Bears on the road for 2

The Hershey Bears are in Canada right now getting ready to play the Toronto Marlies.  Then tomorrow night they will be in Cleveland to play the Lake Erie Monsters.

Both teams are in the AHL's North Division.  Toronto sits in 4th with 65 points while the Monsters are in 3rd with 66 points.

The Bears are looking for a little retribution on this short road trip.  Both the Marlies and Monsters have already won in Hershey this year.  Both by a 3-2 score with the Lake Erie game decided in a shootout. 

Hershey will have some additional weapons at their disposal for the two games but neither of them is Russian.  Andrew Joudrey and Brian Fahey are expected to play, Joudrey tonight and tomorrow with Fahey getting in the lineup tomorrow (maybe tonight).

That's big news considering some of the injuries that the club has been dealing with.  Joudrey's return is allowing the team to consider moving Brian Willsie back to where he started the season, on the 1st line.  Willsie has mainly played 2nd line center since Mathieu Perreault was recalled to Washington.

With Jay Beagle's return last week and Joudrey getting healthy there is now a little more depth at center which will allow Willsie to return to the top line.  Steve Pinizzotto has spent the last couple games at that position but it has really been a revolving door since Gordon went out. 

Hershey needs more production from the top line as Keith Aucoin has been held without a point in 4 of the last 6 games....all Hershey losses.  Hopefully (if they make the move) Willsie will help with that.

It is another tough stretch for the Bears this week.  But not as difficult as the previous 5 in 7 and definitely not as tough as the stretch in March.

3 games in 4 nights in 4 different cities is challenging.  After tomorrow nights game the Bears will return to Hershey for a day off and then a Saturday game against Albany.  Then they are back on the bus for a trip to Bridgeport for a 3:00 matinee on Sunday. 

As the team gets healthy and fresh bodies arrive from Russia there should be enough energy to get some quality performances this weekend.

Dmitri Orlov is expected to play this weekend, possibly on Saturday night against the Devils.  He signed a PTO contract on Tuesday and has been practicing with the Bears.  Due to not having a visa though he couldn't travel to Toronto with the team and is unlikely to join them in Cleveland.

He is looking to become the 2nd straight Bears rookie defenseman to win the World Juniors and a Calder Cup in the same year.  John Carlson accomplished the feat last year when the USA took the Juniors crown while Russia won the tournament this year.

His play will likely speak for itself over time but the language barrier is a bigger problem for the immediate future.  But unlike Semyon Varlamov who did not have anyone but his father in Hershey to help with the language Orlov has Dmitri Kugryshev.  Obviously that won't help on the ice as they will have separate shifts but it should accelerate the learning curve a bit. 

Any defensive depth is helpful for the Bears this season.  After a very strong start the defense has succumb to numerous injuries of late.  Both Lawrence Nycholat and Fahey have missed considerable time lately and Nycholat is not expected back anytime soon.  Add to that Sheldon Souray's latest saga with the waivers and his injuries early this year. 

With Patrick McNeill also missing time at the start of the season you start to wonder what this unit would look like if everyone was healthy and playing at the same time.  Considering the Bears are still one of the best teams in the league in goals allowed per game (4th with 2.53), a full unit of defenseman could make this a unit that no team wants to face come playoff time.

Consider....

Fahey - Nycholat
McNeill - Orlov
Souray - Collins
Wellar - Miscovic

Who sits in that bunch?  All are solid players that bring something to the table and have contributed this year. 

Hopefully we will get to see it at some point but for at least the next 2 games Nycholat, Orlov, and Souray will remain on the sidelines watching.

Sabourin and the Bears pick up win over Phantoms

Dany Sabourin was in goal on the 17th of December when the Bears lost to the lowly Phantoms in Adirondack. That game did not go well for Hershey and was the middle game of 3 straight losses.

