The Rockford IceHogs delivered another strong weekend of hockey, taking two of three games in thrilling overtime fashion before finally dropping their first contest of the season in a wild Sunday matchup against the Chicago Wolves.
Rockford now sits at 5-1-0 through six games — one of the hottest starts in the AHL — thanks to clutch performances from Oliver Moore, Nick Lardis, and Dominik Toninato, combined with strong early-season goaltending from Drew Commesso and Stanislav Berezhnoy.
1: IceHogs 2, Texas Stars 1 (OT)
The IceHogs opened their weekend at home against the Texas Stars and came out flying. Rockford dominated early, outshooting Texas 11–3 in the first and striking just 1:15 in when Oliver Moore buried his third of the season from Brett Seney and Taige Harding.
Texas pushed back in the middle frame, but Drew Commesso stood tall with 15 saves. The Stars tied it midway through the third, but overtime once again belonged to Moore.
Nick Lardis found the rookie streaking down the wing, and Moore sniped home the winner — his second straight OT goal.
Commesso finished with 29 saves on 30 shots, while Rockford’s penalty kill stayed perfect on the night.
Game 2: IceHogs 3, Chicago Wolves 2 (OT)
The following night, the IceHogs spoiled the Wolves’ home opener with another overtime victory. Chicago struck first, but Rockford answered just 17 seconds later when Dillon Boucher’s forecheck set up Paul Ludwinski for the equalizer.
In the second period, Stanislav Berezhnoy stole the show, stopping all 19 Wolves shots. Moments later, Oliver Mooredazzled with a highlight-reel setup for Nick Lardis, who netted his first professional goal on the power play.
After Chicago tied the game late, Rockford capitalized again in overtime. On a 4-on-3 power play, Lardis returned the favor — feeding Dominik Toninato at the crease for the game-winner.
Berezhnoy finished with 38 saves on 40 shots, while Lardis notched two points (1G, 1A) in his best AHL outing yet.
Injury Updates
Team physician Dr. Geoff Van Thiel confirmed that both Nolan Allan and Kevin Korchinski cleared concussion protocol and returned to the lineup on Saturday — a huge boost to Rockford’s blue line.
3: Wolves 6, IceHogs 5
Sunday’s rematch in Chicago was pure chaos. Both teams traded goals all afternoon in a wild, offense-heavy contest that saw 11 total goals and momentum swings in every period.
The Wolves jumped ahead 3-0 just 6:40 into the game before Rockford clawed back with five straight goals between the first and second periods.
Nick Lardis was electric, posting four points (1G, 3A) — his best AHL performance to date — while Brett Seneyadded a goal and two assists.
Unfortunately, goaltender Drew Commesso had a rough outing, allowing six goals on 26 shots (.789 SV%).
Despite outshooting Chicago 14–6 in the final frame, Rockford couldn’t solve Amir Miftakhov, who held strong late to preserve the win for the Wolves.
The difference came down to special teams: Rockford went 0-for-4 on the power play while surrendering two goals against on six kills.
The 6–5 loss marked Rockford’s first defeat of the season, but the group showed resilience and offensive firepower throughout the weekend.
Weekend Standouts
- Nick Lardis: 1G, 3A in Game 3, 2 points in Game 2 — breakout weekend.
- Oliver Moore: Scored the overtime game-winner Friday night and continues to be one of Rockford’s most dynamic young forwards.
- Dominik Toninato: OT goal vs Chicago, steady veteran presence.
- Goalies Commesso & Berezhnoy: Combined for 67 saves in the two OT wins.
What’s Next
The IceHogs hit the road to face the Colorado Eagles on Friday, October 24, with puck drop set for 8:05 PM at Blue Arena.
With confidence high and their young core clicking, Rockford looks ready to keep the momentum rolling in what’s shaping up to be a statement season for the organization.
