The Rockford IceHogs faced the best team in the AHL twice this weekend. They were soundly defeated in both tilts.
Following Saturday’s game, the league went on its All-Star break. Rockford’s equipment managers should take the impending free time to sew a patch onto the IceHogs sweaters.
One that reads “Property Of The Milwaukee Admirals”.
Milwaukee has been outstanding through 45 games this season. They sport a 31-8-4-2 mark and a .756 points percentage. They now sit atop the AHL with 68 standings points, nine more than any other team in the league.
The Ads boast the best goalie tandem in the league, with Connor Ingram and Troy Grosenick combining for a 2.16 GAA and a .924 save percentage. Combined with the AHL’s top power play (25.7%), the league’s sixth-best offensive output (3.36 goals per game) and a fast-paced, aggressive brand of hockey, Milwaukee is taking it to the opposition on a nightly basis.
Rockford has faced off with the Admirals seven times since the first meeting of the teams this season on December 7. In those games, the IceHogs have gone 1-6 and been outscored 26-12. The lone win came on December 10; all Kevin Lankinen had to do that night was make 55 saves to propel Rockford to a 2-1 overtime victory.
The last three confrontations with Milwaukee have resulted in three-goal losses, including both games this past weekend. Following a physical affair in Milwaukee Friday, Hogs coach Derek King was left without a full set of forwards. Even with rookie Tim Soderlund returning to the lineup, King iced ten healthy forwards, used defenseman Ben Youds as a forward and went with seven defensemen.
The Admirals had no issues using their depth advantage this weekend. Milwaukee camped out in high-danger scoring areas and whaled away at Rockford goalies Collin Delia and Kevin Lankinen. Both saw their goals against average rise thanks to Milwaukee.
I’ll attempt resembling a broken record, but the All-Star break comes at a good time for the Hogs. Somehow, they have to get healthier and in a new mindset following a span in which they have lost 14 of their last 17 games.
Rockford gets back at it with two games at home this coming weekend. The piglets host Manitoba on Friday night, followed by a Saturday contest with…you guessed it…the Admirals Juggernaut.
Roster Happenings
On Saturday, Rockford sent goalie Chase Marchand, who they have on an AHL deal, back to the Indy Fuel of the ECHL.
Phillipp Kurashev, Mikael Hakkarainen, Anton Wedin and Matthew Thompson continue to be unavailable due to injury. John Quenneville sat out the weekend as well.
Alexandre Fortin, Dylan McLaughlin and Peter Quenneville were all scratches on Saturday.
Recaps
Friday, January 24-Milwaukee 7, Rockford 4
Rockford picked up the scoring but couldn’t keep the Ads out of the net, opening the weekend home-and-home series with a loss.
The IceHogs snapped a seven-game scoreless streak early in the game. Dylan Sikura took a shot at goal nine seconds into a Rockford power play. His offering glanced off the stick of Milwaukee’s Jared Tinordi and sailed by Ads goalie Troy Grosenick 3:39 into the game for a 1-0 Hogs lead.
Milwaukee answered on their first man advantage a few minutes later. Alexadre Carrier set up Frederick Gaudreau at the left circle for a one-timer that beat Rockford goalie Collin Delia to the cord. The goal tied the game 1-1 6:15 into the first.
The Ads took a 3-1 advantage after Mathieu Olivier and Mikka Salomakki got pucks past Delia at 10:59 and 14:54, respectively. Rockford would close the gap to 3-2 late in the period on MacKenzie Entwistle’s power play goal. The breakaway attempt was set up by a finely-threaded pass from Nicolas Beaudin. Entwistle skated across the crease and backhanded the puck over Grosenick.
Milwaukee ran out to a 5-2 lead after Gaudreau and Eeli Tolvanen hit on power play markers 20 seconds apart in the opening 67 seconds of the middle frame. The Hogs climbed back into the contest with a pair of their own.
Chad Krys found the back of the net from the blueline at the 4:56 mark to close to within two goals. Three minutes later, the power play came up big for the third time in the game. This time, Brandon Hagel put back a rebound of Gabriel Gagne’s shot 8:34 into the period to cut the Milwaukee lead to 5-4.
The Admirals went up 6-4 following some nifty passing that ended with Rem Pitlick knocked in Tolvanen’s pass at the right post at the 14:50 mark. Milwaukee stretched the lead to 7-4 on Daniel Carr’s goal 4:33 into the third period.
Lines (Starters in italics)
Nick Moutrey-Reese Johnson-Joseph Cramarossa
Brandon Hagel-Jacob Nilsson-MacKenzie Entwistle
Dylan Sikura-Tyler Sikura (C)-Gabriel Gagne
Alexandre Fortin-Peter Quenneville-Dylan McLaughlin
Chad Krys-Dennis Gilbert
Joni Tuulola-Lucas Carlsson
Nicolas Beaudin-Ian McCoshen (A)
Collin Delia
Kevin Lankinen
Power Play (3-8)
Carlsson-Hagel-D. Sikura-Gagne-Nilsson
Beaudin-McLaughlin-Entwistle-T. Sikura-Fortin
Penalty Kill (Milwaukee was 3-7)
Forwards: Nilsson-Johnson-Moutrey-Fortin-T. Sikura
Defense: Tuulola-Gilbert-Krys-McCoshen
Saturday, January 25-Milwaukee 5, Rockford 2
The IceHogs dropped the back half of the home-and-home, losing to the Admirals at the BMO Harris Bank Center.
Rockford opened the scoring as they had the previous evening, on the power play. MacKenzie Entwistle got inside position on his defender and was on hand to send the rebound of Ben Youds shot attempt past Admirals goalie Connor Ingram. At 10:09, the piglets owned a 1-0 lead.
From that point on, Milwaukee took over. Eeli Tolvanen tied the game at the 11:42 mark with a put back in front of Hogs goalie Kevin Lankinen. Michael McCarron’s presence in the crease yielded a pair of goals in the second period to stake the Admirals to a 3-1 lead through 40 minutes.
Milwaukee pressed its advantage in the final frame, with Tanner Jeannot and Daniel Carr finding the back of the net midway through the third. Rockford picked up a late goal at the 18:30 mark when Tyler Sikura redirected a Chad Krys blast from the point.
Lines (Starters in italics)
Rockford employed seven defensemen tonight and skated an eighth (Ben Youds) as a forward.
Dylan Sikura-Tyler Sikura (C)-Gabriel Gagne
Brandon Hagel-Jacob Nilsson-MacKenzie Entwistle
Nick Moutrey-Reese Johnson-Joseph Cramarossa
Tim Soderlund-Ben Youds
Dennis Gilbert-Ian McCoshen (A)
Joni Tuulola-Lucas Carlsson
Dmitri Osipov-Nicolas Beaudin-Chad Krys
Kevin Lankinen
Matt Tomkins
Power Play (1-4)
Carlsson-Hagel-D. Sikura-Gagne-Nilsson
Beaudin-Soderlund-Entwistle-T. Sikura-Youds
Penalty Kill (Milwaukee was 1-4)
Forwards: Nilsson-Johnson-Moutrey-Cramarossa-Soderlund-T. Sikura
Defense: Tuulola-Gilbert-Krys-McCoshen
Follow me on twitter @JonFromi for updates on the IceHogs throughout the season.