Last night though Sabs got a bit of redemption. 25 shots faced, 25 saves. His second shutout of the season. It hasn't exactly been the year Sabs thought it would be. He struggled early this season losing 7 of his first 11 games and not winning a home game until the middle of December.

But things have turned around recently. He is 6-2 in his last 8 starts with a 2.57 goals against average and a .904 save percentage. Those numbers are on the uptick after starting the season 4-7 with a 3.87 goals against average and a .865 save percentage. Definitely an improvement.

And the Bears are playing better over that time as well. Hershey still sits in 4th place in the East division but they are only 3 points behind second place Charlotte, with 4 games in hand on the Checkers, and 1 point behind Norfolk, with 1 game in hand there.

So they are in pretty good shape to be honest. If Wilkes-Barre continues at even close to their current pace then the race for the division will be over. But we aren't even at the official halfway point of the season yet so anything is possible.

Hershey has registered at least one standings point in 7 of their last 8 games since that 3 game losing streak in mid-December.

Last night they picked up 2 with a 3-0 shutout over Adirondack. Brian Willsie (13th), Zach Miscovic (6th), and Steve Pinizzotto (9th) all scored last night and Dany picked up his 10th win of the season over the host Phantoms.

Tonight Hershey welcomes the Lake Erie Monsters to Hershey for the first of 2 meetings between the teams this season.

Lake Erie is in the midst of a 7 game road streak that ends after this weekend. They are 2-3-0-0 on the road trip so far. Last night they played in Rochester and there is probably a good chance that the Hershey and Lake Erie players were traveling down I-81 at the same time. Hell, they might have been racing to Hershey.

The Monsters are having an okay season this year. They currently sit in 6th in the very competitive North Division. They are 2nd from last in the division but only 10 points out of first place as of now.

To put that in perspective, the 6th place team in the East division is Albany and they are 13 points behind 4th place Hershey and 27 points out of first.


A few more notes on the game tonight:

Hershey Bears
record ~ 23-13-1-1 48 points
standings ~ 4th in East Division
most recent game ~ 3-0 Win @ Adirondack, 1/14
last 5 games ~ 3-1-1-0
home record ~ 11-8-0-0
goals for ~ 129
goals against ~ 92
power play ~ 20.9% (5th)
penalty kill ~ 84.2% (12th)


Lake Erie Monsters
record ~ 17-19-3-4 41 points
standings ~ 6th in North Division
most recent game ~ 3-1 Win @ Rochester, 1/14
last 5 games ~ 2-3-0-0
road record ~ 7-14-1-2
goals for ~ 109
goals against ~ 122
power play ~ 14.7% (26th)
penalty kill ~ 83.7% (14th)


last time teams met - First meeting this season. Hershey won both meetings in 2009-10. Hershey visits the Monsters on a Thursday in February.


Players to watch:

Hershey:

RW Steve Pinizzotto (13) - Has been on an offensive tear over the last 3 games. Goals in 3 straight and 2 assists as well. 5 points in 3 games is 25% of his points for the entire season.
LW Kyle Greentree (37) - Has a point in 5 straight games after picking up an assist last night. 2 goals and 4 assists in those 5 games.
D Lawrence Nycholat (28) - One of the most consistent players according to the scoresheet. The All-Star has 5 goals and 22 assists on the year including 2 goals and 5 assists in his last 7 games.


Monsters:

LW Greg Mauldin (20) - Not certain he is playing but he shows up on the active roster for the first time since November after a 20+ game recall to Colorado. Has 5 goals and 7 assists on the season in only 14 games.
C Ryan Stoa (29) - Leads the team in goals (14) and is second in points (26). Has 4 goals and 3 assists in his last 7 games.
C Julian Talbot (48) - The team leader in assists with 19 also has 6 goals on the season and sits 3rd on the team in points with 25. He has an assist in 3 straight games.

LET'S GO BEARS!!!

