Three straight wins over the Peoria Rivermen weren’t in the cards for the Rockford IceHogs on Wednesday as the Hogs were shutout 4-0 at Carver Arena before 2,476 fans. The first period went scoreless on Wednesday as Peoria rattled off the first seven shots on goal in the opening frame while Rockford fired the final 12 shots of the period. In the second period, Peoria snagged the first goal of the game 4:18 into the frame. Andrew Murray fired a shot though traffic past a screened Henrik Karlsson for his 13th goal of the season. The Peoria lead was extended later in the stanza. Newly acquired winger Nathan Longpre picked up a Tyler Shattock pass and snuck his fifth goal of the season under the arm of Karlsson in transition at 17:12. A penalty shot goal moved the Rivermen’s lead to 3-0 in the third frame. After getting tripped by Ryan Stanton on a breakaway, Murray buried his second goal of the game with a penalty shot marker 3:25 into the third period. Rockford pulled Karlsson with just over three-minutes to play in regulation in a desperate attempt to get back into the game but Jeff Woywitka fired a shot into the Hogs empty net to seal it at 17:41. The iceHogs outshot the Rivermen 36-20 in the contest, but it wasn’t enough as their four-game winning streak was snapped.
-Bob
After trailing throughout most of the game, Rostislav Olesz registered his second goal, and third point for Rockford, of the game to help the IceHogs beat the Peoria Rivermen 5-4 Saturday evening at Carver Arena in front of 6,039 fans. In the third period, down 4-3, a power play goal evened the score for Rockford. Jimmy Hayes set up Adam Clendening at the right point and the rookie blueliner blasted his seventh goal of the season past Mike McKenna through traffic at 7:28. That set the stages for another Rostislav Olesz game-winning goal late in the third period. Martin St. Pierre knocked down a clear out attempt by Peoria and fired a shot in on McKenna where Olesz re-directed in his sixth goal of the season and second game-winning goal in as many nights, this one at 17:29 of the final frame. The IceHogs earned their tenth third period come-from-behind victory of the season, most in the AHL.
-Bob
The Rockford IceHogs scored just 48 seconds into the game and never looked back on their way to a 4-0 victory over the Peoria Rivermen Wednesday evening at Carver Arena before 2,791 fans. Despite six power play opportunities and 35 shots on goal, Peoria was never able to find the back of the net. In the opening minute, Terry Broadhurst deflected a shot past Mike McKenna for his third goal of the season. Klas Dahlbeck and Ben Youds earned assists on the early goal. The IceHogs doubled their lead in the second period. Only 4 seconds into a power play, Shawn Lalonde pushed the puck to the left circle, where Jeremy Morin one-timed his 17th goal of the season at 9:20. Brad Mills also was credited with an assist on the play after winning the face-off. Peoria went 0-for-6 on the power play as Rockford went 1-for-4 on the man advantage. The Rivermen outshot the Heat 35-24 in the game.
-Bob
The Peoria Rivermen finished the preseason with a 2-1-0 record after a 5-3 loss to the Rockford IceHogs on Saturday at Carver Arena. Peoria goalie Jake Allen made 24 saves in his only action of the preseason while Adam Cracknell, Derek Nesbitt and Phil McRae scored for the Rivs. The IceHogs behind a strong showing from the line combination of Jimmy Hayes, Marcus Kruger and Brandon Saad combined to score four goals and three assists. Rockford goalie Carter Hutton went the distance making 13 saves on the night.
-Bob
In a New Year’s Eve contest dominated by penalties, the Peoria Rivermen topped the Rockford IceHogs 3-2 in front on 6,226 fans at Carver Arena on Saturday. Phil McRae netted the game winner midway through the third period while the teams combined for 102 penalty minutes. Peoria opened the scoring with its second shorthanded goal of the year at the 7:40 mark of the first period. After Adam Cracknell was boxed for hooking, Cade Fairchild and Brett Sonne raced two-on-one down the ice and into the Rockford zone. From the top of the right circle, Fairchild fed Sonne who pulled the puck to the backhand and pushed a shot around IceHogs goaltender Alec Richards. At the 6:47 mark, the tempers began to flare once again as Brennan Evans and Andrew Shaw dropped the gloves in the Rivermen zone. Towards the end of their tilt, Jeremy Morin stepped in and grabbed ahold of Evans, drawing almost everyone else on the ice into the scuffle. Morin was given a game misconduct for being the third man into the altercation. Click for the official box score.
-Bob
