Icehogs Weekend Preview // 04.12-14.24 //

IceHogs fans, Rockford starts the first game of a three in three tonight. We're going to preview what this weekend looks like for the men in red, playing three games in three days. Last Tuesday, the Hogs scored two goals in two minutes to secure a comeback win against Iowa. Looking to gain momentum heading into the playoffs, Rockford will face-off against Grand Rapids at 6:00 PM CDT tonight.

The weekend lineup will look like this. Tonight, Rockford travels to Grand Rapids to face-off at 6:00 PM CDT. Following the game, a bus ride back to the state line for Saturday night, where the Icehogs will face off against the Milwaukee Admirals at 7:00 PM CDT. Then Sunday is the final game of the weekend, where the Icehogs will play Milwaukee yet again, with puck drop at 4:00 PM CDT.

With the additions of Paul Ludwinski and Nick Lardis, it will be a story line to watch throughout the weekend to see if they make their pro debuts. Both are on ATO (Amateur Tryout Contracts), 14 day stints which in a way lets you bypass the NHL-CHL agreement temporally. Guttman is also still out, leaning more towards 3 weeks now until a return. If the Icehogs don't make a deep enough postseason run, there could be no more Guttman until next season.

Slated to be in goal tonight and Sunday night is the 24 year old Waytza Minnesota native Jaxson Stauber. Winning now 11 straight, Stauber has not lost for a ridiculous two and a half months, with his last regulation loss coming on January 26th. Stauber has a .916 SV% in that span. Looking to make his 11 straight wins a possible 13 this weekend, he's Rockford's starter tonight. Drew Commesso is expected to be in goal tomorrow night vs Milwaukee. Coming off a 4-3 win against the Wild Tuesday, he is looking to get his 17th win of the season.

The Icehogs lines may look completely different than the prediction due to no word from our sources yet if Lardis and Ludwinski are expected to play (officially) tonight. However we'll give you the line predictions with an asterisk next to who could be replaced by the two rookies. Keep in mind Stauber is in tonight and Sunday, Commesso tomorrow night.

Seney-Sanford-Pitlick

Hardman-Philip-Dach

Teply-Cates-Gust

Baddock-*Luypen-*Rolston

Kaiser-Roos

Phillips-Crevier

Healey-Strand

Stauber

Commesso

*=Ludwinski/Lardis Projected spots if played

The Griffins look to push the Icehogs hopes of getting home ice advantage in the Second round of the playoffs, if they eliminate Rockford from contending for the 2nd place spot in the Central. They're lines will look a little like this tonight:

Hanas-Kasper-Berggeren

Hirose-Lombardi-Luff

Soderblom- L'esperance-Shine

Johannes-Sawchuk-Hanas

Johansson-Didier

Wallinder-Newpower

Viro-Tuomisto

Husso

Hutchinson/Cossa

Saturday and Sunday's lines for Milwaukee are expected to remain relatively the same, with the exception of seeing Askarov likely Saturday and Gronsenick in Sunday. The Admirals lines will look like this for the weekend:

L'Heureux-Svechkov-Afanasyev

Campbell-Parssinen-Wiesblatt

Schaefer-O'Reilly-Kemell

Felhaber-Weatherby-Allison

Gravel-McKeown

Del Gaizo-Ufko

Wilsby-Livingstone

Grosenick (Saturday)

Askarov (Sunday)

I'll have the postgame analysis sent out Monday around 7:00 AM CDT. For Icehogs Network, I'm Anthony Pellegrino. Enjoy the weekend full of action IceHogs fans.