A Loss in Cleveland

I have been a little under the weather since Sunday morning so I didn't get to see the whole game and am only now giving my opinion of it.

But I was not surprised by the outcome on Sunday and it wasn't because I thought Lake Erie was playing better than Hershey. It was because it was the classic letdown game scenario.

Hershey just got their number 1 goalie back and won a big road game 6-1 in Toronto. They were feeling good about themselves and they were going up against the 6th best team in the North Division. The 6th best team doesn't sound threatening and it causes you to lose a little focus sometimes.

It happens to all teams in all sports. You go to play a game against a team that isn't as good as you and you don't play your best. Well in most sports teams aren't that far apart in talent and ability. It is usually just a matter of who plays better on any given day.

That is what happened to Hershey. They didn't come out ready to play and never quite found their rhythm but Lake Erie did. They were ready to play and they showed it winning 6-3.

Now I don't think the Bears are in trouble cause of that loss. Yes they are tied with Bridgeport (and could trail them after tonight) but that doesn't mean Hershey is any worse then they were. All it means is that they have to focus on the team in front of them no matter what their record or place shows.

Tomorrow night the Bears get the Springfield Falcons at home. Springfield is in last place in the Atlantic division and hasn't been playing great lately. But you still have to play your best and not look forward.

If Hershey comes out Wednesday night and looks ahead to the weekend when they have critical games against both Wilkes Barre-Scranton and Bridgeport in Hershey then they could be in trouble against the Falcons.

Bears @ Lake Erie preview 3/8

With a big win in Toronto last night the Bears held onto their 2 point lead in the division. Now they had to Cleveland to play the Lake Erie Monsters, a team that is very hot right now. Lake Erie has won 7 of their last 8 games overall and has won 9 of their last 11 at home. So Hershey is walking into a building where the home team is playing very well.

Simeon Varlamov made his return to the lineup last night so I would expect to see Daren Machesney in net tonight so they don't push Varly's knee too much too soon. So Cheese is going to have to make some big saves.

Former Bear Matt Hendricks is leading the Monsters charge over the past couple weeks. On the season he has played only 31 games and has only registered 11 goals and 11 assists but 6 of those goals have come in the past 6 games. Included in that is 2 goals and 1 assist in last night's win over Rochester.

After a good performance last night from the Bears they need to turn it around and get ready for another tough game. Staffon Kronwall and Brian Pothier both looked very good last night and are steady influences on the blue line for Hershey. Kronwall will likely remain in Hershey for the duration of the season but so long as Pothier stays healthy he will be in Washington in a week or so.

If you are scoreboard watching here are the games to keep an eye on.

Hartford at Bridgeport - 4:00 start
Norfolk at Wilkes Barre - 5:05


Hershey Bears
record ~ 40-17-1-5 84 points
standings ~ 1st in East Division
playoff positioning - 2 points ahead of 2nd place
most recent game ~ 6-1 Win @ Toronto, 3/7
last 5 games ~ 3-0-1-1
road record ~ 18-9-1-3
goals for ~ 244
goals against ~192
power play ~ 18.7% (8th)
penalty kill ~ 79.4% (29th)


Lake Erie Monsters
record ~ 29-30-1-5 64 points
standings ~ 6th in North Division
playoff positioning ~ 5 points behind 4th
most recent game ~ 6-2 Win vs Rochester, 3/7
last 5 games ~ 4-1-0-0
home record ~ 18-11-1-2
goals for ~ 162
goals against ~ 169
power play ~ 11.7% (29th)
penalty kill ~ 82.3% (17th)

last time teams met - Hershey won in a shootout 3-2 on December 21 in Hershey.

Players to watch:

Hershey:

C Keith Aucoin (11)- He had a goal and 2 assists to extend his point streak to 14 games. And his linemates are producing as well which shows how well he is playing.
RW Graham Mink (21) - He is on a 5 game scoring streak after scoring a goal last night. During the streak he has 6 goals and 5 assists.
Rookie Line - They aren't producing as consistently or as much as they were early in the season but in the last 6 games they have combined for 4 goals and 7 assists.

