friday night.

After skating to the tune of no goals for most of the opening period, the teams traded goals in the latter part of the frame.

Jordan Schroeder got Rockford up 1-0 at the 15:26 mark. Schroeder got to a rebound off a Darren Raddysh shot at the right post, knocking his attempt through Wolves goalie Oscar Dansk and just across the goal line. Moments later, Chicago responded with a Curtis McKenzie goal. The teams went to the first intermission all even.

Lucas Carlsson was set up by Graham Knott early in the second period to give the Hogs a 2-1 lead. At the seven minute mark, the Wolves Keegan Kolesar potted the equalizer. After a delay of game penalty on Rockford, McKenzie drew cord on the power play for his second goal of the contest. His back hand attempt slipped under the stick arm of Hogs goalie Anton Forsberg at 11:24 to give Chicago a 3-2 advantage.

Late in the second period, the Wovles man advantage struck again. Dylan Coughlin sent a hard slap shot from the slot that skidded past Forsberg for a 4-2 Chicago lead with 14 seconds to play in the period.

The IceHogs made a push to get back into the contest but found the post uncooperative on numerous occasions in the third period. The Wolves couldn’t score, but didn’t need to.

Chicago won the special teams battle, converting twice in six chances. The IceHogs came up empty on four power play attempts.

 

Saturday, December 29-Chicago 2, Rockford 1 (OT)

The Hogs salvaged a point in Rosemont solely on the strength of Kevin Lankinen’s performance on the evening. The rookie goalie stopped 43 shots and weathered a first-period assault by the Wolves to keep his team in the game.

Chicago came out smoking; Lankinen fended off 25 of the 26 shots the Wolves sent at him in the opening frame. Brooks Macek capped an extended scrum in front of the crease by knocking in his 17th of the season at the 14:18 mark, giving Chicago a 1-0 lead that they would hold through the bulk of regulation.

Rockford managed to play a more competitive game after the first intermission. However, they wouldn’t come up with the equalizer until the waning minutes. Stefan Matteau provided the opportunity after throwing an elbow at the IceHogs Blake Hillman.

Nathan Noel and Curtis McKenzie were already in the bin of sin for an earlier altercation. As they exited the box, Jordan Schroeder faked the shotand hit Jacob Nilsson at the goal line with a pass. Nilsson got Wolves goalie Max Lagace to bite on a fake, scooted around the cage and beat Max Lagace to the right post. Nilsson’s wrap-around made it 1-1 with 3:25 remaining.

An IceHogs infraction would set up the Chicago game-winner. Rockford was called for too many men on the ice three minutes into Gus Macker Time. The Hogs got caught in a partial change and Macek set up McKenzie in front of the net. Lankinen stopped the point-blank chance, but Dylan Coughlin followed up on the rebound, backhanding the puck though Lankinen’s pads and across the goal line at 3:55 of overtime.

Both teams scored once on the power play; Rockford was one of four, while the Wolves were one for six.

 

This Week

The IceHogs will be in Grand Rapids Monday night to close out the 2018 portion of the schedule. Starting Wednesday, the Hogs will don their white sweaters at the BMO. First home date of the new year is with Milwaukee. Friday, Rockford travels to Iowa before hosting the Wild on Sunday afternoon.

 

Everything Else

High On The Hog: One Goal, Win Or Lose

By Jon Fromi 1399 0

The Rockford IceHogs are currently riding a three-game winning streak for the first time this season. The piglets are 7-2-1 over their last ten games heading into the holidays. Of those ten games, eight were decided by a single goal, either in regulation or via overtime or a shootout.

Each of the IceHogs victories in the current streak are of the one-goal variety. After besting Grand Rapids 2-1 back on December 16, Rockford has defeated Milwaukee (4-3) and Chicago (5-4) with clutch overtime goals.

In fact, Rockford’s last nine wins this season, dating back to November 9, have all been by one goal. The last time the winning margin was more than one was in Iowa on November 4, when the Hogs posted a 4-2 victory.

In that stretch, the IceHogs have also lost four games by one goal. Credit the play in goal for keeping Rockford competitive in the bulk of its games.

 

Points vs Points Percentage

Heading into post-Christmas action, Rockford is in sixth place in the Central Division with a .581 points percentage. The Hogs (15-10-2-4) have earned 36 points so far in 2018-19. So why not regale you with points as opposed to points percentage? Simple. The AHL standard is points percentage.

In part because the West Coast clubs play only 68 games, rather than the 76 everyone else plays, the four teams with the highest points percentage qualify for the Calder Cup Playoffs. Of course, the silly AHL website lists the teams according to points when the standings are shown.

I like going by points percentage, which takes most of the games-in-hand calculations out of the mix. If the season ended today, the IceHogs would not be a playoff team. The good news for Rockford is that Texas (.586), along with Milwaukee and Grand Rapids (.594) are within reach, so upward mobility is achievable.

 

Derek King’s Punchout

Rockford, as I mentioned last week, is the least-penalized team in the league. It’s interesting, however, to take a look at the fighting side of that ledger. The Hogs aren’t the roughest bunch of wranglers in the AHL, but they certainly have been a little quicker to drop the gloves under coach Derek King.

Last season, the IceHogs drew just 11 fighting majors. This was an all-time franchise low by a wide margin (the previous low was 2017-17’s 39 FMs) and the lowest in the AHL. Through the first 12 games of this season, under Jeremy Colliton, Rockford skaters had been involved in three fights. In 96 regular season games and 13 playoff contests, Colliton’s team picked up 14 fights.

In the first 19 games of the King regime, the Hogs have been been in seven fights. That equates to a full season total of 28 fights, still a paltry number even by recent league standards. Compared to Colliton, however, King is helming the Rock’em Sock’em Robots.

As I’ve mentioned countless times, AHL fight totals are dropping and the IceHogs have not been built to scrap. As a matter of fact, Rockford is better off avoiding such activities, as they are largely inexperienced in this area. However, it does appear that this year’s club is sticking up for itself with more frequency. The Hogs are currently tied for 16th in the AHL (with five other clubs) with 10 FMs on the season.

