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Make Them Believe: Hawks at Ducks Game 2 Preview/Pregame Thread/Soakin’ It

By 1049 0

Hawk Wrestler vs.howard_the_duck

PUCK DROP: 8pm (or 20 minutes later) Central
TV/RADIO: NBCSN, CBC In The Great White North, WGN 720
MICKEY GROPERS: Anaheim Calling, Battle Of California

Now that all the teeth-gnashing and forcible hair removal after Game 1’s loss has faded, the Hawks get down to the business of trying to grab a split in Orange County, which is what they needed when this all began anyway. Nothing is fucked here, Dude.

As you may have seen the debate rage on Twitter last night, it looks like there’s going to be one lineup change for the Hawks tonight as Kyle Cumiskey will come in for David Rundblad. Let’s be clear, neither is an answer to any question anyone is asking. This isn’t about one being better than the other. But it is highly strange that after it was clear that Rundblad was struggling with rust after not playing in a month combined with the deficiencies in his game, that Q would then opt to try another d-man who hasn’t played in a month and hasn’t even been playing in the NHL this season save for six games that weren’t all that impressive. It’s unlikely he’ll play enough to make a difference, but then we thought that about Rundblad, didn’t we?

Everything Else

Make Them Believe: Hawks at Ducks Game 2 Preview/Pregame Thread/Soakin' It

By 1231 0

Hawk Wrestler vs.howard_the_duck

PUCK DROP: 8pm (or 20 minutes later) Central
TV/RADIO: NBCSN, CBC In The Great White North, WGN 720
MICKEY GROPERS: Anaheim Calling, Battle Of California

Now that all the teeth-gnashing and forcible hair removal after Game 1’s loss has faded, the Hawks get down to the business of trying to grab a split in Orange County, which is what they needed when this all began anyway. Nothing is fucked here, Dude.

As you may have seen the debate rage on Twitter last night, it looks like there’s going to be one lineup change for the Hawks tonight as Kyle Cumiskey will come in for David Rundblad. Let’s be clear, neither is an answer to any question anyone is asking. This isn’t about one being better than the other. But it is highly strange that after it was clear that Rundblad was struggling with rust after not playing in a month combined with the deficiencies in his game, that Q would then opt to try another d-man who hasn’t played in a month and hasn’t even been playing in the NHL this season save for six games that weren’t all that impressive. It’s unlikely he’ll play enough to make a difference, but then we thought that about Rundblad, didn’t we?

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High On The Hog: Gone To Texas

By 1298 0

The Rockford IceHogs will begin postseason play for the first time in five seasons this weekend. The AHL has a different idea of what “home ice” entails, so the boys will begin the opening round of the playoffs in Texas.

Rockford, who finished the season as the fourth-seed, will play Friday and Saturday night against the fifth-seeded Stars. The remainder of the five-game best of will take place at the BMO Harris Bank Center.

How do we feel about the opponent the Hogs have drawn? Well, they did everything they could to make this series happen.

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High On The Hog: Playoff Push Starts In Grand Rapids

By 1459 0

If the Rockford IceHogs want to claim the AHL’s Midwest Division in 2014-15, the next two games on their schedule are vital. The IceHogs will have two shots at the team in front of them this week.

 

Rockford trails the Grand Rapids Griffins, who currently have 88 points, in the division race. The Hogs have 85 points, a game in hand on the Griffins and consecutive games against the division leaders.

 

The IceHogs are in Grand Rapids Wednesday and host the Griffins Friday night. Wins in both games would vault Rockford into first and could also pave the way for a run at the top seed in the AHL’s Western Conference.

 

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High On The Hog: Shuffling The Deck

By 1424 0

The Rockford IceHogs went down to Texas and swept a pair of games from the Stars last weekend. To have done so in the face of the shake-up to the roster was impressive, indeed.

Recent call-ups and trades by the organization have really changed the landscape for the Hogs, who currently fourth seed in the AHL’s Western Conference. Rockford, just two points behind Grand Rapids in the Midwest Division, has responded well initially to this shuffling of the deck.

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High On The Hog: Holiday Blahs

By 1633 0

Explaining the Rockford IceHogs current funk is pretty simple. The kids just aren’t getting the puck in opposing nets. The IceHogs still maintain the top spot in the AHL’s Midwest Division with 42 points in 34 games. The holidays have not been kind to the young Blackhawks prospects, though.

Rockford has dropped five of its last six games over the last two weeks. In four of those losses, the Hogs have been held to one goal. Coach Ted Dent has scrambled some of his forward lines as well as his defensive pairings to little avail.

Let me offer some opinion at this point.

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High On The Hog: Somebody's Watching Me

By 1482 0

The Rockford IceHogs will be hosting nine of their next 15 games at home through next month. That’s fine by me; the IceHogs are limping home after losing the last three games of their six-game road trip.

Some recent events around the AHL prompted me to take a look at the drawing power of the Blackhawks affiliate out here in Northwest Illinois. You might be surprised. Then again, you may not.

Everything Else

High On The Hog: Somebody’s Watching Me

By 1378 0

The Rockford IceHogs will be hosting nine of their next 15 games at home through next month. That’s fine by me; the IceHogs are limping home after losing the last three games of their six-game road trip.

Some recent events around the AHL prompted me to take a look at the drawing power of the Blackhawks affiliate out here in Northwest Illinois. You might be surprised. Then again, you may not.

Everything Else

High On The Hog: Doin' The Shuffle

By 1560 0

The Rockford IceHogs saw an eight-game win streak come to an end in with two losses to the Milwaukee Admirals in the first two games of a three-game weekend. Rockford finished their first three-games in three-nights stretch of the season with a home win in front of a pseudo sell-out audience at the BMO Center Sunday.

With that win, Rockford reclaimed the top spot in the AHL’s Midwest Division. They remain in the second spot in the Western Conference standings with 23 points in 16 games.

Everything Else

High On The Hog: Doin’ The Shuffle

By 1458 0

The Rockford IceHogs saw an eight-game win streak come to an end in with two losses to the Milwaukee Admirals in the first two games of a three-game weekend. Rockford finished their first three-games in three-nights stretch of the season with a home win in front of a pseudo sell-out audience at the BMO Center Sunday.

With that win, Rockford reclaimed the top spot in the AHL’s Midwest Division. They remain in the second spot in the Western Conference standings with 23 points in 16 games.