Lake Erie:

LW Chris Durno (25) - He is the team leader in points (36) and tied for the lead in goals with 14. In his last 4 games he has 1 goal and 3 assists.
C Philippe Dupuis (9) - Tied for the team lead in goals with 14 and is 2nd in points with 34. He has 3 goals and 6 assists in his last 7 games.
C Matt Hendricks (16) - The former Bear has been playing very well of late. Overall he has 11 goals and 11 assists in 31 games but in his last 6 games he has 6 goals and 2 assists including 2 goals and an assist last night.


LET'S GO BEARS!!!

10 In A Row At Home!

Last night's win in Hershey leaves the Bears one home win short of the franchise record. Having already broken the longest regular season win streak this year with 11 wins this team can now tie and set another record. Next weekend the Bears play Binghamton and Albany at home, if they win both games they will set the consecutive home victories record.

Good Job Hershey!

Last night's game was a little touch and go for the first period or so. I thought the team was chasing the puck and skating without direction for the first period.

But in the third period I thought they outright DOMINATED the Monsters. The only reason Lake Erie was still in the game was because of their goalie Jason Bacashihua who made 42 saves to earn 2nd star honors.

Hershey trailed twice in this game and came back both times to force overtime where they had numerous opportunities but couldn't convert. The shootout favored the Bears last night as Varly stopped 4 of 5 while Bourque and Gordon scored against Bacashihua to get the W for the Bears.


My Three Stars of the Game:

1. Jason Bacashihua - even though he lost he managed to get his team a point
2. Kyle Wilson - a goal and an assist, both of which were very important
3. Simeon Varlamov - many good saves during the game and then an amazing shootout

Grading the Performance:

• Offense - B+ - The only reason this group doesn't get an A is because they couldn't solve the goaltender. They did everything right and got plenty of shots but only got 2 by the goalie. Still a very good performance. The teams depth is really showing lately while the BAG line and the rookie line are struggling.
• Defense - B - A solid game. Lots of good hits and generally kept pucks and players away from Varly. But there was obviously room for improvement too. Some miscommunication on changes and who is going for the puck cost them a goal and almost more.
• Goaltending - B+ - Another very good game for Varly this season. That was a big game being that it was his first since getting reassigned and he was surely disappointed in not staying the Caps. Way to show up and perform without pouting.
• Power Play - B - There were only 4 penalties called (3 on Lake Erie) so the power play didn't have a ton of chances but they made the most of them getting 1 goal on the 3 attempts. It was their first power play goal in December.
• Penalty Kill - ? - They only had to kill off 1 penalty and they did. But not enough to give a grade.
• Overall - B - Honestly I think they should have won by 4 goals. This team is NOT at the same talent level as Hershey and after last weekend I expected the Bears to really come out swinging this weekend and they didn't seem to do that. But a win is a win and they got 2 this weekend.

LET'S GO BEARS!!

Bears vs Monsters Preview, 12/21

Hershey Bears
record ~ 21-7-0-1 43 points
standings ~ 1st in East Division
most recent game ~ 4-2 Win vs Lowell, 12/20
last 5 games ~ 3-2-0-0
home record ~ 12-2-0-0
goals for ~ 119
goals against ~77
power play ~ 16.4% (16th)
penalty kill ~ 82.4% (16th)


Lake Erie Monsters
record ~ 11-12-1-4 27 points
standings ~ 6th in North Division
most recent game ~ 4-0 Win @ Syracuse, 12/20
last 5 games ~ 2-1-0-2
road record ~ 3-6-0-2
goals for ~ 73
goals against ~ 82
power play ~ 15.2% (20th)
penalty kill ~ 82.1% (19th)

last time teams met - First meeting this season.

