Facing a tough month of January, the Rockford IceHogs have responded to the middle-season grind in a positive fashion. Going 3-2-2 over the first seven games of the month, the IceHogs ride a five-game point streak after a 2-0-1 stretch over three road games against teams in the AHL Pacific Division. Rockford has used their current streak to take sole possession of 3rd place in the AHL Central Division at 21-15-4, 46 points and a .575 point percentage, trailing the Milwaukee Admirals and Manitoba Moose in the Division.
Friday: Rockford IceHogs def. San Jose Barracuda, 4-2
After getting a win over the Ontario Reign on Wednesday, the IceHogs took on the San Jose Barracuda for just the third time in history between the teams. Collin Delia would get the start for the IceHogs in net. Rockford was able to get on the board first in the first period with an unassisted tally from Matheson Iacopelli for his ninth goal of the season. It would remain 1-0 Rockford into the second period, until the Barracuda tied the game just over five minutes into the second period.
The tie wouldn’t last long though as the IceHogs took the 2-1 lead just under four minutes later as Tyler Sikura scored his tenth goal of the season, extending his goal streak to four games. Tanner Kero would add to the Rockford lead five minutes later with his third goal of the season. The Barracuda would cut the lead to 3-2 just past the mid-way point of the third period, but with the goalie pulled late in the game, Kero would add an empty-net goal to seal the 4-2 victory for Rockford.
Delia earned his fourth win of the season, making 23 saves on 25 shots faced while the IceHogs out-shot the Barracuda 42-25 in the game. Delia improved to 4-4-0 on the season with a 3.15 GAA and a .876 save-percentage.
Saturday: Bakersfield Condors def. Rockford IceHogs, 3-2 (ot)
Rolling off the win over the Barracuda, the IceHogs prepared to leave the Pacific time zone after a matchup with the Bakersfield Condors. Delia would have the night off as Matt Tomkins got the start in net for Rockford, his third start for the IceHogs, looking for is first win. The game would be scoreless at the mid-way point of the first period, that is when the Condors broke through with a goal from Grayson Downing to take the 1-0 lead on his first goal of the season. It would remain 1-0 Bakersfield into the second period, but the IceHogs wouldn’t take long to tie the game. just under five minutes into the middle period, Tyler Sikura netted his 11th goal of the year, fifth goal in as many games, and the game would be tied.
The tie lasted just 43 seconds as the IceHogs would take the 2-1 lead on a quick goal from Carl Dahlstrom at the five-minute mark of the period. Dahlstrom’s third goal of the season kept the IceHogs ahead going into the third period. 13 minutes into the period, the Condors would tie the game on a Ty Rattie goal and it would stay a 2-2 tie until the end of regulation. Rockford secured at least their fifth game in a row with a point in the standings, but were looking for the win. It would not be in the cards for the IceHogs though as Rattie would score his second of the game with just 29 seconds remaining in the overtime period. Rattie’s 16th of the year gave the Condors the 3-2 win, with Tomkins making 32 saves on 35 shots faced as the IceHogs out-shot the Condors 40-35 through 64 and a half minutes of play.
Streaking Sikura
While the IceHogs are riding a five-game points streak, forward Tyler Sikura is riding a five-game goal streak. Sikura came to the IceHogs this season with 22 games played in the AHL between 2014-2017, but had yet to tally his first AHL point. Over the last ten games, Sikura has tallied 9 points (8G, A) and has 15 points (11G, 4A) in 38 games played for the IceHogs.
The older brother of Chicago Blackhawks prospect Dylan Sikura, Tyler was undrafted after playing four seasons at Dartmouth University from 2011-2015, where he was team Captain as a Junior and Senior. In 125 games with Dartmouth, Sikura notched 92 points and was named first-team All-Ivy League in the 2012-13 season.
Sikura turned pro in the spring of 2015 when he joined the Springfield Falcons and has played 175 professional games in the AHL and ECHL since 2015.
What’s Next?
The IceHogs return to the Midwest to continue their six-game road trip with three games against AHL Central Division teams. Starting on Wednesday night, the IceHogs take on the Cleveland Monsters for the first of two games in three nights against the Monsters. Cleveland currently sits in last place in the Central Division, 11-19-6 with 28 points and a .389 point percentage. Rockford will surely hope to not only continue it’s current point-streak, but also walk away with four points out of four against the Monsters. The teams have split the first four meetings this season.
After the Wednesday-Friday matchups against the Monsters, the IceHogs will close the six-game road trip with a Saturday night contest against the Grand Rapids Griffins. Another Central Division matchup against at team behind them in the standings, the IceHogs are 6-1-0 in seven previous meetings with the Griffins, who sit above the Monsters in the Division in sixth-place with a 19-17-5 record, 43 points and a .524 point percentage.
All three of the upcoming games for the IceHogs are 7pm ET/6pm CT puck drops.