On Friday night, the Rockford IceHogs hosted the Manitoba Moose in Game Four of the Calder Cup Playoffs Western Conference Semi-Finals. Leading the best-of-seven series 3-0, Rockford had a chance to set an AHL Franchise record for consecutive wins in the postseason and eliminate the Moose with their second sweep of the playoffs, they would do just that. With special teams leading the way once again, the IceHogs topped the Moose 6-3 and completed their second sweep of the Calder Cup Playoffs this year. With the win, Rockford advances to the Western Conference Finals for the first time in AHL Franchise history.
Game Four: Rockford IceHogs def. Manitoba Moose, 6-3
The IceHogs hoped that their recipe of stellar goaltending from Collin Delia and the best combined special teams units in the Calder Cup Playoffs could power them to a seventh-straight win in the postseason, and subsequently a second sweep in the Calder Cup Playoffs. Delia, through his first six games, held a 6-0-0 record with the lowest GAA in the postseason at 1.44, and the second-highest save-percentage at .953%.
Collin Delia takes the ice for the Rockford IceHogs. (Courtesy: Todd Reicher)
The first period, got off to a familiar start for Rockford as Cody Franson would open the scoring with a powerplay goal. Let me know if you’ve seen me write this before. (Hint: you have.) Franson from the left-circle blasted a one-timer by Eric Comrie with a great setup from Adam Clendening and it was 1-0 Rockford. With under seven minutes to play in the period, Manitoba would respond with a game-tying goal from Julian Melchiori, his second of the series, and it would be a 1-1 game.
But, less than a minute later, Chris DiDomenico would put the IceHogs back on top with his fourth goal of the Calder Cup Playoffs, giving Rockford the 2-1 lead. In the theme of back-and-forth of the first period, the Moose would capitalize on a Rockford turnover. While on a five-minute powerplay after Moose Captain Patrice Cormier was assessed a match-penalty for kicking, along with a roughing and boarding-major penalty, the IceHogs turned the puck over and J.C. Lipon scored short-handed to tie the game 2-2 and head to the first intermission knotted up.
Chris DiDomenico celebrates with his teammates after a goal in Game Four of the Western Conference Semi-Finals. (Courtesy: Todd Reicher)
Rockford would begin the second period with a powerplay that carried over from the first period, they would make sure that Manitoba would pay. Carl Dahlstrom would score his second goal of the Calder Cup Playoffs to give the IceHogs the 3-2 lead on their second poweplay goal of the game. The intensity and physicality would increase as the game progressed, with Manitoba throwing all they could at Rockford, trying to hold off being swept out of the playoffs.
Their aggressive play would come back to cost Manitoba as they yielded a powerplay to the IceHogs and Victor Ejdsell would earn a penalty shot while on the man-advantage. Ejdsell would go back-hand, top-shelf to beat Comrie for his fifth goal of the Calder Cup Playoffs and give Rockford the 4-2 lead in the second period. It would get even better for the IceHogs in the second period as the Moose would take yet another penalty and it would be another powerplay goal for Cody Franson. A near carbon-copy of his first powerplay goal of the game, Franson one-timed it by Comrie with help from DiDomenico and Clendening. The period would come to a close with Rockford ahead 5-2 and 20 minutes away from yet another historical elimination scenario.
Collin Delia makes a sliding save against the Manitoba Moose in Game Four of the Western Conference Semi-Finals in the Calder Cup Playoffs. (Courtesy: Todd Reicher)
In the third period, the IceHogs would hold their 5-2 lead well into the final frame while continuing their perfect night on the penalty-kill and chewing more time off the clock by controlling play with their eighth poweprlay of the night. Collin Delia would keep the Moose at bay, shutting down 15 of 16 shots in the third period. Helping the cause, with the Moose net empty, Andreas Martinsen would send the puck deep and find the yawning cage with just over three minutes remaining in regulation to seal the deal. Rockford completes the sweep of the Moose, 4-0 in the series and remains undefeated in the Calder Cup Playoffs in 2018.
GAME FOUR HIGHLIGHTS: Rockford IceHogs def. Manitoba Moose, 6-3
Collin Delia with another quality night in net, see his record to 7-0-0 with a 1.65 GAA and a .948 save-percentage. Through the first two rounds of the Calder Cup Playoffs, the Rockford special teams records are a staggering 15/40 (37.5%) on the powerplay and 26/28 (92.9%) on the penalty-kill, including a perfect 11/11 against the Manitoba Moose.
Impressive.
Postgame Reaction
Watch the postgame reaction from Head Coach Jeremy Colliton and Collin Delia after the Rockford IceHogs defeat the Manitoba Moose 6-3, and sweep the Calder Cup Playoffs Western Conference Semi-Finals series.
WATCH: Jeremy Colliton Postgame after Game Four vs Manitoba Moose
WATCH: Collin Delia Postgame after Game Four vs Manitoba Moose
What’s Next?
With the victory, the IceHogs head to the Western Conference Finals in the Calder Cup Playoffs for the first time in the club’s AHL history. They also are the first team in the AHL to win seven consecutive postseason games since the Toronto Marlies in 2014. Rockford takes a sweep over the Chicago Wolves and a sweep of the Manitoba Moose into the third round of the playoffs.
There they will face the Texas Stars after Texas ousted the Tuscon RoadRunners 4-1 in their Western Conference Semi-Finals series. Here is the schedule for the IceHogs and Stars in the Calder Cup Playoffs Western Conference Finals:
- Game One: Rockford IceHogs at Texas Stars, Friday, May 18, 7pm (H-E-B Center at Cedar Park, Cedar Park, Texas)
- Game Two: Rockford IceHogs at Texas Stars, Sunday, May 20, 5pm
- Game Three: Texas Stars at Rockford IceHogs, Tuesday, May 22, 7pm (BMO Harris Bank Center, Rockford, Illinois)
- Game Four: Texas Stars at Rockford IceHogs, Thursday, May 24, 7pm
- * Game Five: Texas Stars at Rockford IceHogs, Friday, May 25, 7pm (*If Necessary)
- * Game Six: Rockford IceHogs at Texas Stars, Monday, May 28th, 7pm (*If Necessary)
- * Game Seven: Rockford IceHogs at Texas Stars, Tuesday, May 29th, 7pm (*If Necessary)
By advancing to the Calder Cup Western Conference Finals, this marks the furthest a Chicago Blackhawks minor-league affiliate team has gone in the AHL playoffs since the Brunswick Hawks won the Calder Cup in 1982.
The IceHogs held a 2-1-1 record over the Texas Stars in the regular season this year. Historically in the Calder Cup Playoffs, the Stars and IceHogs have faced off twice. In 2010, Texas swept Rockford in the first round, while in 2015, it was the IceHogs who swept the Stars in the opening round of the playoffs.