Players to watch:

Hershey:

C Kyle Wilson (18)- 2 goals in last nights game and 1 goal in the previous game gives him 12 goals on the season. His line was very good last night.
RW Graham Mink (21) - Scored 11 seconds into the game last night. Hopefully it jump starts his season from here on in. He claims to be a better after holiday player.
C Mathieu Perrault (24) - After having a nice 7 game point streak last month he has cooled off with only 2 assists in his last 7 games.

Lake Erie:

LW Chris Durno (25) - Leading the Monsters with 19 points this season he has been playing well of late with 3 goals and 3 assists in his last 6 games.
C Marty Sertich (15) - Second on the team in points (with 16) he has also been hot of late with 2 goals and 6 assists in the last 6 games, including 2 goals last night.
G Jason Bacashihua - Having a tough season in the net so far with a 3-8-2 record. His goals against 3.29 (41 out of 48 in league) while his save percentage is .895 (34th) aren't much better.


News and Notes:

• Surprise surprise another Capital left yesterdays game injured. Tom Poti left with what is assumed to be a strained groin.
• Kip Brennan is unable to play due to immigration paper problems. He probably won't play until after Christmas sometime.
• Simeon Varlamov should be getting the start in goal today after being reassigned on Friday. He is 11th in save percentage and 2nd in goals against in the league.
• Tyler Weiman is the better goalie for Lake Erie. If he plays his record is 8-5-2 and his numbers are better with 2.34 goals against (8th) and .920 save percentage (7th). Weiman played last night and Lake Erie hasn't been playing goaltenders back to back often this season.

LET'S GO BEARS!!

Good Thing There Are No Shootouts in Playoffs

If there were shootouts in the playoffs than I don't think the Bears would be anywhere near the finals. They are now 1-5 in shootouts this season after losing to the Lake Erie Monsters last night in Cleveland 5-4 (3-2 in shootout). It was a back and forth night in Cleveland as both teams came back from 1 goal deficits twice.

The Bears were winning 4-3 with less than a minute remaining until Lake Erie scored while their net was empty and they were on the power play. It took a 6 on 4 for the Bears to allow a goal in the closing minutes and still almost won in a shootout.

Bears goals were scored by Sami Lepisto, Jason Morgan, Joe Motzko, and Grant Potulny.

Freddie Cassivi did not have a great game as he gave up 4 goals on 25 shots. He didn't have much help on the power play apparently. The Monsters went 3 of 8 on the power play. The Bears better fix the penalty kill because giving up 3 goals a night would not be a good way to go forward.


Other News and Notes:

Sami Lepisto has been recalled by Washington and is up with the team tonight.

Decent Weekend for the Bears

The Hershey Bears split their two weekend games by beating Lake Erie Saturday night 6-4 and losing Sunday night to Hartford 3-1.

Saturday's game was a good rebound effort from a poor performance last Wednesday night. Andrew Gordon scored 3 goals, Stephen Werner, Sami Lepisto, and Jason Morgan all scored for Hershey as they chased Tyler Weiman from net in the 2nd period. At the end of the 1st period it was 4-1 and after the second it was 6-3 before finalizing the scoring at 6-4.

Sunday nights game was not as good a performance. After chasing Hartford goalie Al Montoya in their game in Hartford on January 4 the Bears got to go against Miika Wiikman on Sunday. They weren't able to chase him from net though. That may have been due to the fact that they had only 23 shots all game. Gordon scored the lone goal for the Bears. Freddie Cassivi made his return from Washington and played well, making 33 saves on 35 shots. Hartford added an empty net goal with under a minute to play.

Louis Robitaille returned to the lineup both nights and Josef Boumedienne also played in both games for the Bears.

Tyler Sloan, Dean Arsene, and Jay Beagle could possibly return to lineup this weekend. Which would help a depleted defensive corps get some depth. Ben Clymer played defense Sunday night due to injuries on defense.