Chicago Wolves @ Rockford IceHogs ... 1-9

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AHL/Game Stats -
http://stats.theahl.com/stats/text-game-report.php?game_id=1005325

Chicago Wolves 1 at Rockford IceHogs 3 - Status: Final

Jan 9, 2009 - Rockford MetroCentre

1st Period:
Scoring - 1. Rockford, R. Klinkhammer (10) (J. Dowell, M. Blunden) 0:55
Penalties - G. Lewis Chi (hooking) 2:59, N. Hjalmarsson Rfd (hooking) 18:39

2nd Period:
Scoring - 2. Rockford, J. Sharrow (3) (J. Skille, E. Brophey) 1:09
Penalties - D. Groulx Rfd (interference) 1:25, J. Hendry Rfd (interference) 6:14, C. Stuart Chi (boarding) 8:45

3rd Period:
Scoring - 3. Chicago, S. Machacek (8) (J. Motzko, J. Hamilton) 5:25 PP
4. Rockford, J. Skille (14) (D. Groulx) 19:50 EN
Penalties - S. Martins Chi (hooking) 2:52, N. Davis Rfd (hooking) 4:28

CHI Shots: 8 11 16 TOTAL: 35
RFD Shots: 13 14 9 TOTAL: 36

Power Play Conversion:
Chicago Wolves 1-4
Rockford IceHogs 0-3

Goaltenders:
Chicago Wolves -
Gherson 5-4-0 Start: 1st 0:00 Min: 58:48 SV: 33 GA: 2 [L]
Rockford IceHogs -
Crawford 11-5-2 Start: 1st 0:00 Min: 60:00 SV: 34 GA: 1 [W]

Attendance: 2972

Referee I: Kyle Rehman (37)
LINESMAN I: Aaron Mills (23)
LINESMAN II: Brian Oliver (80)

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IceHogs Website -
http://www.icehogs.com/news/index.html?article_id=989

ICEHOGS SURVIVE WITH 3-1 WIN OVER WOLVES

IceHogs are 4-0-0-0 against Wolves at home in 2008-09

01/09/2009

Rockford, Ill.- The Rockford IceHogs edged out the Chicago Wolves 3-1 at the Rockford MetroCentre behind a another sterling performance from goalie Corey Crawford.

"It's always fun to win against the Wolves," said defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson. "It's a big rivalry and especially now with the standings so tight, it was a very big game for us."

The win on Friday extends Rockford's streak to 4-0-0-0-1 in the last five games. The Hogs have also won the last four meetings against Chicago to improve to 6-2-0-0 on the season against the Wolves.

"It's always good to win a couple of games in a row," Hjalmarsson said. "It gives you a lot of confidence. We just need to keep playing like this."

The Hogs made the first splash of the night when Rob Klinkhammer banked in a breakaway goal at 55 seconds into the first period. Klinkhammer notched his sixth goal and seventh point in the last five games with the marker.

The winger took a pass from Jake Dowell and drove it past Robert Gherson, giving him the record for most consecutive games with a goal as an AHL IceHogs skater with five. The mark also ties the franchise record set by UHL IceHogs forward Kevin Kerr in 2003 and matched six times.

In the second stanza, Jimmy Sharrow found the back of the net off of a Jack Skille feed at 1:09 in the period. The goal gave Sharrow his third of the 2008-09 campaign. Evan Brophey was also credited with the assist.

"Those were two big goals," Hjalmarsson said. "I think we played all three periods."

In the third period, Spencer Machacek cut the lead in half with a power-play goal at 5:23 with assists from Joe Motzko and Brett Sterling. Machacek slapped in a loose puck in front of Crawford, who turned away 34 shots. Gherson ended the night with 33 saves for Chicago.

The power play goal was the only of four power play opportunities of which the Wolves would take advantage. The IceHogs would finish 0-for-3 on the man advantage situations.

Skille added an empty-net goal with a helper from Danny Groulx at 19:50 in the third.

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Wolves Website -
http://www.chicagowolves.com/news/features/index.html?article_id=781

ICEHOGS UPEND WOLVES, 3-1

01/09/2009

ROCKFORD, Ill.---Right wing Spencer Machacek brought the Chicago Wolves within one, 2-1, with just under 15 minutes remaining in the game but it was too late and the Rockford IceHogs skated away with a 3-1 win at the Rockford MetroCentre on Friday night.

Chicago (19-17-2-1) has now lost a season-high five straight games, marking the longest winless streak for the club in two years.

