A big thank you to the Worcester Sharks as they went into Bridgeport and came out of there with a win over the Sound Tigers. That game gives the Bears 3 games in hand over Bridgeport and only a 1 point margin to make up. And there are 2 games left against the Sound Tigers.
On top of that the Bears 4 points this past weekend combined with Wilkes Barre/Scranton's zero points gives the Bears a 5 point cushion over the Pens and 1 game in hand. The two teams still have 3 games head to head as well.
In other news I am not sure if you heard but Alexander Giroux scored his 50th goal of the season in Sunday's win. He becomes only the 45th player in AHL history to get to the 50 goal mark and he still has 10 games to go...how many can he get?
Tonight's game is against the Toronto Marlies and will be Hershey's last game outside of the division this regular season. This game also begins what will be the final 4 in 5 of the season as well as the Bears have games Friday, Saturday, and Sunday this weekend.
Toronto is fighting for their playoff lives right now so they will surely be ready to play. But they have struggled mightily on the road recently having only won 4 of their last 14 on the road. And 2 of those wins came against division cellar dwelling Rochester. So not a lot of positives for the Marlies away from their home city.
But this is another one of those "can the Bears get excited for a non-rival" games. Personally I think that being its a final 10 game and with Bridgeport's loss last night Hershey can retake first place tonight the Bears will be ready to go.
Scoreboard Watchers:
Bridgeport is off until Saturday's game in Hershey
Wilkes Barre/Scranton hosts the Grand Rapids Griffins at 7:05
Hershey Bears
record ~ 44-19-1-6 95 points
standings ~ 2nd in East Division
playoff positioning - 1 pt behind 1st; 5 pts ahead of 3rd
most recent game ~ 3-2 SO Win @ Manchester, 3/22
last 5 games ~ 4-1-0-0
home record ~ 24-8-0-3
goals for ~ 264
goals against ~213
power play ~ 19.1% (6th)
penalty kill ~ 79.3% (29th)
Toronto Marlies
record ~ 35-27-3-6 79 points
standings ~ 4th in North Division
playoff positioning ~ 12 pts behind 3rd; 1 pt ahead of 5th
most recent game ~ 3-2 OT Loss vs San Antonio, 3/22
last 5 games ~ 2-1-1-1
road record ~ 14-15-2-4
goals for ~ 214
goals against ~ 203
power play ~ 20.5% (3rd)
penalty kill ~ 82.2% (17th)
last time teams met - Hershey won 6-1 in Toronto on March 7.
Players to watch:
Hershey:
C Mathieu Perrault - Has been one of the more consistent workers over the past couple of weeks even though it isn't showing up on the score sheet.
LW Alexandre Giroux (12) - He has reached 50...can he reach 54? And if he can when will it happen? Most are hoping for this Saturday or Sunday night. He has 3 goals and 2 assists in the past 2 games.
D Karl Alzner (7) - Here is a guy that you never hear about...which is the way d-men really want it. He doesn't show up on the score sheet very much but he is as consistent as anyone on this team. Unfortunately he will probably be in Washington for the playoffs.
Marlies:
C Tim Stapleton (17) - He leads the team with with 67 points and has 1 goal and 2 assists in his last 3 games.
RW Jeremy Williams (19) - Leads the team in goals with 24 goals. He has 3 goals and 1 assist in his last 5 games. Also a team worst -12.
LW Bates Battaglia (33) - Third on the team in points and assists he has 1 goal and 2 assists in his last 2 games. He is a team best +13.
LET'S GO BEARS!!!
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Giroux Scores 50....Chasing 54
Alexander Giroux scored his 50th goal of the season on Sunday evening and is now chasing the Hershey Bears single season record of 53 set in 1982-1983 by Tony Cassoloto.
Giroux is only the 5th Bear to score 50 in a season. Tim Tookey was the last to do it in 1986-1987, Cassoloto's 82-83 season, Ross Fitzpatrick did it in 1985-1986, and Roger DeJordy accomplished the feat in 1966-1967.
Think about that. The Bears have been playing since 1939 and there are only 5 players who have scored 50+ goals in a season. Impressive.
In case you were wondering....cause I know I was....the AHL single season record is 70 goals in a season. Stephan Lebeau set the record in 1988-1989 while playing for the Sherbrooke Canadiens. I don't think Giroux will quite get to that point but if he did that would be special.
