Oh (sala) so Close

That was the best period I have seen from the Bears in over a week!

The Phantoms were the only team to show up in the first 2 periods jumping out to a 3-0 lead and just dominating the Bears in every zone.

But then the third period started and something sparked in the Bears. Or at least the rookie line of Osala/Perrault/Bouchard.

They owned the final 10 minutes of regulation last night scoring 3 goals to tie the game. Oskar Osala scored 2 (7,8) and Mathieu Perrault (3) scored the goals and actually had numerous opportunities to win it in regulation but they couldn't quite get it done.

For 50 minutes Jean Sebastien Aubin played exceptionally well in net and the Phantoms played great in their own end but those last 10 minutes were owned by the Bears. The entire team seemed to realize what was happening during the 2nd intermission because everyone was all of a sudden finishing their checks and getting to the loose pucks.

Bobby Goepfert played good enough in goal for the second time in 3 nights and has at least earned the respect of the team and fans even if he does end up back in South Carolina. Although I feel like he should stay and Cheese should go since Cheese hasn't played well YET this season. But that is not likely to happen.

This shows 2 things...one...the Bears have enough talent that even when they are down they aren't out...and two....the depth of the four lines allows Hershey to be fresher at the end of the game. I think that had A LOT to do with the end of the game last night.


My Three Stars of the Game:

1. Oskar Osala
2. David Laliberte
3. Mathieu Perrault

Grading the Performance:
I am going to change this up for the rest of the season and focus more on the offense/defense instead of particular units.

• Offense - C+ - With the exception of the third period (and mainly the one line) this was a very pitiful performance. I will give the Phantoms some credit as they blocked a lot of shots but come one. With the offensive weapons this team has they should be able to do more on the score sheet. The MAG line seems to have hit a wall and you have to wonder what it will take to get them going again.
• Defense - F - With the exception of Alzner no one else seems to know what to do on defense. I thought Collins played good but everyone else, Helmer, Lepisto, Sloan, and Amadio, seemed to struggle. This is becoming a pattern and needs to be fixed. The third period made them look better than they were since the Phantoms figured they had it won and stopped really skating hard.
• Goaltending - B - 3 goals on 34 shots isn't too bad of a night for a goalie. Goepfert maybe could have stopped another of those shots but it is an improvement over some other performances. I thought he earned his keep in this game.
• Power Play - F - Still not getting any pressure....maybe its time for a new system or new guys.
• Penalty Kill - F - Allowed 2 goals on 7 opportunities. It needs to stop something soon.

Overall - C- - With the exception of the third period this was a terrible performance by most of the team. The rookie line really saved their teammates last night by coming up HUGE in the third to get a point and send the game to OT. But it is time for the veterans to step up and earn their keep.


No games til Friday.

LET'S GO BEARS!!