In the month of December, the Rockford IceHogs have been at the opposite ends of the spectrum with a hot start with a four-game win streak, followed by a three-game skid over their last three contests. There is no coincidence that the three-game losing streak, in which the IceHogs scored just one goal per game, falls in line with the Chicago Blackhawks recalling Rockford’s top-scorer in Vince Hinostroza and their second-leading scorer, Matthew Highmore, going cold.
IceHogs Hurting Without Hinostroza
While it was called for from fans for weeks prior to the recall happening, Hinostroza’s play with the IceHogs was consistently at a high level and showed that he deserved a shot to crack the Blackhawks lineup and make an impact at the NHL level. In his five games with the Blackhawks so far this season, Hinostroza has just one point, a goal against the Winnipeg Jets, with 13 shots on goal and an average of 11:36 minutes of ice-time per game.
Playing in a third-line center position, Hinostroza has provided a burst of speed down the middle of the ice that the Blackhawks needed. While his point-production is just the one goal so far, his impact at 5-on-5 in a bottom-six role has been pretty much as advertised at the NHL level so far and has made a small-sample case to stick around in Chicago for the foreseeable future.
Highmore Has Opportunity To Be IceHogs Go-To Player
If the case does end up that Hinostroza will stay with the Blackhawks for a while, there becomes an offensive hole to fill for the IceHogs. Players like Tomas Jurco and Carl Dahlstrom have stepped up this season, but it’s the emergence of Highmore that has been a big find for the IceHogs and Blackhawks organization.
Highmore was an undrafted signing by the Blackhawks in the offseason after playing with the Saint John Sea Dogs of the QMJHL for four seasons. In 289 games with the Sea Dogs, Highmore tallied 247 points (90G, 157A) as well as 45 points (15G, 30A) in 44 playoff games. During his final season with Saint John, Highmore tallied 89 points in the regular season and another 24 in the playoffs as the Sea Dogs won the QMJHL Championship.
The pedigree for success is there for Highmore. Head Coach Jeremy Colliton has put him in the lineup in high-profile spots, playing Highmore on the top forward line consistently, playing on the penalty-killing units and the powerplay to help spark the IceHogs young team. Highmore has taken advantage of his opportunities thus far, leading the team in goals (11) and second in points (18).
Without the offensive production of Hinostroza, the IceHogs need Highmore to break out of his current slump. Since recording his first career professional hat-trick on Nov. 22, Highmore has three points over the last 10 games. Prior to this current stretch, he totaled 15 points in 18 games to begin the year. For the IceHogs to keep pace in the Central Division, they will need Highmore to lead the rookie class in Rockford.