The feat really is something special. There have only been 45 (including Giroux) players to ever get to the 50 goal mark. That isn't too many considering how many teams and players have been part of this league. Of those 45 only 4 players have ever done it twice.
There is a bleak side to him getting to 50 goals though.....out of the 45 players to accomplish the feat (a total of 49 seasons thanks to the two timers) only 4 were also Calder Cup champions that year. The most recent was Dan Currie in 1992-1993 (he also scored 50 in 91-92) while playing for the Cape Breton Oilers. Joining Currie as Calder Cup Champs with 50+ goals are Michel Picard for the 1990-1991 Springfield Indians, Camille Henry for the 1955-1956 Providence Reds, and Carl Liscombe for the 1942-1943 Providence Reds.
So Giroux will be looking to accomplish another hard to obtain goal when he looks to become only the 5th AHL player to ever win a Calder Cup and score 50+ in a season.
I think he can do it.
read more here.
LET'S GO BEARS!!!
Monday, March 23, 2009
The Neuvy and Giroux Show
First of all let me congratulate Alexander Giroux for reaching the 50 goal mark. He is only the 5th Bear to ever do it and the first since Tim Tookey in 86-87. The club record is 53 which looks attainable at this point in the season. I will have more on the goal scoring records for the AHL tomorrow.
Now to last nights game. Can you say goaltending show? They really should have sold tickets to young goalies to come and watch a clinic. It was incredible at both ends of the ice. Combined the teams took 88 shots and the goalies made 84 saves. Easily the best goaltending dual I have seen all season.
Michal Neuvirth played for the Bears and Jonathan Bernier was in net for the Monarchs. I would give the nod to Neuvirth for the better performance but only due to his defense allowing good shot after good shot throughout the entire game. But I don't want to take away from what either goalie did.
Scoring was obviously a challenge for both teams. The MAG line was back together last night and managed to produce both goals on the evening for the Bears. Graham Mink tied his career high with his 31st goal less than 1 minute into the first period. It then took Hershey almost 43 minutes to score their next goal when Giroux scored on the power play.
Even in the shootout it seemed like a goaltending show. Both goalies allowed 2 goals from the first 3 shooters and then they both stopped the next 5 in a row before Keith Aucoin put one through the five hole on Bernier. All that was needed for Hershey was a stop by Neuvy to win and he managed to come through for the team.
Both teams wanted this game. Manchester is fighting for their playoff lives and Hershey needed to win to remain one point back of Bridgeport in the East.
My Three Stars of the Game:
Grading the Performance:
GOOD GAME BEARS!!!!
Now to last nights game. Can you say goaltending show? They really should have sold tickets to young goalies to come and watch a clinic. It was incredible at both ends of the ice. Combined the teams took 88 shots and the goalies made 84 saves. Easily the best goaltending dual I have seen all season.
Michal Neuvirth played for the Bears and Jonathan Bernier was in net for the Monarchs. I would give the nod to Neuvirth for the better performance but only due to his defense allowing good shot after good shot throughout the entire game. But I don't want to take away from what either goalie did.
Scoring was obviously a challenge for both teams. The MAG line was back together last night and managed to produce both goals on the evening for the Bears. Graham Mink tied his career high with his 31st goal less than 1 minute into the first period. It then took Hershey almost 43 minutes to score their next goal when Giroux scored on the power play.
Even in the shootout it seemed like a goaltending show. Both goalies allowed 2 goals from the first 3 shooters and then they both stopped the next 5 in a row before Keith Aucoin put one through the five hole on Bernier. All that was needed for Hershey was a stop by Neuvy to win and he managed to come through for the team.
Both teams wanted this game. Manchester is fighting for their playoff lives and Hershey needed to win to remain one point back of Bridgeport in the East.
My Three Stars of the Game:
- Michal Neuvirth - 47 saves during the game and then 7 more in the shootout
- Jonathan Bernier - 37 saves during and 6 in the shootout
- Alexander Giroux - 50th of the season and the game tying goal
Grading the Performance:
- Offense - B+ - This would be an A if they would have gotten more pressure in the first period. But honestly they couldn't get out of their own zone in the first. They only managed 7 shots in the first period and other than that early goal there was minimal pressure in the Monarchs end.
- Defense - B - You can't allow 49 shots in a game and expect to win very often. The only positive was that there weren't many screens in front of Neuvy. Positioning seemed good all game and honestly they didn't play bad but you have to do more shot blocking and knocking guys off the puck before they get their shots off.
