The Rockford IceHogs have seen Central Division opponents go on extended hot streaks over the course of the 2023-24 season. Now, it may be the IceHogs’ time to go on a tear.
Rockford has won six games in a row, its longest such streak of the season. Since February 10, when the IceHogs broke a seven-game losing streak against Chicago, Rockford is 9-2 and making a run at third place in the division. That spot is currently occupied by the Texas Stars, who the IceHogs will face in a crucial two-game series in Cedar Park, Texas, on Tuesday and Wednesday.
With a pair of victories, Rockford can overtake the Stars for third place. If the IceHogs can sustain their current surge, they could avoid a play-in round and advance straight to the first round of the 2024 Calder Cup Playoffs. With 19 games remaining in the regular season, Rockford is in a position to set itself up for an interesting playoff run.
Explaining The IceHogs Success
A quick look at the stat sheet doesn’t suggest anything special about the IceHogs on the offensive side of the puck. Rockford doesn’t have a top-twenty scorer in its lineup; Brett Seney (18 G, 26 A) is 26th in the AHL with 44 points. However, several recent additions have resulted in a deep roster in terms of offense.
Rem Pitlick has five goals and six helpers in eleven games since being assigned to Rockford on February 15. Lukas Reichel hasn’t found the net since he was sent to the IceHogs on February 17. However, he does have six assists in his seven games. Cole Guttman (8 G, 14 A) has found his game of late, with five goals and eight points in his last five games.
The IceHogs are near the bottom of the league in offense at just 2.81 goals per contest. However, in their last eleven games, they’ve been scoring at a 3.45 goals per game clip. With a heightened emphasis on defense, Rockford has been able to make that increased scoring hold up.
“I think a lot of it has to do with our defending habits,” coach Anders Sorensen pointed out at last week’s team media session. “We’re defending better. Our habits are really good. We’re not giving up a ton of odd-mans and in-zone we’ve done a really good job defending in-zone, but also defending the rush has been really good. When you add those things, and you do those things well, you’re going to get opportunities to play offense. I think that’s where it starts.”
Peaking In Net
The season numbers of Drew Commesso (2.74 goals against average, .902 save percentage) and Jaxson Stauber (3.08, .895) don’t reflect how the IceHogs goalie tandem has raised their games over the last six weeks. Their play in net has been a big factor in Rockford’s success.
Starting on February 2, Commesso is 4-2-2 with a 2.35 GAA and a .919 save percentage. Stauber is 5-0-1 with a 1.97 GAA and a .918 save percentage.
In that span, Rockford has surrendered three goals or less, with the exception of March 2 in Grand Rapids. On that night, Stauber gave up four goals. However, the IceHogs prevailed 5-4 in overtime.
Collecting Talent
Rockford was not the beneficiary of a trade deadline deal by their NHL parent club, the Chicago Blackhawks. That doesn’t mean that the roster didn’t improve. Far from it; the talent pool deepened quite a bit over the past week.
First, the Blackhawks assigned forward Zach Sanford and defensemen Issak Phillips and Louis Crevier to Rockford on Friday. This makes all three eligible for the AHL postseason. Sanford was quickly recalled to Chicago, but Phillips and Crevier remained on the roster and took part in the IceHogs 4-1 win over the Chicago Wolves on Saturday.
Boris Katchouk seemed destined for a paper move to Rockford, but the Ottawa Senators claimed him on waivers on Friday. Despite this, the IceHogs came out of the trade deadline in very good shape.
Earlier in the week, Luke Philp, Rockford’s MVP last season, was assigned to the IceHogs. Philp has missed the first five months of the season following Achilles tendon surgery. If Philp can shake off the rust, he’s a huge pickup for Rockford.
The Blackhawks also left players like Pitlick, Guttman, and Reichel in Rockford, ensuring that they will be contributors for the IceHogs down the stretch. David Gust and Colton Dach, two of Rockford’s top players, returned from injuries on Saturday, providing even more depth to a hot club.
Mike Hardman (17 G, 10 A) and Anders Bjork (10 G, 17 A) remain on the shelf for now. Both players will make an impact upon their return, whenever that may be. With the talent at his disposal, Sorensen will have little problem putting together three strong scoring lines on his card.
This Week
Following the back-to-back in Texas, the IceHogs return to the BMO Center to host the San Jose Barracuda on Saturday and Sunday. Saturday’s action begins at 7:00 p.m. CDT, with the return match on Sunday dropping the puck at 4:00 p.m. CDT.
