Rockford IceHogs goalie Jaxson Stauber was a big part of the team’s Taylor Swift tribute night at the BMO Center Friday night. A self-proclaimed “Swiftie”, Stauber was featured on the video board several times to share Swift facts with the fans.
On the ice, Stauber created some AHL history.
Not only did Stauber record a 24-save shutout of the Chicago Wolves, he also tossed in Rockford’s final goal of the evening. Stauber became the first AHL goalie to post a goal and a shutout in the same contest, leading the IceHogs to a 4-0 victory.
“It feels awesome,” Stauber told IceHogs rink-side reporter Andres Tejeda following his selection as the game’s First Star. “The guys played great in front of me all night.”
Rockford (19-19-5-2) wins its third straight game and is now on a six-game point streak. The IceHogs stifled Chicago for a good portion of the game, which featured numerous skirmishes and 68 penalty minutes.
“We defended real well,” coach Anders Sorensen told Hogs broadcaster Mike Folta after the game. “We were connected, we didn’t give up much, and that’s how we have to play.”
Nolan Allan got the scoring started for Rockford. The rookie blueliner scored his third goal of the season 6:43 into the first period. Allan took a pass from fellow defenseman Ethan Del Mastro and skated to the left dot. He then fired past Wolves goalie Adam Scheel for a 1-0 IceHogs lead.
Rockford capitalized just once on seven power play chances. Fortunately, that came on a two-man advantage midway through the opening frame. Colton Dach got to the front of the net, where he guided Brett Seney’s centering pass past Scheel at the 13:05 mark.
Getting A Bit Fighty Out There
The IceHogs held that 2-0 advantage through a brutal second period, which saw fights between Allan and Chicago’s Matt Donovan, as well as a one-sided win by Rockford’s Josh Healey over Wolves defenseman Griffin Mendel.
Mendel received an instigator penalty and a ten-minute misconduct in addition to a five-minute fighting major. He also received a Healey uppercut to the nose; Mendel returned to action in the third period with a full face shield.
The IceHogs killed nearly two minutes of a two-man Wolves advantage in the opening minutes of the second stanza, then averted disaster after a Rockford power play expired late in the period. Kyle Marino came out of the penalty box, hauled in a long pass, and skated hard to the Rockford net. Stauber made his most crucial stop of the game in keeping Marino’s attempt safely away from the twine.
Finishing Off The Wolves
Rockford picked up a big insurance goal 8:09 into the third period. Jackson Cates knocked in a pretty backhanded centering pass by Michal Teply. Down 3-0, Chicago pulled Scheel in the closing minutes.
With just over a minute remaining, Stauber gathered a dump-in by the Wolves Alex Green behind his net. After settling the puck, Stauber sent a long-distance wrister the length of the ice. The shot ended its journey across the rink in the back of the empty Chicago cage.
“When you’re up three-nothing, you’ve got a little leeway,” Stauber explained to Folta. “I just fielded it cleanly and thought that I had the time to go for it. It’s something that every goalie dreams of, so I thought I’d take the shot.”
The Wolves (16-23-3-2) drop their fifth game in a row and will host Cleveland at Allstate Arena Saturday night at 7:00 p.m. CDT. Rockford looks to close out its nine-game homestand Saturday with a win against Grand Rapids. The action at the BMO Center begins at 7:00 p.m. CDT.
