ROCKFORD 4, HOUSTON 0
Troy Brouwer and Martin St. Pierre each posted a goal and an assist as Rockford cooled off Houston with a 4-0 road win over the Aeros on Thursday at the Toyota Center.
Brouwer reached 30 goals for the season with a power play marker late in the second period. IceHogs goaltender Wade Flaherty made 23 saves for his second shutout of the campaign.
The Aeros entered the match on a seven-game winning streak, having allowed only nine goals in those seven contests.
Rockford rookie Jack Skille opened the game’s scoring 4:50 into the first period, giving him four goals and five points over his last two games.
Fellow rookie Derek Nesbitt made it 2-0 with a power play goal at 6:57 of the opening stanza. St. Pierre and Brouwer, who have four AHL All-Star Game appearances between them, each tallied second-period markers to account for the final score.
Brouwer’s 30 goals are tied for third-most in the league, two off the lead. The second-year pro paces the AHL with 21 power play markers on the season.
After a Friday night off, the IceHogs and Aeros will return to the Toyota Center ice for a rematch on Saturday.