- Goaltending - A - Made every save that he should make and a couple that maybe he shouldn't have. Many of the saves were on difficult shots too.
- Power Play - A - Not much offense 5 on 5 but on the power play they were dominant. They got 3 chances and made the most of them by scoring 2 goals.
- Penalty Kill - B - 1 goal allowed isn't terrible. Not sure if there was much more they could have done but they weren't perfect.
- Overall - B+ - If it wasn't for Neuvy this game probably would have been a loss. I think the whole team played good but it wasn't enough on this night without the goalie. And those games happen. It is good to see that Neuvy can handle winning one for the team even when he doesn't get 4 goals to work with.
GOOD GAME BEARS!!!!
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Hershey Finishes Up 3 in 3 at Slumping Monarchs
Well I was hoping for a convincing win last night and it obviously didn't happen. But winning is winning and well they won last night. It took some late game heroics by the AHLs leading goal scorer (and I think the soon to be single season record holder in Hershey) Alexander Giroux, who scored 2 times in the third and assisted on the game winner, to get the 2 points for Hershey.
Tonight (or late this afternoon since its a 4:00 start) Hershey finishes up their season slate against the Atlantic division with a trip to Manchester to play the 3rd place Monarchs.
This is usually the time of year where teams begin making runs to the playoffs but in the case of Manchester (like Portland and Lowell the past 2 nights) they are playing their way out of playoff contention. Apparently the bottom 5 teams in the Atlantic division really don't want to play in the postseason.
Manchester comes into tonight's game losers of 4 straight, of which 3 have been at home. But keep in mind that the losing streak comes on the heals of a 6 game winning streak and they had won 9 of 11 at home before dropping the last 3. So while they seem to be struggling right now remember that before that they were dominating.
Hershey has been up and down for the past month and a half but to prove how good and talented they are (and how big there division lead was) they are still in the hunt for the division crown. Trailing Bridgeport by 1 point with 2 games in hand allows Hershey SOME wiggle room, not much but some.
Tonight would be the perfect night to show the teams in the East division that the Bears don't care where the game is, what time it starts, or where they were last night, all they care about is coming out and winning the game. Whether the win is a 6-1 blowout, 1-0 slug fest, or a 5-4 come from behind win in the last minute victory, it is still a victory.
Scoreboard Watchers:
Bridgeport hosts Portland at 4:00
Wilkes Barre/Scranton is off today
Hershey Bears
record ~ 43-19-1-6 91 points
standings ~ 2nd in East Division
playoff positioning - 1 pt behind 1st; 3 pts ahead of 3rd
most recent game ~ 5-4 Win @ Portland, 3/21
last 5 games ~ 3-1-0-1
road record ~ 19-10-1-3
goals for ~ 261
goals against ~211
power play ~ 18.8% (7th)
penalty kill ~ 79.3% (29th)
Manchester Monarchs
record ~ 33-29-0-7 73 points
standings ~ 3rd in Atlantic Division
playoff positioning ~ tied for 3rd/4th; 2 pts ahead of 5th
most recent game ~ 4-3 SO Loss @ Springfield, 3/20
last 5 games ~ 1-3-0-1
home record ~ 18-13-0-3
goals for ~ 183
goals against ~ 189
power play ~ 17.8% (12th)
penalty kill ~ 84.9% (6th)
last time teams met - Hershey won 2-1 in Hershey on January 24.
Players to watch:
Hershey:
RW Graham Mink - After dominating the month of February Minker has cooled off a bit of late. In his last 6 games he has only managed 2 goals and an assist. Still a serious offensive presence he isn't producing right now.
LW Alexandre Giroux (12) - Well 49 goals so far and 11 games to go. Can he get to 54? I hope so. 2 more goals last night and an assist on the game winner.
C Andrew Joudrey (23) - I am telling you right now that he is CRUCIAL to Hershey's success in the playoffs. He kills penalties and plays hard at both ends EVERY SINGLE NIGHT. And his reward is not on the score sheet....its on the scoreboard.
Monarchs:
C Marty Murray (12) - He leads the team with with 47 points and has 3 goals and 4 assists in his last 6 games.
LW Scott Parse (23) - Currently the second leading goal scorer with 14 goals and he is tied for the team lead with a +8. He has 1 goal and 5 assists in his last 5 games.
LW Matt Moulson (52) - Currently tied for the team lead with 15 goals and he is also the current leader in points per game with .84 per game (36 points in 43 games).