Two of those fights involved Hunter Fejes, who is no longer with the team after a stint on a PTO. Dennis Gilbert, who has brought a physical element to the defense, leads Rockford with four fights.

 

Roster Moves

On Saturday, the Blackhawks recalled Jacob Nilsson and sent Luke Johnson back to Rockford.

 

Recap

Friday, December 21-Rockford 5, Chicago 4 (OT)

For the third time this season, the Hogs ventured into Allstate Arena and beat the Wolves. This time, it took a good portion of extra skating to do so.

The teams exchanged goals midway through the opening period. Chicago’s T.J. Tynan created a scoring opportunity with some nice skating with the puck, opening up space for Nic Hauge at the top of the right circle. Hauge sent a bullet past Hogs goalie Anton Forsberg to give the Wolves a 1-0 lead at the 10:40 mark.

Nathan Noel was held behind the Chicago net by Jake Bischoff soon after, sending the Hogs to the power play. Rockford won the subsequent faceoff, kept the puck in the offensive zone for over a minute and scored on a one-timer by Jacob Nilsson. The rookie center had misfired on a centering pass from Jordan Schroeder, who then regained possession and found Nilsson again for a successful attempt at 12:58 of the period.

Alexandre Fortin got his first two goals of the season for Rockford in the opening minutes of the second period. After Lucas Carlsson made a heads up play to keep a clearing attempt in the Wolves zone, he passed to William Pelletier, who found Fortin open skating toward the right dot. Fortin’s shot banked off of Chicago’s Zach Whitecloud and past Wolves goalie Maxim Lagace 36 seconds into the period.

Minutes later, Fortin skated into the slot and sent an offering to the Chicago net. The rebound rattled around the front of the net before Noel and Graham Knott knocked it toward the left post. Fortin, who was crashing the net after shooting, was on hand to guide the puck into the open net for a 3-1 Rockford advantage.

Chicago would rally with a pair of goals to tie the contest. Curtis McKenzie got open in the slot and fired past Forsberg at the 9:11 mark. Five minutes later, Daniel Carr jumped on a rebound of a Whitecloud blast to knot the game at three.

The score remained tied until the late stages of regulation. Lucas Carlsson took a feed from Nilsson, used a couple of nifty moves to get open in the slot and fired low past Lagace’s glove side with 3:31 to play. The Wolves pulled Lagace soon after.

Graham Knott had a prime chance to ice the game with the puck on his stick and an empty net in front of him. However, Chicago’s Dylan Coughlin closed the gap on Knott and forced an off-target attempt. The Wolves came down and got the equalizer from Gage Quinney with 1:26 left.

Gus Macker Time saw the Wolves with early momentum. Forsberg turned aside several attempts over the first four minutes. Late in the extra session, Louis brought the puck into the Chicago zone on a two-on-one rush. Louis hit Darren Raddysh with a pass at the right circle; the defenseman’s one-timer caught cord with 39 seconds remaining to finish off the Wolves.

Lines (Starters in italics)

Alexandre Fortin-Tyler Sikura (A)-William Pelletier

Nick Moutrey-Graham Knott-Nathan Noel

Anthony Louis-Jacob Nilsson-Jordan Schroeder (A)

Terry Broadhurst-Henrik Samuelsson

Lucas Carlsson-Jan Rutta

Joni Tuulola-Dennis Gilbert

Blake Hillman-Darren Raddysh

Andrew Campbell (A)

Anton Forsberg

Power Play (1-2)

Nilsson-Louis-Schroeder-Carlsson-Rutta

Broadhurst-Fortin-Sikura-Samuelsson-Raddysh

Penalty Kill (Chicago was 0-2)

Sikura-Fortin-Campbell-Gilbert

Nilsson-Moutrey-Hillman-Tuulola

Broadhurst-Pelletier-Rutta-Carlsson

 

This Week

The IceHogs will spend Boxing Day in DesMoines, taking on the Wild Wednesday night. On Friday, Rockford begins a home-and-home weekend against the Wolves at the BMO Harris Bank Center. The action moves to Rosemont on Saturday night.

Follow me @JonFromi on twitter for updates, news and thoughts on the IceHogs throughout the season.

 

Everything Else

High On The Hog: Hungry For The Wolves

By Jon Fromi 1435 0

The Rockford IceHogs get to take it easy this weekend…sort of.

The Blackhawks AHL affiliate have just one game on the schedule. Of course, that game is in Rosemont with the Central Division-leading Chicago Wolves, who just happen to be the league’s highest scoring team.

The Hogs visit the Allstate Arena Friday night for another in a steady stream of Illinois Lottery Cup meetings with the Wolves. The two teams have split the first four meetings; after Friday, Rockford will clash twice more with the Wolves before the end of the calendar year.

The IceHogs have won both games in enemy territory: the Wolves have taken both contests at the BMO by wide margins. Coming into this game, Chicago is riding a six-game winning streak.

AHL scoring leader Brandon Pirri (17 G, 24 A) was recalled to Vegas this week, so he won’t be around to torment the IceHogs. Rookie defenseman Erik Brannstrom (4 G, 16 A) is also with the Golden Knights.

Rest assured, Chicago has plenty of other scoring options. Tops on that list is Daniel Carr (14 G, 19 A) , who has been on a tear since being sent back to the Wolves. Carr is currently on a three-game goal streak as well as a six-game point streak. He has 11 points (5 G, 6 A) in six games since returning to the Chicago lineup.

Rockford is still last in the league in terms of offense. They have raised that average to 2.33 goals per game (compared to 3.98 goals for the Wolves), but have failed to break the three-goal barrier in regulation play in 17 of their last 20 games.

Coach Derek King can take solace in the fact that his team has been making the most of its meager output. Rockford is 6-2-1-1 in its last ten games. The Hogs (.567 points percentage) are currently in a tie for fifth place in the division with Grand Rapids.