With the Wolves trailing by a pair of goals, Machacek potted his eighth of the season when he redirected a shot by right wing Joe Motzko that squirted through the pads of Rockford goaltender Corey Crawford and over the goal line at 5:25.

Crawford (11-5-2) posted 34 saves for the IceHogs.

Rockford (20-14-0-4) jumped on the scoreboard just 55 seconds into the contest when the IceHogs skated into the Wolves zone on a two-on-one break and left wing Rob Klinkhammer took a pass from linemate Jake Dowell and roofed a shot over Chicago netminder Robert Gherson.

The IceHogs pushed their lead to two, 69 seconds into the second stanza as former Wolves defenseman Jimmy Sharrow victimized his old team when he walked into the near circle and snapped a wrister past Gherson, stick side, at 1:09. Gherson (5-4-0) turned aside 33 of 35 shots in his first start since being recalled from the ECHL's Utah Grizzlies on Wednesday.

Rockford right wing Jack Skille added an empty net goal at 19:50 of the third period to close out scoring.

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Rockford Newspaper -
http://www.rrstar.com/sports/pros/x497785637/Crawford-quick-scores-boost-IceHogs-in-win

CRAWFORD, QUICK SCORES BOOST ICEHOGS IN WIN

By Reed Schreck-RRSTAR.COM

Jan 10, 2009

ROCKFORD —
With goalie Corey Crawford watching from the other end of the rink, his Rockford IceHogs teammates were getting off to great early starts offensively Friday night.

Red-hot winger Rob Klinkhammer scored on Rockford’s first shot of the game; defenseman Jimmy Sharrow tallied on his team’s first shot of the second period.

“That’s nice when you get off to a lead,” said Crawford, who only allowed a power-play goal in Rockford’s 3-1 victory before a MetroCentre turnout of 2,972. “It’s always nice to have the lead in a game, and when you get them your first couple shifts, it’s even better.”

Head coach Bill Peters enjoyed the view, as well, of the quick strikes.

“That’s tough,” he said. “When you score in the first two minutes or last two minutes of a period, it gives you momentum for sure.

“I thought we had a pretty complete effort.”

After Klinkhammer pushed the puck past goalie Robert Gherson 55 seconds into the game off a back-handed feed from Jake Dowell, Rockford (20-14-0-4, 44 points) held tight control for the first 10 minutes. During that span, the IceHogs outshot the Wolves 8-0.

Sharrow netted his third goal of the season 1:09 into the middle period, rifling his shot from the right circle.

Chicago’s Spencer Machacek poked the puck past Crawford at 5:29 of the third period. The Wolves then pounded away at Crawford the rest of the way without any success.

Jack Skille’s sixth shot on goal of the night finally went in for an empty netter at 19:50. It also extended the team’s streak to scoring a goal in 10 consecutive regulation periods.

Klinkhammer produced a goal for the fifth straight outing, a season-high streak for Rockford.
“He played really well and hard,” Peters said.

Rockford ran its unbeaten stretch to five (4-0-0-1) while dealing the Wolves (19-17-2-1, 41) their fifth consecutive setback (0-4-1-0). Rockford improved to 4-0-0-0 at home against Chicago this season.

“We’re climbing the standings right now – that’s the most important thing,” said Crawford, who will be in net for tonight’s home date against Toronto. “After a tough (shootout) loss against Grand Rapids (on Wednesday), having them (the Wolves) tonight for a tough physical game with a lot of intensity was important for us.”

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Chicago Newspaper -
http://www.suntimes.com/sports/hockey/wolves/1370871,CST-SPT-wolves10.article

KLINKHAMMER PUTS WOLVES IN A HOLE EARLY

January 10, 2009

ROCKFORD -- Rob Klinkhammer started the scoring just 55 seconds into the game Friday night, and the Rockford IceHogs went on to a 3-1 victory over the Wolves at the MetroCentre.

The Wolves (19-17-2-1) have lost a season-high five straight games, marking the longest winless streak for the AHL club in two years.

Jimmy Sharrow gave Rockford (20-14-0-4) a 2-0 lead on a wrister from the near circle at 1:09 of the second period.

The Wolves pulled within a goal with 14:35 left in the game when Spencer Machacek redirected a shot by Joe Motzko. The puck squirted through the pads of Rockford goaltender Corey Crawford for Machacek's eighth goal of the season.

Crawford (11-5-2) posted 34 saves for the IceHogs. The Wolves' Robert Gherson (5-4-0) turned aside 33 of 35 shots in his first start since being recalled Wednesday from the ECHL's Utah Grizzlies.

Rockford right wing Jack Skille added an empty-net goal at 19:50 of the third period to close out scoring.