The Peoria Rivermen came back to tie the game twice against the Rockford IceHogs but fell 4-2 before 5,521at the MetroCentre Friday night.
Goaltender Corey Crawford helped kill off all six Rivermen power plays and stop Peoria from completing its comeback bid.
The Rivermen rallied to score twice in the final four minutes of the second period to tie the game at 1-1 and again at 2-2. Crawford made 27 saves to secure Rockford’s second win in as many Fridays against the Rivermen.
Playing on pink ice, to help raise awareness for breast cancer research, the Rivermen got second period goals from Chris Porter and Jonas Junland. Jack Skille and Kyle Greentree connected for the hosts.
Jake Dowell scored the eventual game-winner just 3:14 into the third period. Simon Danis-Pepin’s slapshot from the right point was redirected by Dowell under the arm of Ben Bishop for his fifth of the season.
Both team’s special teams missed chances to score with time running down as Peoria’s failed to convert on 1:52 of 4-on-3 and Rockford came up empty on 1:54 of 5-on-3. The IceHogs finished 1-for-5 on the power play. Bishop made 31 saves in the loss.
Matt Keith secured the game with an empty-net goal at 19:12. The Rivermen are now 4-2-0-1 against the IceHogs this season.
ICE CHIPS: Peoria returns home to face the Houston Aeros at 7 p.m. tonight. ... Trevor Baker will become the 32nd member of the Rivermen Hall of Fame when he is inducted during the first intermission. ... Arby’s will also give away oversized playing cards of Yan Stastny to the first 1,000 fans.