 

Pelletier Returns

Rockford has won three of its last four games, including a comeback victory at the BMO Harris Bank Center against Milwaukee. A welcome sight came that night in the form of William Pelletier, who made his season debut Wednesday. The speedy forward was a key contributor throughout last season. Off-season surgery kept him out of action for the first 29 games of the 2018-19 campaign.

Pelletier chipped in with 14 goals and 15 assists last season. His wheels were utilized on the penalty kill as well as at the offensive end, where the Hogs could employ him to chase down dump-ins and avoid icing calls. For a player on an AHL contract, Pelletier had the full confidence of then-coach Jeremy Colliton. He was a mainstay in the Rockford lineup.

Pelletier made an immediate impact in his first game back with the piglets, getting a secondary assist on Tyler Sikura’s goal against Milwaukee. His presence is going to be felt throughout the roster.

 

Campbell Represents

It was announced Thursday that defenseman Andrew Campbell has been named a captain of the AHL’s Western Conference All-Star team. The captaincy of both the Eastern and Western Conference teams is awarded by the league in recognition of outstanding leadership and service.

Campbell is not an offensive stalwart. In 24 games with the IceHogs this season, his only mark on the score sheet has been a goal against Manitoba October 28. Campbell has brought some stability to what is a young Rockford defense. With the Hogs penalty kill (85.4 percent kill rate) at sixth in the league and the defense giving up 2.80 goals per game (tied for fifth in the AHL), the 11-year veteran has to be cited as a steadying force on the back end.

 

Odds And Ends

Viktor Ejdsell sat out Wednesday’s game with a groin issue. He may be ready to play Friday at Chicago, but King wasn’t certain of Ejdsell’s status following the win over the Admirals.

The IceHogs are the least penalized team in the AHL. Rockford skaters spend an average of 10.67 minutes in the penalty box. Defenseman Dennis Gilbert is third in the league in fighting majors after getting into his fourth scrap of the season Wednesday. He and former Hogs defenseman Sam Jardine are among several players four major penalties.

Rockford has gone into overtime in 11 of its first 30 games. Only Milwaukee (14) and Iowa (13) have done so more often. The IceHogs are 0-4 in games decided by a shootout, having gone 1-10 in shootout attempts.

 

Big Weeknight Win

Wednesday, December 19-Rockford 4, Milwaukee 3 (OT)

In one of the more impressive rallies of the season, Rockford dug itself a three-goal hole. The Hogs then climbed out of said hole to post the victory.

The Ads quickly went out to a two-goal advantage. Anthony Richard scored on the power play 1:51 into the game, then doubled that lead on the subsequent faceoff when Jeremy Gregoire sent a shot over the glove of Hogs goalie Anton Forsberg.

Down 2-0 just 2:05 into the first period, things got worse. Milwaukee potted a second power play tally when Tyler Gaudet jumped on a loose puck in front of Forsberg’s net at 13:26.

Late in the first period, Rockford got on the board after Anthony Louis was twice denied by Admirals goalie Troy Grosenick. Jacob Nilsson backhanded the second rebound into the cage at the 19:24 mark. The Hogs skated into the locker room down 3-1.

Rockford was able to cut the lead to 3-2 with a strong second period. Tyler Sikura brought the puck into the offensive zone and sent a pass to William Pelletier, who was making his season debut. Pelletier made a sharp cross-ice pass to Dennis Gilbert at the top of the left circle.

Gilbert’s shot got knocked down in front of the Admirals net, where Sikura completed the scoring play. Throwing the biscuit into the basket at the 9:18 mark, Sikura snapped a seven-game goal drought and got the IceHogs back into the contest.

Rockford made it all the way back 4:20 into the third period after Sikura grabbed a loose puck in the Milwaukee zone and found Joni Tuulola in the high slot. Tuulola sent a pass to Darren Raddysh at the right point. Raddysh’s shot glanced off of the stick of Richard and over the blocker of Tom McCullom, who had relieved Grosenick in the second period, to knot the game at three.

The Hogs capped an incredible effort in Gus Macker Time to claim the third point. Alexandre Fortin picked off a pass attempt along the half boards in his own zone and turned on the jets. With Louis and Jan Rutta in tow, Rockford worked the 3-on-1 rush to perfection.

Fortin and Louis traded passes before Fortin hit Rutta at the left post. The one-timer zipped behind McCullom to bring the evening to a satisfying climax 1:51 into the extra session.

Rutta and Sikura, each with a goal and assist on the night, were the game’s first and second stars, respectively. Pelletier nabbed third star honors. Forsberg made 27 saves, keeping Milwaukee in check until the Hogs could climb back into contention.

Lines (Starters in italics)

Alexandre Fortin-Tyler Sikura-William Pelletier

Anthony Louis-Jacob Nilsson-Jordan Schroeder

Terry Broadhurst (A)-Graham Knott-Nick Moutrey

Matheson Iacopelli-Nathan Noel-Henrik Samuelsson

Lucas Carlsson-Jan Rutta

Dennis Gilbert-Andrew Campbell (A)

Joni Tuulola-Darren Raddysh

Anton Forsberg

Power Play (0-2)

Louis-Nilsson-Schroeder-Carlsson-Rutta

Broadhurst-Fortin-Samuelsson-Sikura-Raddysh

Penalty Kill (Milwaukee was 2-4)

Sikura-Broadhurst-Rutta-Carlsson

Knott-Moutrey-Gilbert-Campbell

Pelletier-Noel-Tuulola-Raddysh

 

Follow me @JonFromi on twitter for frequent commenting on the doings of the IceHogs throughout the season.

 

 

 

 

 

Everything Else

High On The Hog: Earning It

By Jon Fromi 1528 0

The Rockford IceHogs earned five of a possible six points in a three-in-three weekend. Trust me, the piglets did earn what they got in this three-game stretch.

