The Rockford IceHogs skated in San Jose this past weekend, with mixed results. They opened the season Friday night with a 7-2 victory, then dropped Saturday’s rematch with the Barracuda by the same 7-2 score. Still, picking up a weekend split on the road can certainly be viewed as a positive for the young Rockford squad.
Seven rookies made their pro debuts on Friday, including highly-touted goalie prospect Drew Commesso. In his first action, Commesso stopped 34 shots and impressed his coach with the effort.
“I liked him a lot,” Sorensen admitted to Hogs broadcaster Mike Folta following Friday’s win. “I thought his composure in net, the way he saw the puck , the way he tracked the puck , his lateral mobility on some of those saves was really good. I think that early on in the game it kind of calmed the group down a little bit the first ten minutes or so.”
Commesso, the Blackhawks second-round selection in the 2020 NHL Draft, was glad to get his first AHL game under his belt. However, he was all about moving forward to his next start.
“I think there’s actually a lot of things I need to touch up,” he explained to Folta. “For a goaltender, I want to make everything as simple as possible. I feel like I was sprawling a little bit too much throughout the game. I feel like it’s something, a good point to work on. Something I’m sure I’ll touch on during the week and make improvements as we go throughout the season.”
Sorensen also pointed to the play of his rookie defensive pairing of Ethan Del Mastro and Nolan Allen. Neither player cracked the scoresheet in their first game, though Del Mastro picked up an assist in Saturday’s loss.
“I though they read off each other well,” Sorensen told Folta. “I thought their gaps were pretty good.”
The were other IceHogs rookies that impacted play on Friday. Forward Ryder Rolston was noticeable on the forecheck Friday even before picking up his first AHL goal in the third period. Rolston created a turnover behind the Barracuda net and then skated to the left post. Fellow rookie Jalen Luypen nabbed the puck and found Rolston ready to send it to the back of the San Jose net.
Rockford is one of the greenest teams in the AHL in terms of age and experience. Last season, the offense was dominated by veteran players, with the exception of Lukas Reichel, who is now with the Blackhawks. Getting scoring from the youngsters is going to be a big factor in the IceHogs success this season.
Howarth Injured
Kale Howarth left Friday’s contest early in the second period, the victim of an illegal check by San Jose forward Ozzy Wiesblatt. Howarth was skating along the half boards as the IceHogs were attempting to clear the defensive zone. Wiesblatt then delivered a shoulder that caught Howarth high, sending him to the ice.
After several minutes, Howarth was helped to the dressing room. He did not return to action and was replace in Saturday’s lineup by Zach Jordan. Wiesblatt was assessed a five-minute major for the hit, along with a match penalty that ended his evening. The next day, the AHL suspended Wiesblatt for three games.
The penalty proved costly for San Jose, as the IceHogs scored twice in the subsequent power play to take control of what had been a tight contest. Michal Teply and David Gust scored thirty seconds apart to turn a 2-1 edge into a 4-1 lead for Rockford.
Spotlight Goal: David Gust, October 14 vs San Jose
In Friday’s opener, Rockford was in control and led by three goals midway through the third period. Drew Commesso gets the scoring play started behind his net, hauling in a dump-in attempt and sending it around the half boards and out of the defensive zone.
Next, the puck slides along the dasher past Rockford forward Michal Teply and Barracuda defenseman Leon Gawanke. Brett Seney takes possession in stride, streaking into the San Jose zone with David Gust in the high slot in a 2-on-1 rush.
Seney then gets defenseman Roman Kinal to commit to him at the left dot. Once Kinal does, Seney slips a pass under Kinal’s stick to Gust at the goal mouth. Gust knows what to do from there.
Shielding Oskar Lindblom’s attempt to backcheck, the Hogs forward cuts across the crease. Gust’s second lamp-lighter of the evening concludes with a pretty forehand/backhand move past rookie Barracuda goalie Magnus Chrona. In addition to Seney , Commesson also picked up an assist on Gust’s second goal of the game.
Old Man And The C?
Gust posted career numbers (26 G, 33 A in 65 games) last season after signing an AHL contract with Rockford. His outstanding play would earn him an NHL deal with the Blackhawks. He made his NHL debut in February and also potted his first NHL goal. Gust and Seney (23 G, 31 A) were Rockford’s top point producers in 2022-23. It’s a good sign that both are picking up where they left off.
Gust is currently the elder stateman on the IceHogs at the ripe old age of 29. The former Ohio State standout is entering his seventh professional season, during which he has collected 319 games of AHL experience.
“You blink, and the next thing you know, you’re the old guy,” Gust said at Rockford’s weekly media session back on Tuesday. “It’s different, it’s cool. It’s year seven, so it was bound to happen one of these years.”
Gust was one of three IceHogs to serve as alternate captains to start the season, in addition to Seney and defenseman Issak Phillips. To Sorensen, Gust is the type of player the youngsters can emulate.
“We know that he’s a good player, that he can make plays,” he said of Gust. “What I like about him, too, is the way he competes, the way he plays. He’s a culture guy for us the way he plays.”
With longtime captain Garrett Mitchell newly retired this summer, Sorensen may wait a couple of weeks to officially elevate one of his veterans to fill Mitchell’s skates. However, one would guess that Gust’s name is in the mix for the position.
What’s Next
Rockford has one game to prepare for this weekend. However, it’s kind of a big deal-the home opener.
The IceHogs host the newly-independent Chicago Wolves Saturday night at the BMO Center. This will be the first of twelve meetings this season in what is always an intense Central Division rivalry. Puck drop is at 7:00 p.m. CDT.
