Kevin Lankinen set the Rockford IceHogs’ AHL single-game franchise save record with 55 saves, and Anton Wedin scored 1:02 into overtime in a 2-1 win against the league-leading Milwaukee Admirals on Tuesday at the BMO Harris Bank Center.
Lankinen’s 55 saves surpassed the 49-save record by Kent Simpson on Oct. 5, 2013 at San Antonio and Michael Leighton on Dec. 8, 2015 at Texas. It’s the third 40-plus save performance this season for Lankinen, who is 6-3-1 with a .927 save percentage in 10 games.
Wedin fired a wrist shot from the left face-off circle through Connor Ingram’s legs for Rockford (14-9-0-1), which has won five of its last six games.
Ben Youds, who signed an amateur tryout contract with Rockford on Tuesday, recorded two assists in his first game with the IceHogs since April 10, 2013. Brandon Hagel scored his first AHL power-play goal.
Lukas Craggs scored for the Admirals (19-4-2-2), who had won their previous two games. Ingram made 12 saves in his first loss in nine games.
Hagel put the IceHogs up 1-0 at 6:41 of the second period on the power play. Philipp Kurashev’s shot from the top of the left face-off circle rebounded off Ingram into the slot for Hagel to backhand his eighth goal of the season into the net. Hagel leads all IceHogs rookies with 13 points.
Lankinen made 50 saves and helped kill six penalties before Craggs tied it 1-1 at 12:46 of the third period. Craggs jammed the puck into the net with several players down in the crease for his second goal in as many games against Rockford.
What’s next
The IceHogs start a three-game Canadian road trip Friday against the Belleville Senators.