With offense in short supply, the Hogs turned to what has become one of the AHL’s most effective goalie tandems. Collin Delia picked up an overtime win in Grand Rapids Friday, then held the Griffins to a single goal in a Hogs victory Sunday. Anton Forsberg made 49 saves to pick up a point against Texas Saturday night, though Rockford would lose that game in Gus Macker Time.

Some time today, one of these goalies will be recalled to Chicago following Corey Crawford’s injury against San Jose last night. Both have played well and merit a shot with the Blackhawks.

Delia, in particular, has put up numbers that beg for that opportunity. The second-year pro sports a 2.34 goals against average and a .933 save percentage. He’s third in the AHL among qualified goalies in the former category and first in the latter. Sunday’s effort was an impressive audition; no way the Hogs prevail 2-1 against Grand Rapids if not for the 24-year old Delia.

The argument can be made that Delia would be better off continuing to develop in Rockford and bring up Forsberg, who spent most of last season in Chicago and has also been excellent in all but one of his nine appearances. Both Forsberg and Delia have earned a call up. The other will form a new tandem with Kevin Lankinen, who should be up from the Indy Fuel in either case.

In other roster moves, Rockford welcomed Hawks defenseman Jan Rutta after he cleared waivers Friday. He played his first game Saturday night at the BMO Harris Bank Center as well as Sunday’s contest.

Josh McArdle, who played in Grand Rapids Friday night, was sent to the Fuel on Saturday. The IceHogs also released Hunter Fejes from his PTO Saturday. Fejes skated in nine games for Rockford.

 

Carlsson Steps Up

With Carl Dahlstrom currently up with the Blackhawks, rookie defenseman Lucas Carlsson has taken advantage of some increased ice time. Carlsson, a 21-year-old from Galve, Seweden, was used by Hogs coach Derek King on the power play this weekend.

Carlsson had key goals in both home games. He showed solid offensive instincts Saturday in pinching in and maneuvering into scoring position to find the back of the net. Sunday, he factored into both Rockford goals and was named the game’s First Star.

For the season, Carlsson now has 13 points (4 G, 9 A). That puts him in a tie with Viktor Ejdsell for fourth among current IceHogs.

 

Recaps

Friday, December 14-Rockford 3, Grand Rapids 2 (OT)

Luke Johnson got the Hogs on the board first 3:03 into the opening period. Johnson took the puck out of the defensive zone and found Jordan Schroeder coming across the Griffins blueline. Schroeder pulled up and sent a centering pass to the slot, where Johnson had skated following his pass. The redirect got past Grand Rapids goalie Patrik Rybar for a 1-0 Rockford lead.

The power play added to the IceHogs advantage after Derek Hulak was called for slashing later in the first. Viktor Ejdsell took a short pass from Darren Raddysh at the top of the Griffins zone, skated to the slot and found Jacob Nilsson waiting at the right dot. Nilsson’s shot caught the far side of the net and put Rockford up 2-0 at the 13:48 mark.

The second period was not as kind to the IceHogs. Chris Terry scored on the power play for Grand Rapids to cut the lead to 2-1 midway through the frame. A late Rockford power play resulted in a shorthanded goal by Turner Elson with six seconds left. At the second intermission, the Hogs and Griffins were even at two goals.

The score remained 2-2 through regulation. In Gus Macker Time, the IceHogs gained a power play opportunity when Joe Hicketts was nabbed for slashing. Johnson, after having a shot turned away by Rybar a few seconds earlier, got the puck back from Raddysh in the slot. Johnson waited for a lane to open up and sent a wrister over the Griffins goalie to win it for the Rockford.

Lines (Starters in italics)

Alexandre Fortin-Jordan Schroeder (A)-Luke Johnson

Viktor Ejdsell-Jacob Nilsson-Anthony Louis

Tyler Sikura (A)-Nathan Noel-Nick Moutrey

Matheson Iacopelli-Terry Broadhurst-Henrik Samuelsson

Darren Raddysh-Joni Tuulola

Josh McArdle-Andrew Campbell (A)

Blake Hillman-Lucas Carlsson

Collin Delia

Power Play (2-4)

Fortin-Johnson-Schroeder-Samuelsson-Carlsson

Louis-Ejdsell-Sikura-Nilsson-Raddysh

Penalty Kill (Grand Rapids was 1-3)

Johnson-Nilsson-Campbell-Carlsson

Fortin-Noel-Hillman-Tuulola

Moutrey-Sikura-Raddysh-McArdle

 

Saturday, December 15-Texas 3, Rockford 2 (OT)

The IceHogs kept the vaunted Stars offense at bay for most of regulation. Anton Forsberg stopped 49 of 52 shots but Texas prevailed in Gus Macker Time.

The Stars got on the board with a power play tally by Eric Condra early in the second period. Rockford was ineffective offensively for the bulk of the evening. In the closing seconds of the middle frame, however, the Hogs managed to tie the score.

With a man advantage due to a Colton Hargrove slash, Anthony Louis got a shot on net that glanced off of Stars goalie Phillipe Desrosiers and briefly settled in front of the crease. Jordan Schroeder was on hand to knock it off the right post, then again into the Texas net with just over three seconds remaining in the period.

The IceHogs gained a 2-1 advantage on a wonderful pinch by Lucas Carlsson 8:04 into period three. Carlsson slipped into the slot to nab a rebound of a Luke Johnson attempt. He stick-handled into an open shooting lane and went high past Desrosiers to cap the scoring play.

The lead was short-lived. Joel L’Esperance dug a puck out of the corner of the Rockford zone and made a strong power move to the front of the net. His shot got by Forsberg, just catching the right post and banking into the Hogs net at 11:11 for the equalizer.

Texas ended the contest 2:52 into the extra session with a goal by Adam Macherin. This put an end to Rockford’s hope to establish a win steak.

