Iowa Chops @ Rockford IceHogs ... 12-11

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AHL/Game Stats -
http://stats.theahl.com/stats/text-game-report.php?game_id=1005136

Iowa Chops 1 at Rockford IceHogs 2 - Status: Final

Dec 11, 2008 - Rockford MetroCentre

1st Period:
Scoring - 1. Rockford, J. Skille (8) (P. Kontiola, N. Hjalmarsson) 2:03
Penalties - T. Brent Rfd (delay of game) 3:24, M. Blunden Rfd (slashing) 15:21

2nd Period:
Scoring - 2. Rockford, T. Brent (5) (P. Pelletier, J. Sharrow) 14:51
Penalties - P. Wirtanen Iow (tripping) 4:24, B. Evans Iow (hooking) 10:48, J. Skille Rfd (hooking) 11:58

3rd Period:
Scoring - 3. Iowa, A. Ebbett (10) (J. Green, P. Wirtanen) 19:32
Penalties - A. Veideman Iow (hooking) 0:22, R. Klinkhammer Rfd (high-sticking) 7:07, J. Green Iow (holding the stick) 8:31, D. Groulx Rfd (hooking) 12:56

IOW Shots: 6 6 14 TOTAL: 26
RFD Shots: 9 11 9 TOTAL: 29

Power Play Conversion:
Iowa Chops 0-5
Rockford IceHogs 0-4

Goaltenders:
Iowa Chops -
Levasseur 7-3-1 Start: 1st 0:00 Min: 57:24 SV: 27 GA: 2 [L]
Rockford IceHogs -
Crawford 7-3-0 Start: 1st 0:00 Min: 59:54 SV: 25 GA: 1 [W]

Attendance: 2102

Referee I: David Banfield (44)
LINESMAN I: Bryan Pancich (85)
LINESMAN II: Johnathan Morrison (32)

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IceHogs Website -
http://icehogs.com/news/index.html?article_id=910

HOGS END CHOPS STREAK WITH 2-1 WIN

12/11/2008

Rockford, Ill.- The Iowa Chops came into Rockford hotter than any team in the Western Conference, but couldn't solve the Rockford IceHogs at the Rockford MetroCentre on Thursday. The Hogs beat the Chops 2-1 for the third straight win against their newest West Division foe.

The Hogs ended the Chops 5-0-0-1 road streak and 6-0-1-1 unbeaten streak.

"They're a very good team, they don't give you a whole lot," Rockford coach Bill Peters said of Iowa. "They have given up next to nothing in their winning steak, so if you're going to beat them, you're going to have to play well and earn everything you get."

Early in the first frame, Rockford winger Jack Skille sniped a bullet past the shoulder of Iowa netminder Jean-Philippe Levasseur. The goal came at 2:08 in the first and gave the Hogs a 1-0 lead over the Chops. The assists were credited to Petri Kontiola and Niklas Hjalmarsson.

Skille finished with eight shots on net in the game.

The IceHogs added another marker in the second frame to jump ahead 2-0 over the Chops. Tim Brent chipped in a rebound off of Levasseur at 14:51. Pascal Pelletier and the Hogs' newest blueliner Jimmy Sharrow were credited with the assists.

Just down from Chicago, Corey Crawford got the nod in net.

"You're always going to be a little rusty," he said. "I haven't played in two weeks. It was fun to be in Chicago but it's also nice to be back on the ice."

He finished with 25 saves, but couldn't finish with the shutout as Iowa's Andrew Ebbett solved Crawford with 26 seconds left in the game with an empty net on the other side of the ice.

"I gave them one there," he said. "I felt good, but the whole team played really well tonight."

The IceHogs finished 0-for-4 and haven't scored a power play goal in four straight games.

"It's not very good right now," Peters said. "We're going to have to make some personnel moves. Obviously it's gone stale."

On the other side of special teams, the Hogs held off the Chops in five attempts.

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Rockford Newspaper -
http://www.rrstar.com/sports/pros/x1720691737/Crawford-Wisniewski-spark-IceHogs-victory-over-Iowa

Crawford, Wisniewski Spark IceHogs’ Victory Over Chops

By Alex Gary-RRSTAR.COM

Posted Dec 11, 2008

ROCKFORD — Two players just happy to be on the ice again helped the Rockford IceHogs to a 2-1 victory over Iowa before 2,102 fans Thursday at the MetroCentre.

Goalie Corey Crawford, playing his first game since Nov. 26, came within 28 seconds of a shutout, while James Wisniewski, one of the Chicago Blackhawks’ top defensemen, was seeing his first game action since injuring his right knee last summer.

Crawford returned to the IceHogs after a call-up to Chicago, where he served as a backup and didn’t play.

“It was fun to be up there,” he said of his time with the Blackhawks. “But it’s nice to be in a game again.”

Wisniewski will play two games with Rockford before returning to the Blackhawks on Tuesday.

“It felt great,” said Wisniewski, who’ll play with Rockford again Saturday.

“I couldn’t sleep last night I was so excited. I was the first one here for pregame skate. I couldn’t wait to play. It was fantastic.”

He said the knee felt fine.

Rockford head coach Bill Peters was impressed with Wisniewski’s season debut.

“I thought he competed very hard, kept his game simple and made good puck decisions,” Peters said. “I thought he was real good.”

Rockford dominated the first period, firing nine shots at Iowa goalie Jean-Phillippe Levasseur, who stopped all but one. Jack Skille found the net 2:03 into the period for a 1-0 Rockford lead.

The IceHogs went up 2-0 at 14:51 in the second period when Tim Brent scored on a rebound from the right side of the net.

Iowa pulled its goalie with 2:20 left in the game, and the Chops avoided the shutout when Andrew Ebbett scored in the final seconds.

“It sucked to give up that goal, but as long as we won the game that was fine,” Crawford said.
He stopped 26 shots, including 13 in the third period.

“I didn’t feel too bad out there actually. I thought I would be a little rusty but I felt like I was moving pretty good,” Crawford said.

“The team did a great job tonight and (Iowa) didn’t get much.”

The victory moved the IceHogs within two points of the the Chops, who lead the AHL West Division.

“I liked our hockey team early,” Peters said. “We took our foot off the gas a little bit halfway through the game and weren’t as good. But a win is a win and we’ll move on.”

Iowa was on the final game of a successful road trip, posting a 5-1-0-1 record.