The Rockford IceHogs began the month of March in better fashion than they wrapped up February. Rockford traveled to Tucson this weekend, splitting a pair of games with the Roadrunners.
A 5-1 setback ran the IceHogs’ losing streak to three games on February 28. The following night, Rockford was able to pull out a 3-2 overtime victory at the Tucson Convention Center Arena.
The IceHogs (22-25-5-1) continue to tread water in the Central Division. Rockford is 5-5 in its last ten contests and finished February with a 5-6 mark. With 50 standings points, the team is sitting in fifth place.
February 28-Tucson 5, Rockford 1
This one was never close, with the Roadrunners sending three pucks to the twine in the opening period. The damage was done on a four-minute power play after a high-sticking penalty by Gerry Mayhew. Tucson converted on each half of the double-minor, with goals by Kailer Yamamoto and Egor Sokolov.
Sokolov, voted the game’s First Star, added a second-period goal and also picked up an assist in the win. Tucson (25-22-3-2) won its third straight game.
Mayhew would get his eleventh goal of the season early in the third period. However, it was far too little and far too late for Rockford.
Mitchell Weeks surrendered five goals in the first forty minutes; Drew Commesso relieved him in net for the final frame.
March 1-Rockford 3, Tucson 2 (OT)
The IceHogs were able to avenge a lackluster effort in Saturday’s rematch. Zach Sanford opened and closed the scoring, snapping Rockford’s losing streak to begin the month.
Sanford’s first-period goal came 7:40 into the game. It was set up by Rockford captain Brett Seney, who brought the puck out of the d-zone and across the Tucson blueline. Seney dropped the biscuit to Sanford, who skated to the top of the left circle and sent a shot over the glove of Roadrunners goalie Jaxson Stauber.
The IceHogs went up 2-0 on another long-distance offering. This one came from the stick of defenseman Dmitry Kuzmin. Cole Guttman won a puck battle against the right halfboards and sent it out to Kuzmin just inside the blueline. The resulting shot beat Stauber, glanced off the right post, and settled into the net 4:28 of the second period.
Rockford’s lead did not survive regulation. Back came the Roadrunners, who closed the gap to a single goal with an Andrew Agozzino power play strike later in the middle frame. Tucson tied the game midway through the third on Sokolov’s twentieth goal of the campaign.
Sanford came through with the game-winner 1:36 into the extra session. After Stauber stopped his initial attempt from the right dot, the puck bounced off of a Tucson defender and into open ice in front of the crease. Sanford skated to the puck and guided it past Stauber for Rockford’s first overtime triumph of the season.
Commesso picked up his ninth win, stopping 33 shots. Joining Sanford with multi-point evenings was Seney, who assisted on both of Sanford’s goals.
IceHogs Roster News
Before taking on Tucson, the Chicago Blackhawks recalled F Andreas Athanasiou and D Wyatt Kaiser on Thursday. Athanasiou was red-hot for Rockford in February; in nine games, he had six goals and five assists.
Also on Thursday, the Blackhawks also assigned D Nolan Allan to Rockford. Allan was in the lineup for both games against the Roadrunners this weekend.
This Week For The IceHogs
It’s back to the BMO Center for Rockford, who will be hosting Iowa on Friday and Texas on Saturday. Both games are set to start at 7:00 p.m. CST.
