After their embarrassing loss on Friday night to the Texas Stars, the Rockford IceHogs needed to prove to both themselves and their fans, that they could get the job done. On Saturday, when the IceHogs hosted the Abbotsford Heat for the first time ever in Rockford they accomplished that goal and then some.
A close friend summed up Saturday night's game this way: "this was a complete game in just the first three minutes. The Hogs scored three goals, we had a fight, and a line brawl. We could've called it a night right then."
The Abbotsford Heat, the name might be new, but the players are basically the same ones that played last season for the now defunct Quad City Flames. In the two years the AHL Flames resided in Moline, Illinois, they built a fanatic fan base. These teams don't like each other. Tempers flared throughout the night. Checks into the boards were frequent and hard. Referee Shaun Davis handed penalties out like candy. Abbotsford's penalties totaled 47 minutes for 15 infractions, while the IceHogs received 27 minutes for nine infractions. There were three fights and scrums too numerous to count.
With three of the four games this season behind them, the IceHogs have a two game to one advantage. The final game of the series, an echo of the greatest rivalry in Illinois professional hockey, takes place November 28 in Rockford.
IceHogs goalie, and Chicago Blackhawks prospect, Corey Crawford, was sidelined with a lower body injury received in Friday night's game against the Stars. To cover the injury and other personnel openings, the IceHogs recalled netminder Alec Richards , J.C. Sawyer and Maxime Tanguay from the ECHL Toledo Walleyes on Saturday morning. Rockford's Joe Fallon turned in a solid showing in net. Fallon has been consistently showing more confidence between the pipes this season. Abbotsford's goalie Leland Irving was lit up 4 times by Rockford before being replaced at the top of the second frame by David Shantz.
J.C.Sawyer checks Jason Jaffray into the boards.
Fans reacting to the action on the ice.
Playing for the Heat is Keith Seabrook, brother of Chicago Blackhawks' Brent Seabrook.
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