Lines (Starters in italics)

Alexandre Fortin-Jordan Schroeder (A)-Luke Johnson

Viktor Ejdsell-Jacob Nilsson-Anthony Louis

Tyler Sikura (A)-Nathan Noel-Nick Moutrey

Matheson Iacopelli-Terry Broadhurst-Henrik Samuelsson

Lucas Carlsson-Jan Rutta

Dennis Gilbert-Andrew Campbell

Blake Hillman-Darren Raddysh

Anton Forsberg

Power Play (1-5)

Fortin-Johnson-Schroeder-Rutta-Carlsson

Louis-Ejdsell-Sikura-Nilsson-Raddysh

Penalty Kill (Stars were 1-4)

Johnson-Nilsson-Campbell-Carlsson

Fortin-Noel-Hillman-Gilbert

Moutrey-Sikura-Raddysh-Rutta

 

Sunday, December 16-Rockford 2, Grand Rapids 1

Collin Delia held off the Griffins until Rockford potted a pair of opportunistic goals in the third period. Delia stopped 37 shots, 30 of which came at him in the first 40 minutes.

The Hogs got all the offense they would require in the final frame, starting with a Lucas Carlsson goal a bit past the midway point of the period. Luke Johnson set up Viktor Ejdsell for a one-timer in the slot with Rockford on a power play. The shot was stopped by the pads of Griffins goalie Patrik Rybar; Alexandre Fortin got a stick on the rebound and slid it to Carlsson near the bottom of the right circle. Rubber met twine at 11:31 of the third to give the IceHogs a 1-0 lead.

Another rebound was the catalyst for the second Rockford mark. This time, it was a Carlsson shot that settled at the right post for Jordan Schroeder to knock in at 16:03.

Delia’s shutout bid was foiled by a Chris Terry goal with eight seconds to play. The Hogs still finished the weekend on a winning note, beating the Griffins for the second time in three days.

Lines (Starters in italics)

Viktor Ejdsell-Jacob Nilsson-Anthony Louis

Jordan Schoeder-Luke Johnson-Alexandre Fortin

Nick Moutrey-Graham Knott-Nathan Noel

Terry Broadhurst-Tyler Sikura-Henrik Samuelsson

Dennis Gilbert-Andrew Campbell

Lucas Carlsson-Jan Rutta

Joni Tuulola-Darren Raddysh

Collin Delia

Power Play (1-3)

Nilsson-Sikura-Louis-Ejdsell-Raddysh

Johnson-Fortin-Schroeder-Carlsson-Rutta

Penalty Kill (Griffins were 0-4)

Johnson-Nilsson-Campbell-Carlsson

Fortin-Noel-Tuulola-Gilbert

Moutrey-Sikura-Raddysh-Rutta

 

This Week

Rockford (13-10-2-4) is still in sixth place in the Central Division standings with a .552 points percentage. The Hogs welcome Milwaukee to the BMO Wednesday night before visiting Chicago on Friday.

Follow me @JonFromi on twitter for thoughts on the IceHogs throughout the season.

 

Everything Else

High On The Hog: Time To Step Up, Scorers

By Jon Fromi 1369 0

Entering Friday’s game in Grand Rapids, the Rockford IceHogs are staring at three consecutive games this weekend. The piglets, who have already been struggling, will be missing their leading scorer, along with their most capable defender.

Dylan Sikura (9 G, 9 A) and Carl Dahlstrom were recalled this week to the Chicago Blackhawks, leaving several players behind that will need to pick up the slack. One of those players could be Alexandre Fortin, who was assigned to Rockford after spending the first couple of months with Chicago.

Provided no other team makes a claim, defenseman Jan Rutta may also be with the IceHogs in time to take part in this weekend’s action. How much impact Fortin and Rutta could have in Rockford remains to be seen. However, there are several players currently on the Hogs roster who would do well to step up. Time to name names…

 

What Have You Done For Me Lately?

Tyler Sikura (5 G, 5 A)

Over his last ten games, Sikura the Elder has just one goal and one assist. He has been as active around the net as any of the Hogs have been in that time, but it hasn’t shown up on the scoreboard.

Anthony Louis (8 G, 5 A)

Last year’s points leader is scoreless in four December contests heading into Friday. His last goal came on November 23 in a loss to the Wolves.

Jordan Schroeder (4 G, 7 A)

Since returning from an injury that kept him out for a couple of weeks back in November, Schroeder has just one goal in ten contests. His other three goals this season have come off the power play, which has been a little quiet the last month.

Viktor Ejdsell (4 G, 7 A)

Ejdsell has a goal and five helpers in 16 games in November and December. He’s also carrying a minus-three skater rating in that span.

Darren Raddysh (5 G, 10 A)

In his last 11 games, Raddysh has a goal and two asssists.

Terry Broadhurst (2 G, 4 A)

Like Louis, Broadhurst is pointless in December. In his defense, he’s recently returned from injury. However, the Hogs thirst for veteran scoring and Broadhurst is one of the players who can help in this area.

Rockford’s best players are not producing on the scoreboard. That has to change soon. If each of the above players could get on the score sheet this weekend, I like the IceHogs chances for a couple of wins.

 

Who Could Provide Some Jump To The Lineup?

Well, Fortin brings speed. He had trouble hitting twine last season; perhaps he’ll come down from the NHL and contribute on the offensive end. It appears that William Pelletier could be ready to get his season started soon. He might be able to provide a spark.

You know what? If Graham Knott could convert on his scoring chances, you could see a scoring outburst out of him. He’s put himself in some high-percentage opportunities but just lacked the power to finish. Maybe it takes that one shot that gets past a goalie to open some sort of flood gate.

 

Statistics Of Note

With strong goal-tending this season, it should come as no surprise that the IceHogs are quite adept at killing penalties. Their kill rate of 87 percent is third in the AHL in this catagory. The power play is converting at just 14.5 percent, though.

The Hogs are still dead last in the league in goals and by a fair sight. They are scoring at a 2.27 goals per game clip. Rockford only gives up 2.88 goals per game, good for third in the AHL. As mentioned earlier, if the team’s top offensive players could start representing, the play in net could sustain a hot stretch.

