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High On The Hog: Grappling With The Griffins

By sgadmin May 4, 2015 1375 0

The Rockford IceHogs face a familiar opponent in the second round of the Calder Cup Playoffs. After completing a sweep of Texas at the BMO this past Wednesday, the IceHogs will be facing off in Grand Rapids this Wednesday and Friday in the first two games of the Western Conference Semifinal.

The Griffins battled back from an 0-2 deficit against Toronto, winning three straight home games to advance to the second round. The best-of-seven series will feature a 2-3-2 format, meaning that Rockford plays host in Games 3, 4 and 5 should it go that far.

The way things have gone between the two teams this season, it should go at least that far. This really shapes up to be a high-octane series.

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High On The Hog: Up A Pair On The Texas Stars

By sgadmin April 27, 2015 1427 0

The Rockford IceHogs got their quest for the 2015 Calder Cup off to a bang-beat, bell-ringing start down in Texas over the weekend. The Hogs took the first two games of their AHL Western Conference Quarterfinal from the Stars in games on Friday and Saturday.

As a result, I’ll be heading to the BMO Harris Bank Center Wednesday night to watch the IceHogs try and wrap up the best-of-five series. Now…who’s coming with me?

Well…maybe not as many as management would like. I’m sure the Rockford brass isn’t completely happy with the league schedule makers.

Texas, who averaged just over 5,000 fans this season in their building in Cedar Park, drew 4,375 Friday and 4,978 Saturday. The IceHogs, who set an attendance record this season by packing an average of 4,834 into the BMO and have “home ice” in the series, get to host a weeknight game. The challenge for the Rockford area is clear; can they fill the house without dollar hot dogs?

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High On The Hog: Gone To Texas

By sgadmin April 20, 2015 1288 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: Hot In Rockford

By sgadmin April 6, 2015 1484 0

The Rockford IceHogs seem to be peaking at the perfect time of the season. Winners of eight of their last ten games, the Hogs have assured themselves of the team’s first trip to the AHL postseason in five years.

The IceHogs have avoided lengthy slumps that have doomed past campaigns. The worst stretch of hockey for Rockford came from November 28 to January 19, when the team was 8-9-4-1 in 22 games.

The Hogs tend to jell in the spring and this season has been no exception. What has been the difference is the team’s 15-4-0-1start. With 41 wins this season with seven games to play, the AHL franchise high water mark of 44 victories (set in 80-game seasons in 2007-08 and 2009-10) is certainly within reach.

You can point to a lot of factors that have gotten Rockford to this point. Here are some players who have provided a recent jump in the step of the IceHogs.

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High On The Hog: Shuffling The Deck

By sgadmin March 4, 2015 1393 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: Looking Up At Milwaukee

By sgadmin February 10, 2015 1577 0

 

The Rockford IceHogs were stripped of the lead in the AHL’s Midwest Division by the Milwaukee Admirals this past weekend. Rockford dropped both ends of a home-and-home with the Admirals and stirred up some bad blood to boot.

The IceHogs played both games without Brandon Mashinter, who was serving a two-game suspension by the AHL for an elbow to the head of Chicago’s Jani Hakanpaa January 31. The infraction was not penalized on the ice but was later drew the ire of the league. Mashinter returns to action as IceHogs forward Cody Bass begins serving a two-game suspension for leaving the bench to try and engage Milwaukee forward Michael Liambas Friday night.

The IceHogs and Ads nearly started a pre-game brawl of Slap Shot-proportions Saturday at the BMO center, with three bouts taking place during the game itself.

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High On The Hog: State Of The IceHogs

By sgadmin February 2, 2015 1388 0

 

The Rockford IceHogs split a home-and-home with the Chicago Wolves over the weekend. Rather than give you the blow-by-blow this week, I thought I would weigh in with some thoughts on the Hogs as they enter February still atop the Midwest Division of the American Hockey League.

Normally I will spend a couple of hours Sunday breaking down the past week’s action. However, between the Super Bowl, shoveling my driveway and proctoring an 11-year old through a book report, I am taking a slightly different course.

With some player movement taking place over the last few days, let’s take a look at the current bunch. I’m just going to riff; perhaps an intelligent observation or two will sneak out of my head.

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High On The Hog: Rasmussen Gets A Call From The Hawks

By sgadmin January 26, 2015 1381 0

After a big week of action that saw the Rockford IceHogs hold two consecutive opponents scoreless, the Chicago Blackhawks called up a forward. That player may come as a bit of a surprise. Dennis Rasmussen will be joining the Blackhawks as they head on their post-All-Star break road trip.

The 24-year-old center is in his rookie season in Rockford and has eight goals and eight assists in 44 games with the IceHogs. He’s a plus-ten and has been a mainstay on a strong penalty kill unit.

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High On The Hog: Stephen Johns Returns

By sgadmin January 19, 2015 1432 0

Chicago Blackhawks defensive prospect Stephen Johns missed nearly seven weeks of action following a concussion suffered back in Rockford November 26. Johns made his return to the lineup this past weekend for the IceHogs. It was fitting that he came back against the team he last played against.

Johns skated with Klas Dahlbeck Friday night against the Iowa Wild and Saturday in Chicago. The Hogs won both games and Johns showed he hasn’t lost his taste for contact.

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High On The Hog: Holiday Blahs

By sgadmin December 31, 2014 1579 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.