Sunday night, the Rockford IceHogs put a cap on their 2018–19 season with a 3–2 loss to the Milwaukee Admirals on Fan Appreciation night at the BMO Harris Bank Center in Rockford. Kevin Lankinen made his first start for the IceHogs in over a month and was a part of a Rockford lineup that featured many of the younger and newly added players, as the team was eliminated from the Calder Cup Playoff race on Saturday. As a part of the regular season finale, the IceHogs announced a number of their team season award winners, highlighted by Jacob Nilsson winning the team’s 2018–19 MVP award.
Rockford IceHogs close 2018–19 season with loss to Milwaukee
After Saturday night’s 3–0 loss to the Iowa Wild, the IceHogs were officially eliminated from the Calder Cup Playoff race in the Central Division. Heading into Sunday night, they faced the red-hot Milwaukee Admirals, who came into the game winners in 10 of their last 13 games, with no losses in regulation over that stretch. As the Ads prepared for the postseason, Rockford could have played a bit of a spoiler.
Here is the lineup for the season finale that the Ice Hogs rolled out on Sunday night:
Hello, hello and welcome to the final edition of #IceHogs hockey this season. We will deploy our troops like so:
Louis-T.Sikura-Pelletier
Moutrey-R.Johnson-L.Johnson
D.Sikura-Kurashev-Hagel
Fortin-McLaughin-EjdsellTuulola-Jokiharju
Krys-Campbell
Hillman-OsipovLankinen
— Rockford IceHogs (@goicehogs) April 14, 2019
In the lineup for the IceHogs were a few newer names that you can expect to be back next season for either the Blackhawks or Rockford, including Chad Krys, Brandon Hagel, Philipp Kurashev and Reese Johnson, among others.
Lankinen made his first start for the IceHogs since March 10, and made 27 saves on 30 shots faced against the Admirals in the 3–2 loss. His season record fell to 7–8–4 for 2018–19 with a 2.50 GAA and a 0.910 save percentage in his first season in North America.
Rockford IceHogs goaltender Kevin Lankinen guards the goal during Sunday’s game against Milwaukee. (Photograph courtesy of Rockford IceHogs)
The Admirals jumped out to a 2–0 lead by the midway point of the first period, thanks to goals by Tanner Jeannot and Cole Schneider just under two minutes apart. The IceHogs would pull one back against Milwaukee in the first period, thanks to Alexandre Fortin‘s seventh goal of the season, just his second goal since a two-goal night on Feb. 1. Milwaukee would take their 2–1 lead into the second period and add onto it in the middle period thanks to a goal from Adam Helewka, extending their lead to 3–1 after 40 minutes of play.
Dear @TheAHL,
Here's a late entry for your Save of the Year Award.Love, the Admirals. pic.twitter.com/fTWn2NZZSW
— x – Milwaukee Admirals (@mkeadmirals) April 15, 2019
The IceHogs would try to mount a comeback for the home crowd on Fan Appreciation night, pulling the game to 3–2 in the third period with Luke Johnson‘s 18th goal of the season with just over 11 minutes to play in the final period. Johnson’s tally helped him set a new AHL career-high in points with 31 on the season in 53 games, surpassing last season’s total of 30 points in 73 games played. The comeback would fall short though, including a spectacular glove save on Kurashev from Tom McCollum in the final minute, and the IceHogs would fall in their final game of the season, 3–2 to the Admirals.
Rockford IceHogs team salutes the home fans at the BMO Harris Bank Center after the season finale against the Milwaukee Admirals. (Photograph courtesy of Rockford IceHogs)
The IceHogs finished the 2018–19 regular season with a 35–31–10 record and 80 points in the Central Division standings. Rockford finished the year going 3–3–0 in the month of April, and 5–6–1 in March to go 8–9–1 for the final two months of the season. Compared to the final two months of last season, in which the IceHogs went 12–5–2 and qualified for the Calder Cup Playoffs with 88 points in the standings.
Calder Cup Playoff picture: Central Division
A few notes worth mentioning as the IceHogs season comes to an end in regard to the AHL Central Division. First, the Milwaukee Admirals take a 14-game unbeaten streak into the postseason, having not lost in regulation since March 9 against the Grand Rapids Griffins. Speaking of the Griffins, they limp into the Calder Cup Playoffs on the opposite end of the spectrum from the Admirals, having lost nine straight games. Grand Rapids has not won a game since March 26 against the Iowa Wild.
Final AHL Central Division standings for 2018–19.
The Wild come into the postseason having won three straight games, and will match up against Milwaukee. The Central Division winning Chicago Wolves cruised to their third straight Division title this season and will have home-ice advantage to begin the Calder Cup Playoffs, taking on the Griffins. The Calder Cup Playoffs begin on Wednesday, April 17 with the Central Division action beginning on Friday, April 19.
