With the end of the season creeping closer and closer, the IceHogs found themselves in a 3-games-in-3-nights situation in week 22 of the AHL schedule. In order to stay close in the playoff race, the Hogs needed to take at least 4 of the 6 possible points–and they did just that.
Week 19 was friendly towards the IceHogs as they took the 2 points in 2 of 3 games. They added another 2 points to kick of week 20 as they make their push for the playoffs.
Week 16 was not stellar by any means for the IceHogs on the scoreboard. Despite cleaning up their defensive game and amount of penalties taken–only nine minors were assessed to the team in two contests–they dropped both games on their schedule and find themselves with a record below .500 for the first time since November 21st.
Now that the three of us have returned to our normal, NHL-watching ways, we needed to find someone else to chime in with our Rockford Icehogs update. Luckily, we found one Kim Wrona, from Runs On Duncan.com to help us out with that. So this will be the first installment of Pigs In Zen, Kim’s Hogs update. Now let’s show how adult we can all be by giving here a warm welcome. -Sam
After winning three games at the end of December, the IceHogs went on to lose four straight to kick off the new year. They rebounded at the end of Week 14 in the AHL as they defeated Grand Rapids and Milwaukee on back-to-back nights.
It was not a good weekend for the Rock River Bacon Bits. Two losses, one in overtime, meaning it’s been four in a row now. Oh, and their coach is calling out some of the players in the press (or to Chris Block, but he’s more press than anything in the city these days).
It started well on Friday north of the border, the Illinois-Wisconsin border that is. 40 seconds into their tilt with the Admirals, Nick Leddy scored. But as it always is with the Hogs, the penalties they take cost them, and the ones they don’t cash in on cost them. A dumb roughing infraction from Wade Brookbank, and then a Brandon Saad high-sticking double minor saw the Admirals into the lead before the 1st was over. Both PP goals came from Gabriel Bourque and were off of scrambles in front of the net, in case you thought the Hogs were any better at clearing the crease than the Hawks. Oh and the Milwaukee power play was one of the worst in the league before this night.
Let’s talk about some things that actually took place over frozen water today. It’ll be a nice break. We’ll start with the Winnebago County Bacon Bits, and then later this afternoon we’ll check up on all the kiddies around the world. Then we’ll realize it’s not really the hockey we want to be talking about, and then I’ll resign myself to watching the fucking Lakers tonight and that I won’t be able to pretend that Steve Nash in Purple and Gold is ok! Sorry, that got away from me there a bit. Anyway…
The IceHogs had one of those lovely three games in three days weekends this past one, with a trip to Grand Rapids sandwiched between two home dates with Florida’s affiliate San Antonio. Sounds brutal, but they got through it with three wins, so you can’t complain too much, can you?
