Dismal Second Period Costs IceHogs, as Admirals Force a Game 5

For the second straight night on home ice, the Rockford IceHogs could not find a way to close out the Central Division Semifinals. The Milwaukee Admirals used a strong second period to edge out a 3-2 win and send the series back the Beer Town for a fifth and deciding game on Sunday. The home team has yet to win a game in this series, and the IceHogs will look to keep that trend alive.

Wednesday night’s Game 3 was a huge disappointment for the IceHogs. It wasn’t that they lost 6-2, but it was how they lost. They had done such a good job playing between the whistles and avoiding the nonsense during the first two games. Rockford couldn’t stay out of the muck on Wednesday, racking up 48 penalty minutes.

“We didn’t do the things that made us successful in the first couple of games,” said interim head coach Mark Eaton, “We got a little too cute with the puck, and they capitalized on the opportunities we gave them. We knew we were going to get nothing but their best today, so, we’ll learn from it.”

For the third time in the series, the Admirals struck first. Defenseman Turner Ottenbreit got his shot through traffic after the IceHogs failed to clear the zone. Eight seconds later, Jackson Cates tied the game with his first goal of the playoffs. Jalen Luypen and Paul Ludwinski were credited with the assists as they got in on the forecheck and won puck battles below the goal line.

The IceHogs grabbed a 2-1 lead with just over a minute left in the opening frame thanks to the hard work of the third line. Aidan Thompson scored his second goal of the series at the end of a lengthy shift thanks to a couple of good keep-ins by Nolan Allan and hard work along the boards by Gavin Hayes and Samuel Savoie.

About eight minutes into the second period, Kyle Marino tied the game by getting inside position in front of the net and tapping home a pass from Navrin Mutter. The Admirals took a 3-2 lead with a power-play goal less than seven minutes later. Goaltender Drew Commesso prevented Kieffer Bellows’ centering pass from below the goal line, but couldn’t locate the puck, and Ozzy Weisblatt was there to poke it into the net.

The IceHogs responded in the third period after being outscored 2-0 and outshot 12-3 in the middle frame. They applied pressure early and nearly tied the game multiple times on a power play six minutes into the period. Despite all the pressure, Admirals goaltender Matthew Murray stopped all 11 shots he faced and survived a few near misses.

40 Minutes is Not Enough to Win

As we’ve seen with the Chicago Blackhawks all season, you have to bring the effort to all three periods to win, especially in the postseason. The IceHogs played a good first and third period, but the game was lost in the middle frame. They allowed two goals and were outshot 12-4 with little pushback.

“We let off the gas in the second period,” Eaton said. “That’s a good learning lesson for us; you can’t play two out of three periods and come out on top. So, we’ll learn from that and put 60 full minutes together on Sunday.”

That sounds like quotes we’ve heard from two different coaches all season at the United Center. While there are a lot of young players on the IceHogs roster, there are enough AHL veterans down here to know that a period like that is unacceptable.

“We weren’t strong in our zone, and we weren’t strong in their zone,” added Eaton. “Being up 2-1 in games and the score, we had to expect their best. We didn’t raise our level, and they capitalized.”

Despite winning the first two games of the series in Milwaukee, getting a third win on Sunday will be a tall order. The IceHogs will need all hands on deck from the opening faceoff until the final horn if they want to move on.

More Production From the Prospects

Eaton put Thompson on the third line between Hayes and Savoie, and it worked for a goal late in the first period. They were the most effective line of the night, finishing with three points and three shots on goal. Nearly every time the IceHogs had an extended shift in the offensive zone, this line provided it.

“They bring that energy,” Eaton said of the trio. “They have complementary styles. They can make plays by getting in on the forecheck and the hound pucks defensively.”

Allan had a very noticeable game tonight, especially in the offensive end of the ice. He picked up his fourth assist of the postseason on Thompson’s goal by coming down low and helping out. He was a sponge at the blue line all game long, keeping the puck in the zone and sustaining pressure. He played a solid defensive game, as well, and was not on the ice for any of the three Milwaukee goals.

“Since he’s come here, he’s been a stalwart,” Eaton said. “He’s a reliable presence defensively. He’s been playing on his toes, shrinking our offensive zone, and making it hard for them to break out.”

The IceHogs will need both the prospects and the veterans to perform well if they want to avoid the reverse sweep on Sunday.