Rockford IceHogs 2018–19 Team Awards
Prior to Sunday night’s contest, the Rockford IceHogs announced a number of team-based awards for the 2018–19 season. A few names to note from the winners include William Pelletier as the team’s Man of the Year, Dylan Sikura as the team’s Rookie of the Year and Nilsson as the team’s Most Valuable Player for the season.
Rockford IceHogs forward Jacob Nilsson accepts the Team MVP award at the season finale against the Milwaukee Admirals. (Photograph courtesy of Rockford IceHogs)
Full list of winners below:
- MVP: Jacob Nilsson
- Nilsson 2018–19 stats: 61 games played, 15 goals, 17 assists, 32 points, -5
- Rookie of the Year: Dylan Sikura
- Sikura 2018–19 stats: 46 games played, 17 goals, 18 assists, 35 points, +7
- Defenseman of the Year: Lucas Carlsson
- Carlsson 2018–19 stats: 69 games played, nine goals, 24 assists, 33 points, -5
- Unsung Hero: Tyler Sikura and William Pelletier
- Tyler Sikura 2018–19 stats: 50 games played, seven goals, 12 assists, 19 points, +1
- Pelletier 2018–19 stats: 41 games played, seven goals, 10 assists, 17 points, +5
- Heavy-Hitter: Andreas Martinsen
- Martinsen 2018–19 stats: 38 games played, three goals, eight assists, 11 points, -3
- Most Improved Player: Dennis Gilbert
- Gilbert 2018–19 stats: 63 games played, five goals, nine assists, 14 points, -8, team-leading 67 penalty minutes
- Man of the Year: William Pelletier
My write-in vote for the IceHogs award not listed here would be a group award, Team MVP, and it would go to Anton Forsberg and Collin Delia. With the worst goal-support in the AHL all season, Delia and Forsberg finished the season both in the top-five in the league in save percentage. Delia’s .922 ranked second in the league, while Forsberg’s .919 save percentage ranked in a tie for third-best in the AHL this season. Forsberg and Delia also both ranked in the top-20 in the AHL for goals against average. Delia and Forsberg’s combined team save percentage (.916) finished the season ranked at the top of the league in a tie with the Syracuse Crunch. The Crunch, who won the AHL North Division, finished the season with the second-fewest goals allowed this season with 187, five more than the Bakersfield Condors (182), who played eight fewer games.
By the numbers: What went right?
- Team save percentage: .916
- Tied for first in AHL
- Goals allowed: 214
- 10th-fewest in the AHL
- Penalty kill percentage: 82.3
- 10th in the AHL
- Penalty minutes: 715
- Second-fewest in the AHL (714 by San Jose, who played eight fewer games)
Rockford IceHogs goaltender Collin Delia makes a save against the Grand Rapids Griffins. (Photograph courtesy of Rockford IceHogs)
- Times shorthanded: 271
- Fifth-fewest in the AHL
- Record when scoring three or more goals: 30–2–2
- Overtime Wins: 12
- Tied for most in the AHL (Toronto Marlies)
- AHL career-best season totals
- Peter Holland points (65), goals (27)
- Seven goals, 16 points with IceHogs
- Jordan Schroeder points (45)
- Luke Johnson points (31), goals (18)
- Darren Raddysh points (26), goals (eight)
- Prior to trade to Hartford
- Graham Knott points (13)
- Collin Delia goals against average (2.48), save percentage (.922)
- Peter Holland points (65), goals (27)
By the numbers: What went wrong?
- Goals scored: 184
- Fewest in the AHL (2.42 goals per game)
- Powerplay percentage: 14.5
- Third-lowest in the AHL
- Powerplay opportunities: 283
- Fourth-fewest among teams to play 76 games, ninth-fewest in the AHL
Matthew Highmore of the Rockford IceHogs carries the puck during a game this season. (Photograph courtesy of Rockford IceHogs)
- Number of shutouts: 0
- 56 AHL goalies recorded a shutout in 2018–19
- Matthew Highmore games played: 12
- Due to a shoulder injury and then a re-injury, Highmore missed nearly the entire AHL season after setting the team’s AHL rookie goal-scoring record last season.
- Number of losses when allowing two or fewer goals: 19
- Overtime and regulation game losses
What’s next?
Not much hockey, that’s for sure.
For the second time in three years, the IceHogs will not be playing for the Calder Cup. For a number of Rockford players, their next real hockey action for the Chicago Blackhawks organization will be at this summer’s prospect camp, with formal training camp opening later this fall.
Until then, enjoy the summer.