ROCKFORD, Ill. - The Rockford IceHogs took home a victory at the BMO Center defeating the Manitoba Moose 6-2 on Wednesday night. Three goals in both the first and second period put the Hogs ahead early.
David Gust and Ryder Rolston each netted a pair of goals in the win. Rockford was also able to strike in bunches. Two of the IceHogs’ goals came with 19 seconds of each other in the first period, and two more goals game just one minute and eight seconds apart in the second frame. Rockford led 6-0 before Manitoba cracked the scoreboard in the third.
Rockford’s first two goals of the game came 19 seconds apart in the middle of the first frame. Ethan Del Mastro weaved through a Manitoba defenseman down the left side boards before sending a tape-to-tape pass to Cole Guttman who was racing towards the right goal post to score the first goal of the game (10:03).
Moments later, Anders Bjork sent a pass from Rockford’s zone to Josh Maniscalco at center ice. Maniscalco crossed the blue line towards the right faceoff circle and passed the puck to Gust who sent a wrist shot over the left shoulder of Manitoba’s goaltender, Collin Delia to give Rockford a 2-0 lead (10:22).
Tyrel Bauer of Manitoba incurred a hooking penalty in the final five minutes of play aiding in Rockford’s offensive efforts. Guttman, on the right side boards, sent a pass to Colton Dach behind the right side of the net. Rolston skated towards the slot receiving Dach’s pass with a one-timer shot that found the back of the net for a power-play goal (15:52).
The second period was no different from the first as the IceHogs offensive continued to shine. Andrew Perrott sent a slapshot to the front of the net where it ricocheted off of Delia’s pads and found Gust’s stick on the left side of an open net for his second goal of the game. (1:19).
One minute and eight seconds later, Michal Teply, above the left faceoff circle, sent a pass to Maniscalco at the blue line near the right side boards. Maniscalco found Rolston, in nearly the same spot Gust scored moments ago, to score his second goal of the game to make it 5-0 (2:27).
With just over five minutes left in the second, Perrott passed from the point towards the net side of the net, and the puck found Brett Seney on its way to the net (14:21). Seney was credited with the goal for his sixth of the season.
Both Perrott and Maniscalco racked up a pair of assists in the game and have stepped into larger roles over the last couple of weeks.
In the final period of play, the Moose were thankful for Nikita Chibrikov as he scored a power-play goal, his sixth goal of the season, to finally put Manitoba on the board (2:25). Manitoba struck again on Chibrikov’s second score of the game on a deflected shot from Wyatt Bongiovanni from the point (10:47).
The Rockford IceHogs return to action at the BMO Center on Friday as they host the Milwaukee Admirals. Puck drop is set for 7 p.m.
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