Joey Anderson’s Hat Trick Puts IceHogs in the Driver’s Seat

The Rockford IceHogs were back at Panther Arena for Game 2 against the Milwaukee Admirals. After the IceHogs won Game 1 in overtime, all the pressure was on the Central Division champs. Falling down 0-2 in a five-game series with the next two games in Rockford was the worst-case scenario for the Admirals. That is the exact scenario Milwaukee faces after the IceHogs blew them out 6-1.

After needing only 12 seconds to score in overtime, the IceHogs took a 1-0 lead 1:09 into the first period. Samuel Savoie jumped on a turnover in the middle of the ice and quickly got the puck over to Joey Anderson for the easy tap-in goal. The assist was Savoie’s first professional playoff point.

Anderson bookended the opening period with his second goal of the night in the final minute. The IceHogs scored their third goal of the series that started with a goal from below the goal line. This time it was Brett Seney who found Anderson in the slot.

Zach Sanford was injured in the opening minute of the second period due to a knee-on-knee hit from Jake Livingstone, who was given a five-minute major. Sanford needed help off the ice, but returned to the game later in the period. Anderson completed his hat trick 17 seconds into the power play when Kevin Korchinski sent him in all alone on a breakaway.

Defenseman Marc Del Galzo injected some life into the building with a pretty goal late in the second period. He danced around Artyom Levshunov inside the blue line, then beat Drew Commesso upstairs for his first goal of the series. Former Blackhawks prospect Ryder Rolston was credited with the primary assist.

All that newly-gained momentum was lost less than three minutes later when Savoie beat Matthew Murray with a wrist shot from the slot to restore the three-goal advantage.

The IceHogs added two goals late in the third period to complete the route. Captain Brett Seney scored an empty-netter before Aidan Thompson capped off the scoring with his first professional goal.  

IceHogs in the Driver’s Seat

Knowing they had at least a split in Milwaukee guaranteed, the IceHogs played loose on Saturday night. They again showed composure and patience and didn’t allow themselves to get caught up in the post-whistle shenanigans, no matter how many times the Admirals baited them.

“We’ve shown the last two weeks that we can play through the chippy hockey,” Anderson said. “We don’t get knocked off our game or get in our own way. We keep playing between the whistles and let them do the dumb stuff, and get off their game. Tonight was a great example of that. Especially after it was 3-0, they kept trying any way they could to shake the game up. We weathered that and continued to play the right way.”

The IceHogs will host the next two games, needing just one win to advance to the Central Division Finals. The Admirals were in the position last season when they went down 0-2 to the Texas Stars before winning three in a row to complete the “reverse sweep.” The difference is that those three games were all on home ice. If the Admirals look to replicate the comeback, they must win the next two on the road.

“We know the kind of team they are,” head coach Mark Eaton said. “They won the division for a reason. The hardest thing in hockey is closing out a team. We’re going to expect their best, and it’s going to take our best effort to get that third one.”

Game 3 will be on Wednesday. Eaton admitted that the extra time off between games is a bit of an annoyance, as you’d like to get into a rhythm of playing every other day. He said they will use the extra time to recover from some bumps and bruises.

Samuel Savoie Reaps the Rewards

Heading into tonight’s game, Savoie was still looking for his first professional playoff point. He got on the team bus with three in his pocket: the second-period goal and two assists. He is the type of player that Chicago fans will fall in love with if he makes it to the NHL.

“He’s so fun to watch,” Anderson said of Savoie. “He brings his energy and compete level every night. It’s infectious throughout the room. You feel good for him when he gets rewarded with some points, like tonight. He has that impact every night. It’s fun to see him get rewarded in a big game.”

Fans aren’t the only ones who love Savoie. Teammates and coaches appreciate what he brings to the table. He is a pest to play against. He will initiate contact and do the gritty things that don’t appear on a score sheet. Savoie has been an integral part of Rockford’s penalty kill. His huge personality keeps his team loose and annoys whoever is playing against him. And, as we saw tonight, he has the talent to contribute offensively, too.