The Rockford IceHogs came into Tuesday night’s Game Three in unfamiliar territory in the Calder Cup Playoffs; the underdogs. After dropping Games One and Two to the Texas Stars in Texas, the IceHogs returned to home ice, trying to get back into their Western Conference Finals series with a win at home.
Prior to the game, head coach Jeremy Colliton felt his team had more in the tank for Game Three, saying, “I’m excited to see how we respond. When you play at this time of the year, it brings out the best in the best guys and I think we have a lot to show.” Colliton harped on his team for taking penalties they did not have to in Games One and Two, hoping to cut down on the penalty-killing for Game Three.
Defenseman Adam Clendening spoke to the feeling of the dressing room prior to puck drop for Game Three, stating, “We know going down 0-3 makes it really hard to come back, but at the same time, they did their job and won on home ice, so why can’t we?” Forward John Hayden added to that, “It hasn’t been pretty all year and we had to come back from being down in games or in the standings and we have clawed our way out. If we have that same approach to the series, we’ll find a way.”
Rockford would need to get back to the recipe for success that they had in the previous two rounds of the Calder Cup Playoffs to get back into their series against the Stars. Needing a positive effort from their special teams and a quality start from Goaltender Collin Delia, the IceHogs would get less than both of those goals. Going none-for one on the powerplay, two-for-three on the penalty-kill and Delia allowing six goals, Rockford would fall in their second-straight overtime game and a 0-3 series hole with a 6-5 loss.
Game Three: Texas Stars def. Rockford IceHogs, 6-5 (OT)
The IceHogs wouldn’t waste much time in getting the upper-hand in Game Three and came out of the gate fast. It would be just under five minutes into the game when Tyler Sikura would knife his way through the Texas defense and finish off a great individual effort to opening the scoring. Rockford up 1-0 after Sikura’s fifth goal of the season, would see their lead only last a few minutes as the Stars would make the most of a five-on-three powerplay chance. Curtis McKenize found the back of the net on the two-man advantage for the Stars and tied the game at 1-1 nearing the mid-way point of the first period.
The Rockford IceHogs celebrate a goal against the Texas Stars in Game Three of the Western Conference Finals. (Courtesy: Rockford IceHogs)
The Theme of back-and-forth in the first period would continue as John Hayden would find the net for the IceHogs to give them the lead back at 2-1. Hayden’s third goal of the postseason, second in as many games, but the Rockford lead would be short-lived as Justin Dowling would tie the game 2-2 just over a minute later. The frantic first period would continue as the Stars took the 3-2 lead at the 5:28 mark of the period as Sheldon Dries scored his fifth of the postseason to put Texas on top. Dries’ goal also marked the most goals that the IceHogs have given up in a single period in the Calder Cup Playoffs.
The IceHogs would start the second period much like they did the first; scoring early. As the end of their first powerplay of the game was coming to a close, Gustav Forsling was able to find the back of the net on a bomb from the blue-line for the first time in these Calder Cup Playoffs and tie the game at 3-3, under seven minutes into the middle frame. Forsling’s first of the postseason gave the IceHogs a tie for the third time in the game, as Rockford and Texas would see-saw throughout the game.
The wildness of Game Three would continue as off of a penalty-kill, Chris DiDomenico would spring a great chance for Matthew Highmore and Luke Johnson. On the forced turnover by DiDomenico, Highmore would find Johnson and he would bury his second goal of the Calder Cup Playoffs and re-take the lead, 4-3 just beyond the mid-way point of the second period.
Collin Delia scrambles to make a save in Game Three of the Western Conference Finals. (Courtesy: Rockford IceHogs)
DiDomenico, with the secondary assist, notched his AHL-leading 16th point of the Calder Cup Playoffs and further cemented him as one of the MVP’s of the IceHogs this postseason. Rockford held the Stars to just six shots in the second period, while out-shooting them 16-6 in the middle frame and 27-19 after two periods of play. The IceHogs went into the second intermission just 20 minutes away from making the Western Conference Finals a real series.
In the third period, the IceHogs controlled most of the action to begin the period, out-shooting the Stars 6-3 over the mid-way point of the period, but Sheldon Dries would find space and tie the game on his second goal of the contest, making it a 4-4 game with just over nine minutes to play in the third period. The IceHogs would miss on a number of chances to re-gain the lead and it would be the Stars who would get back on top as Austin Fyten would tally his first goal of the Calder Cup Playoffs and give Texas the lead once again, 5-4 with just over five minutes left in regulation.
Lance Bouma (left) fights for the puck in front of Mike McKenna in Game Three of the Western Conference Finals. (Courtesy: Rockford IceHogs)
With 2:43 to play in the third period, Rockford would pull Delia for the extra attacker, trying to get yet another game-tying goal. It would be the usual suspects late in the period as DiDomenico and Luke Johnson would setup Cody Franson for a snapshot from the blue-line and he buried the game-tying goal with just 50 seconds to play. Franson’s fifth goal of the postseason would send the Stars and IceHogs to overtime for the second game in-a-row, tied at 5-5.
In the overtime period, the IceHogs would yet again compile chances but wouldn’t be able to find the ability to finish them off. Unfortunately it would come back to bite them as the Stars were able to find the game-winning goal 5:12 into the extra frame. Curtis McKenzie put a shot on net, it deflected off of Adam Clendening and found its way behind Delia. McKenzie’s second goal of the night gave the Stars a second overtime win in the series and puts the IceHogs in a tough position, down 0-3 in the series and facing elimination.
GAME THREE HIGHLIGHTS: Texas Stars def. Rockford IceHogs, 6-5 (OT)
Collin Delia finished the game with 21 saves on 27 shots faced, while Mike McKenna made 34 saves on 39 IceHogs shots. Texas improves to 6-1 in overtime games during this Calder Cup Playoffs run and wins their seventh-straight game. Rockford drops their third-straight game for the first time since a four-game skid from February 9-17.
Postgame Reaction
After falling in overtime to the Texas Stars, head coach Jeremy Colliton, forwards Matthew Highmore and John Hayden spoke to the media.
WATCH: Postgame Head Coach Jeremy Colliton
WATCH: Postgame Matthew Highmore
With Rockford facing elimination for the first time in the Calder Cup Playoffs this season, they will need four-straight wins to advance to the Calder Cup Final.
What’s Next?
This Western Conference Finals series marks the third time in AHL history that the IceHogs and Stars have met in the postseason. Both teams hold a series sweep over the other with Texas winning a first-round series in 2010, and Rockford winning a first-round series in 2015.
Here is the schedule for the IceHogs and Stars in the Calder Cup Playoffs Western Conference Finals:
- Game One: Texas Stars def. Rockford IceHogs, 4-2 (TEX leads series 1-0)
- Game Two: Texas Stars def. Rockford IceHogs, 3-2/OT (TEX leads series 2-0)
- Game Three: Texas Stars def. Rockford IceHogs, 6-5/OT (TEX leads series 3-0)
- 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)
The Winner of the series will advance to the Calder Cup Finals and play the winner of the Eastern Conference Finals between the Lehigh Valley Phantoms and Toronto Marlies.