As it is, Rockford (11-10-1-4) just hasn’t been able to string together victories. The IceHogs have not won more than two in a row all season long.

 

Three In Three

The weekend is book ended with meetings with the Griffins, with whom Rockford has split two previous meetings this season. The Hogs visit Van Andel Arena Friday and host Grand Rapids at the BMO Harris Bank Center Sunday afternoon.

Rockford has not fared well in Grand Rapids in recent seasons. In the past five years, the piglets are 5-11-3-0 at Van Andel Arena. The Giffins are third in the Central Division and are coming off of a 5-2 loss in Milwaukee Tuesday night.

On Saturday night, the IceHogs host Texas, who have won four straight and are fourth in the division standings. This is the third meeting between the two teams, having split the first two.

The Stars are scoring four goals a game and have the AHL’s second-best power play unit (28.4%). Leading the way for Texas is Eric Condra (13 G, 17 A), Denis Gurianov (9 G, 19 A), Justin Dowling (7 G, 17 A) and rookie Joel L’Esperance (12 G, 11 A).

Follow me @JonFromi on twitter for updates on the IceHogs all season long.

 

 

 

Everything Else

High On The Hog: Spit and Polish…Or Not?

By Jon Fromi 1327 0

The Rockford IceHogs split a weekend set at the BMO Harris Bank Center, besting Grand Rapids in overtime Friday night before a lackluster performance the next evening against the Chicago Wolves.

The scuffling piglets (11-10-1-4) are still looking for some offensive spark and sit in sixth place in the AHL’s Central Division standings with a .519 points percentage. With plenty of home games left this month, Rockford will attempt to improve upon its 5-5-0-2 mark when playing host.

 

Roster Moves

On Friday night, the Hogs announced that they were releasing Justin Auger from his PTO. Auger played nine games with Rockford, contributing a pair of goals to the cause.

 

A Look At Development

With the Blackhawks so thin in terms of depth this season, I got to thinking about Rockford’s role in the current downturn in the organization. In order to maintain long-term success, you have to replace a certain amount of a winning roster. The IceHogs have sent scores of players on to the next level. Looking at little closer at the pipeline, however, it becomes apparent that few quality replacement parts have been developed in Rockford.

Here are the players from the Blackhawks current roster who have seen time at the BMO with the IceHogs. The bold type names are the players I believe to have been true products of Chicago’s minor league system.

Forwards: Alexandre Fortin, John Hayden, David Kampf, Marcus Kruger, Andreas Martinsen, Brandon Saad.

Saad and Kruger only were in Rockford because of the NHL work stoppage in 2012-13. Martinsen came to the organization with a couple of seasons of NHL experience. Kampf and Fortin are free-agent signings; Kampf was in Rockford for just 33 games and Fortin was unproductive and missed time last year to injury in his rookie season with the IceHogs.

Defensemen: Eric Gustafsson, Gustav Forsling.

Gustafsson cut his teeth in Rockford, with 120 Rockford appearances over three seasons. Forsling isn’t a finished product by any means. He may never be. Either way, he has just 48 games with the Hogs.

Goalie: Corey Crawford.

As I’ve mentioned quite a bit in the past, Crawford spent five seasons in the minors. Three of those seasons were in Rockford.

You can pick through the above list and come to your own conclusions.

So…how has the gang in Rockford done in developing Stan Bowman’s draft picks?

Well, let’s look at the last Dale Tallon draft in 2009 and Bowman’s subsequent picks spanning the last nine years. Which players were developed in the minor league system and became long-term productive players? The 64,000-dollar question, of course-which players developed in Rockford have made big-time contributions for the Blackhawks?

The answer may not agree with your stomach, so sit down.

Here’s the rundown, starting with Tallon’s 2009 draft picks that have appeared in the NHL:

 

2009-Dylan Olsen, Brandon Pirri, Byron Froese, Marcus Kruger

Olsen, the Hawks first-rounder that season, has to be labeled a bust. After a brief stint in Chicago, Olsen spent some time in Florida with limited success. He’s currently playing in England.

Pompous Madcap (Froese) didn’t get much of a look in Rockford after being taken in the fourth round, but did reach the NHL in the Leafs organization.

Brandon Pirri played 238 games with the IceHogs before being traded out of the organization. Chicago’s second-round pick in 2009 has 228 NHL games under his belt but has spent most of the last two seasons with the AHL’s Chicago Wolves. He is currently leading the AHL in scoring and dropped a hat trick on the IceHogs Saturday night.

Marcus Kruger came over from Sweden after being drafted in the fifth round. His 34 games in Rockford came in 2013, when the NHL was on strike. I don’t consider him to be a product of the minor-league system.

None of Chicago’s other four picks reached the NHL.

Hogs Developed: Pirri, a capable offensive forward but a one-dimensional player in NHL terms.

 

2010-Kevin Hayes, Justin Holl, Kent Simpson, Stephen Johns, Joakim Nordstrom

Simpson, one of Chicago’s second-round picks, played 20 minutes of NHL hockey. Nuff said. The other second-rounder, Johns, played 59 games with Rockford over parts of two seasons. He may or may not realize his potential at defense. However, that won’t be happening for the Hawks.

Nordstrom, a third round pick, has several seasons of NHL experience and is currently with the Bruins. He appeared in 92 games with the IceHogs over three seasons.

Kevin Hayes, Bowman’s first-round selection, is a solid NHL player. However, he never spent a day in the Hawks organization.

Justin Holl, a defenseman the Hawks quickly gave up on after drafting him in the second round, has been a solid AHL player with the Toronto Marlies. Last season, he appeared in two games with the Maple Leafs.

None of the other six Bowman selections made the NHL.

Hogs Developed: Nordstrom, a bottom-six player who briefly played for the Hawks. To a lesser extent, Johns, who is also in another organization.

