The Rockford IceHogs have had a rough go of things in the early part of their 2024-25 AHL schedule. The IceHogs went 2-5 to start the month, culminating in a listless 4-0 loss to the Chicago Wolves at Allstate Arena November 17. That defeat placed them squarely in the division cellar.
However, Rockford was able to rebound with three strong games against Texas last week. The IceHogs beat Texas 5-2 at the BMO Center on November 19, then earned three points over this past weekend in Cedar Park with a 2-1 victory on Friday and a 3-2 overtime loss to the Stars on Saturday.
The IceHogs (6-8-1, 13 points) have risen to fourth place in the Central Division. Grand Rapids (25 points), Milwaukee (20 points), and Texas (18 points) have created some separation in the standings. The other four Central squads (Rockford, Iowa, Manitoba, and Chicago) are looking to stay within striking distance.
Hogs On A Roll In Goal
One big key to Rockford’s reversal of fortune lay in the crease.
“I think our goaltending was good, for sure,” IceHogs coach Anders Sorensen pointed out at Rockford’s weekly media session on Tuesday. “I thought we won a lot of rebounds; they didn’t get second chances. They had some good looks, but the goalies made the initial saves and we were able to clean up the rebounds and win those situations.”
Drew Commesso, who was briefly called up to the Chicago Blackhawks roster last week, was back in the net Friday against Texas. The struggling goalie turned in a strong performance with a 27-save effort, earning his first win since November 1.
“It was his best game of the year. It was good to see,” Sorensen said. “He looked set in net and he looked calm in net.”
Mitchell Weeks also stepped up his game in his two starts in goal vs the Stars. He stopped 31 shots on November 19 for his third win of the season. On Saturday, Weeks kept the IceHogs in the contest, allowing them to tie the game in the final minute of regulation.
Nazar Continues Strong Rookie Season
Rookie forward Frank Nazar is continuing to impress the Blackhawks organization with his offensive acumen this past month. Nazar has six goals and six helpers in November, including four goals in his last four games.
Nazar put up his first multi-goal night as a pro against the Stars on November 19. He currently leads Rockford in scoring with eight goals and eight assists.
IceHogs Roster News
On Sunday, the IceHogs assigned defenseman D.J. King to the ECHL’s Indy Fuel. King has played in two games with Rockford this season.
Tuesday saw the Blackhawks make a trade with Nashville, sending forward Ryder Rolston to the Predators for future considerations. Rolston was a staple of the IceHogs lineup last season (10 G, 9 A in 62 games) but had just six starts with Rockford so far this season. Rockford recalled forward Jalen Luypen to fill Rolston’s spot the same day.
Hitting The Road
Heading into a three-game weekend, Rockford has a chance to keep the arrow trending up with some key Central Division matchups. Unfortunately for the IceHogs, it will largely be a road show in the month of December.
Rockford hosts Chicago at 7:00 p.m. CST on Friday night. They will then starts a six-game road trip Saturday in Milwaukee; puck drop is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. CST. The IceHogs will visit the Wolves Sunday afternoon at 3:00 p.m. CST to begin December. This begins a three-week span where just two of Rockford’s next ten games will be at the BMO Center.
“It’s definitely going to be a challenge,” Sorensen said “but we’re looking forward to it. Just take it day by day and game by game. We’re trying not to look too far ahead. We know our schedule is challenging here, but at the same time, we’ve got to embrace that and kind of look it straight in the eye and take it for what it is.”
