It’s been a long summer for the IceHogs and their fans after the team missed the playoffs by a mere 2 points to the Milwaukee Admirals in 2012-13. The Hogs finished 9th in the Western Conference with a record of 42-31-2-1 (87 points). The roster turnover will be noticeable this year for Rockford, which is different from last season where the majority of the team was the same from the year before.
This was it. Week 28 in the AHL schedule. The IceHogs had 2 games left in their schedule and they needed all 4 points to keep their playoff hopes alive. They weren’t in complete control of their own destiny though—they needed the Milwaukee Admirals to lose just one, measly game in order for Rockford to make their first playoff appearance since 2009-10. Only half of the plan worked.
The IceHogs needed to keep on racking up the points in their games in week 25 and Tuesday of week 26 in order to maintain the pace of the Western Conference points race. During this four game homestand, they needed to take at least 6 of 8 points, but they only got half of the available points.
Week 24 of the AHL’s schedule had Rockford playing back-to-back games against the Abbotsford Heat in British Columbia. These two teams are a part of the AHL’s insane fight for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference, and that fight got even crazier once the weekend was over.
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.
Despite going .500 in week 21 of the AHL schedule, the IceHogs still find themselves in the thick of the playoff hunt, thanks in part to the six game winning streak that they put together. Unfortunately, that streak was snapped on Saturday night.
Despite going .500 in week 21 of the AHL schedule, the IceHogs still find themselves in the thick of the playoff hunt, thanks in part to the six game winning streak that they put together. Unfortunately, that streak was snapped on Saturday night.
The IceHogs finished week 20 with two more Midwest Division games on the schedule. All four points mattered in these two contests as Rockford continues to make a late season push for the playoffs.
