On Tuesday, the Rockford IceHogs held media availability ahead of their Game Three matchup with the Manitoba Moose. Rockford leads the Calder Cup Western Conference Semi-Finals series 2-0 over Manitoba, winning the first two games on the road before coming home for Wednesday night’s Game Three.
Rockford IceHogs Media Day Audio: May 8, 2018
Hear from Head Coach Jeremy Colliton and his thoughts on keeping the team even-keel while being undefeated in the postseason, Chris DiDomenico on his journey to this point of the season with the IceHogs, Victor Ejdsell on his comfort in the transition to the North American game, and Collin Delia on the secrets behind his stellar play as well as his love for the Minions and a playoff beard update.
Head Coach Jeremy Colliton
Chris DiDomenico
Victor Ejdsell
Collin Delia
War Pig Stats
Rockford enters Game Three with the best special teams units of teams still alive in the Calder Cup Playoffs with the top-ranked powerplay at 35.7%, and the top-ranked penalty-killing unit at 89.5%. Through the first two games of their series against the Moose, the IceHogs are 3-for-10 on the powerplay and a perfect 5-for-5 on the penalty kill.
Collin Delia holds the lowest Goals Against Average of goalies left in the Calder Cup Playoffs at 1.52, ranking .07 lower than Alex Nedeljkovic of the Charlotte Checkers. Delia also holds the highest save-percentage of goalies still in the Calder Cup Playoffs at .949%, ranking .001-percent higher than Mike McKenna of the Texas Stars.
Chris DiDomenico is tied for second in scoring in the Calder Cup Playoffs with eight points (3G, 5A) through five games, and is riding a five-game point streak through the playoffs. DiDomenico (2G, 4A), along with Adam Clendening (G, 5A) and Cody Franson (2G, 3A) lead all players in the Calder Cup Playoffs in powerplay points produced, with Clendening and DiDomenico atop the list with six points each.
With a win in Game Two, the IceHogs are 5-0 this postseason, including 4-0 on the road. Rockford set the franchise record, both AHL and UHL combined, with four-straight road wins in the playoffs, and its 5-game win streak is one short of the all-time franchise mark from 2007, the final year that Rockford competed in the UHL and won the UHL’s Colonial Cup.
What’s Next?
Here is the full schedule for the Calder Cup Western Conference Semi-Finals Best-of-Seven series between Rockford and Manitoba:
- Game One: Rockford IceHogs def. Manitoba Moose, 4-2 (RFD leads series 1-0)
- Game Two: Rockford IceHogs def. Manitoba Moose, 4-1 (RFD leads series 2-0)
- Game Three: Wednesday, May 9 at BMO Harris Bank Center (Rockford, Illinois), 7pm
- Game Four: Friday, May 11 at BMO Harris Bank Center, 7pm
- * Game Five: Saturday, May 12 at BMO Harris Bank Center, 6pm (* If Necessary)
- * Game Six: Tuesday, May 15 at Bell MTS Place, 7pm (* If Necessary)
- * Game Seven: Wednesday, May 16 at Bell MTS Place, 7pm (* If Necessary)
The winner of the IceHogs and Moose series will face the winner of the Tucson Road Runners and Texas Stars Western Conference Semi-Finals series. The IceHogs have never advanced to the Western Conference Finals in their AHL Franchise history.