 

2011-Mark McNeill, Phillip Danault, Adam Clendening, Brandon Saad, Michael Paliotta, Klas Dahlbeck, Andrew Shaw, Alex Broadhurst

Saad and Shaw are the big names in terms of players contributing to the success of the Blackhawks. Saad’s 31 games in Rockford came only because of the NHL strike. Shaw also played in Rockford before the NHL got their business settled with the players in that 2012-13 season. He had 38 games with the Hogs in his rookie season before his meteoric rise to the NHL.

McNeill was in Rockford for several seasons. Aside from a couple of NHL starts, Bowman’s top pick hasn’t made it out of the minors. Danault, the other first-round selection, spent 160 games in Rockford and has developed into a decent player…for the Canadiens.

Clendening is a very good AHL defenseman who hasn’t been able to secure steady work in the NHL. He has 223 games in two stints with the Hogs. Dahlbeck was in Rockford for three seasons and played 170 NHL contests, though just four for the Hawks. He is currently in the KHL.

Alex Broadhurst played 104 games for the IceHogs and did reach the NHL for a cup of coffee with the Blue Jackets. He has spent most of his career in Cleveland of the AHL. Paliotta played one game for Chicago after the third-round pick was signed. He’s bounced around the AHL but never played in Rockford.

None of the other three Bowman selections have made the NHL. Maxim Shulanov and Sam Jardine were briefly with the IceHogs.

Hogs Developed: Shaw, because the IceHogs were his proving ground for the Blackhawks. Danault, a solid NHL contributor. Dahlbeck and Clendening as fringe defensemen.

 

2012-Teuvo Teravainen, Vinnie Hinostroza

Both Teravainen and Hinostroza, Bowman’s first and sixth-round picks, are smallish, speedy playmakers who will were traded out of the organization to entice other clubs to take on unwanted contracts. Sorry I had to bring this up.

Teravainen had just 44 games in Rockford, mostly during the 2014-15 season before being recalled by the Hawks. Hinostroza appeared in 104 games with the IceHogs over four different seasons.

None of the other six Bowman picks have reached the NHL. Matt Tomkins, a seventh-round pick, is on an AHL contract with Rockford and has been in Indy for most of this season and last.

Hogs Developed: Hinostroza, who will apply the lessons learned in Arizona for now.

 

2013-Ryan Hartman, Carl Dahlstrom, John Hayden, Tyler Motte, Luke Johnson

Two seasons and change in an IceHogs sweater for Hartman, who figures to be a productive player for a few years. Motte, Bowman’s fourth-round pick, played 48 games in Rockford and is now playing in Vancouver with 108 NHL games under his belt.

At this point, I would say that the jury is out on Dahlstrom and Johnson as well as Anthony Louis, who has yet to appear in a Chicago sweater. All three remain in the organization. I would categorize this trio as still being works in progress. Hayden has 24 games in Rockford, but I can’t say there was a lot of development going on in his case.

Hogs Developed: Hartman, Motte. Again, neither is contributing to the Blackhawks fortunes.

There is no use going through the past five drafts, as only Nick Schmaltz (remember back when he was on the Hawks?), Alex DiBrincat and Henri Jokiharju have NHL time at this point. Schmaltz was in Rockford for a short spell, but the Hogs can’t claim to have developed these players.

Blake Hillman, a sixth-rounder from 2016, burned a year of his entry deal in Chicago last spring and is currently in Rockford. Time will tell how these more recent draft picks will develop.

Ready for the roll call of Bowman’s picks who have made lasting impressions after being polished by the IceHogs? Here it comes…

Andrew Shaw. And…

…nope, that’s pretty much it.

There are more first and second-round picks that Rockford hasn’t be able to make into productive players. Shaw was a fifth-round selection that started on an AHL contract and just kept proving people wrong (put me near the top of that list) about his NHL prospects.

If you want to make yourself feel a little better about the development process, you can widen the scope and put Hartman in that club. He did play in Chicago for 141 games.

Otherwise, Bowman’s draft trove is comprised of players who never worked out, weren’t polished in Rockford, developed and were moved out of the organization, or are on the currently roster with a not-quite-ready-for prime time status.

Would Danault, Johns, Teravainen, Hinostroza and Hartman be an upgrade on the current bottom six of the Blackhawks. Probably. Cap issues required that Bowman let these horses out of the barn. No use crying about it, at least too much.

While the IceHogs certainly have moved players to the NHL level in their time as the Hawks AHL affiliate, that talent has not made a lasting impact for the organization. Chicago’s depth has not been replaced from within. For the Blackhawks to get the arrow moving in the right direction, this is where things need to change.

 

Oh…And Here Are This Week’s Recaps

Friday, December 7-Rockford 3, Grand Rapids 2 (OT) 

Dylan Sikura put the Hogs on his back in the final 25 minutes of action, posting a two-goal effort. Those goals brought Rockford back from a goal down to beat Grand Rapids.

After a scoreless first period, the Hogs and Griffins traded goals in the opening minutes of the middle frame. The IceHogs were attempting to clear the defensive zone; Joni Tuulola got the puck up the half boards to Nick Moutrey, who lobbed it up and over the neutral zone.

Nathan Noel chased down the puck and avoided a check attempt by Libor Sulak of the Griffins. Noel’s backhand got the best of Grand Rapids goalie Harri Sateri for a 1-0 Rockford lead at the 2:54 mark of the second period.

Givani Smith evened the score 51 seconds later, beating Hogs starter Anton Forsberg to the upper right corner of the net. The score remained knotted at one at the second intermission.

A turnover behind the Hogs net resulted in Matt Puempel setting up Derek Hulak in the slot. The shot five-holed Forsberg as he tried to cut off the attempt and Grand Rapids led 2-1 4:18 into the third period.

It took until the latter stages of the final frame, but Rockford came up with the equalizer on the power play. Dylan Sikura took an entry pass from Jordan Schroeder, flew past the defense and sent a shot between Sateri’s pads at the 17:02 mark.

Rockford ended regulation on a man advantage, which carried over to Gus Macker Time. For 57 seconds, the Hogs took several whacks at Sateri but couldn’t convert. Forsberg and Sateri both bailed out their respective clubs with great saves. The Hogs prevailed when Sikura got the back of his stick on Tuulola’s shot with 37 seconds remaining in extra time.

Forsberg stopped 41 shots to pick up his first win at the BMO this season. Sikura, Forsberg and Noel were the three stars of the game.

Lines (Starters in italics)

Anthony Louis-Luke Johnson (A)-Jacob Nilsson

Jordan Schroeder-Tyler Sikura-Dylan Sikura

Henrik Samuelsson-Viktor Ejdsell-Terry Broadhurst (A)

Nick Moutrey-Graham Knott-Nathan Noel

Blake Hillman-Carl Dahlstrom (A)

Andrew Campbell-Lucas Carlsson

Joni Tuulola-Darren Raddysh

Anton Forsberg

 

Saturday, December 9-Chicago 4, Rockford 0

Rockford haplessly watched former IceHogs forward and AHL scoring leader Brandon Pirri post a hat trick in this Illinois Lottery Cup matchup. Three Wolves goals subdued the impotent piglets in the opening frame and the Hogs win streak ended at two games.

Collin Delia was saddled with the loss in his return from a leg injury. Delia stopped 35 shots on the night but was no match for Pirri, who beat Rockford in transition as well as on the power play.

Lines (Starters in italics)

Nick Moutrey-Graham Knott-Nathan Noel

Anthony Louis-Luke Johnson (A)-Jacob Nilsson

Jordan Schroeder-Tyler Sikura-Dylan Sikura

Henrik Samuelsson-Viktor Ejdsell-Terry Broadhurst (A)

Joni Tuulola-Darren Raddysh

Blake Hillman-Carl Dahlstrom (A)

Andrew Campbell-Lucas Carlsson

Collin Delia

 

This Week

The Hogs travel to Grand Rapids Friday before returning to Rockford to complete a three-game in three days weekend. Texas comes a calling Saturday; the Griffins come to the BMO Sunday afternoon.

Follow me @JonFromi on twitter for thoughts on the IceHogs all season long.

 

Everything Else

High On The Hog: Vacation For Gilbert

By Jon Fromi 1378 0

Rockford IceHogs defenseman Dennis Gilbert has adding a physical element to a team that is more focused on skating than brawling. The former Notre Damer paid a price for that style of play last weekend.

The AHL suspended Gilbert for three games after taking a hard look at a hit he delivered in Sunday’s 3-2 win over San Antonio. Early in that game, Gilbert put a shoulder into the chest of Rampage forward Mackenzie MacEachern. The hit separated MacEachern from the puck as well as his senses.

Before MacEachern could be helped from the ice, Klim Kostin went over and quickly dropped the gloves with Gilbert. Kostin earned an instigator penalty and a ten-minute misconduct in addition to the five-minute fighting major. At the time, all Gilbert was penalized was the five-minutes for fighting. On Tuesday, the league opted for supplemental discipline.

Upon taking a long, slow look at the play, it becomes apparent that Gilbert was just a few inches high on the hit. Contact was made with MacEachern’s head, unintentional as it may have been.

This isn’t the first time that a call that was deemed legal in the course of a game drew the ire of the AHL. The on-ice officials made what they felt was the right call from the perspective of a live-action hit. A few inches lower and Gilbert delivers a legal hit.

Gilbert remained in the contest and assisted on Graham Knott’s game-tying goal in the third period. It was Gilbert’s first point since an assist in his season debut October 13. He’s been paired quite a bit with veteran Andrew Campbell recently. Of Rockford’s seven fighting majors this season, Gilbert has three of them.

Hogs coach Derek King seemed to disagree with the ruling in his weekly media availability, though he stopped short of criticizing the suspension. King said that he had advised Gilbert to continue playing in a physical manner.

In his first weeks as Rockford’s head coach, King has pushed the physical narrative decidedly harder than Jeremy Colliton. The IceHogs are far from being a punishing team in this regard, but it’s interesting to see how this plays out as the season progresses.

 

Roster Moves

Gilbert’s absence prompted the Hogs to recall D Josh McArdle from the Indy Fuel Tuesday. The Rockton, Illinois native was in the lineup at the BMO November 7 against Iowa, thought that was Rockford’s morning school-day game. He should get a big reception from the home fans if he gets into a game this weekend.

The next day, goalie Kevin Lankinen was assigned to the Fuel, signaling that Collin Delia was ready to return to action after missing the last three games. Lankinen played well in this most recent stint with Rockford, picking up his first win of the season Sunday afternoon.

 

This Weekend

Rockford is attempting to win consecutive games for the first time since November 9 and 10. To do so, they will have to shut down a streaking opponent.

Grand Rapids, the hottest team in the Western Conference, comes to Rockford Friday night. The Griffins have won seven of their last eight, with the lone loss coming in a shootout against Milwaukee back on November 23.

Veteran Chris Terry leads the Grand Rapids offense with 15 goals and nine helpers in 23 games. Matt Puempel has chipped in with ten goals.  Veteran centers Turner Elson (8 G, 13 A) and Carter Camper (5 G, 15 A) have also been steady contributors.

Rockford will probably be looking at Patrik Rybar (6-2-2, 2.27, .910) in net for the Griffins. Rybar held the Hogs to a single goal November 14 in Grand Rapids, stopping 29 shots on the way to a 3-1 victory.

Saturday night is another Illinois Lottery Cup tilt with the Chicago Wolves. Chicago has struggled of late, but rallied from a three-goal deficit to beat Iowa in overtime on Wednesday night.

Former IceHogs forward Brandon Pirri has picked up his scoring pace, with six goals and eight assists in his last ten games. He currently leads the AHL in scoring with 30 points (10 G, 20 A).

Follow me @JonFromi on twitter for thoughts on Rockford happenings throughout the season.