LET'S GO BEARS!!!
Tonight (or late this afternoon since its a 4:00 start) Hershey finishes up their season slate against the Atlantic division with a trip to Manchester to play the 3rd place Monarchs.
This is usually the time of year where teams begin making runs to the playoffs but in the case of Manchester (like Portland and Lowell the past 2 nights) they are playing their way out of playoff contention. Apparently the bottom 5 teams in the Atlantic division really don't want to play in the postseason.
Manchester comes into tonight's game losers of 4 straight, of which 3 have been at home. But keep in mind that the losing streak comes on the heals of a 6 game winning streak and they had won 9 of 11 at home before dropping the last 3. So while they seem to be struggling right now remember that before that they were dominating.
Hershey has been up and down for the past month and a half but to prove how good and talented they are (and how big there division lead was) they are still in the hunt for the division crown. Trailing Bridgeport by 1 point with 2 games in hand allows Hershey SOME wiggle room, not much but some.
Tonight would be the perfect night to show the teams in the East division that the Bears don't care where the game is, what time it starts, or where they were last night, all they care about is coming out and winning the game. Whether the win is a 6-1 blowout, 1-0 slug fest, or a 5-4 come from behind win in the last minute victory, it is still a victory.
Scoreboard Watchers:
Bridgeport hosts Portland at 4:00
Wilkes Barre/Scranton is off today
Hershey Bears
record ~ 43-19-1-6 91 points
standings ~ 2nd in East Division
playoff positioning - 1 pt behind 1st; 3 pts ahead of 3rd
most recent game ~ 5-4 Win @ Portland, 3/21
last 5 games ~ 3-1-0-1
road record ~ 19-10-1-3
goals for ~ 261
goals against ~211
power play ~ 18.8% (7th)
penalty kill ~ 79.3% (29th)
Manchester Monarchs
record ~ 33-29-0-7 73 points
standings ~ 3rd in Atlantic Division
playoff positioning ~ tied for 3rd/4th; 2 pts ahead of 5th
most recent game ~ 4-3 SO Loss @ Springfield, 3/20
last 5 games ~ 1-3-0-1
home record ~ 18-13-0-3
goals for ~ 183
goals against ~ 189
power play ~ 17.8% (12th)
penalty kill ~ 84.9% (6th)
last time teams met - Hershey won 2-1 in Hershey on January 24.
Players to watch:
Hershey:
RW Graham Mink - After dominating the month of February Minker has cooled off a bit of late. In his last 6 games he has only managed 2 goals and an assist. Still a serious offensive presence he isn't producing right now.
LW Alexandre Giroux (12) - Well 49 goals so far and 11 games to go. Can he get to 54? I hope so. 2 more goals last night and an assist on the game winner.
C Andrew Joudrey (23) - I am telling you right now that he is CRUCIAL to Hershey's success in the playoffs. He kills penalties and plays hard at both ends EVERY SINGLE NIGHT. And his reward is not on the score sheet....its on the scoreboard.
Monarchs:
C Marty Murray (12) - He leads the team with with 47 points and has 3 goals and 4 assists in his last 6 games.
LW Scott Parse (23) - Currently the second leading goal scorer with 14 goals and he is tied for the team lead with a +8. He has 1 goal and 5 assists in his last 5 games.
LW Matt Moulson (52) - Currently tied for the team lead with 15 goals and he is also the current leader in points per game with .84 per game (36 points in 43 games).
LET'S GO BEARS!!!
Suspense Filled Victory in Portland
Well that is one way to go about getting a victory. In case you missed it the Hershey Bears spotted the Portland Pirates a 3 goal lead and then came back to win 5-4 in regulation.
Hershey jumped out to a 1-0 lead on Oskar Osala's 22nd of the year only 2 minutes into the game. But before Hershey could get through one period they were already down 2 goals with a 3-1 score after one period. And things didn't get better right away either as Portland scored less then 4 minutes into the second to go up 4-1.
It was at this point that John Walton decided to blame Daren Machesney for the amount of goals being scored. While I agree that the save percentage wasn't pretty and maybe another goalie would have stopped a couple, I DID NOT think Cheese was to blame for most of those. I honestly didn't think anyone was to blame. The fourth goal especially was just a favorable bounce for Portland. The puck was bouncing around like a Mexican jumping bean and it just happened to bounce in front where a Pirate was standing and he tipped it in. I didn't see what Cheese did that was so wrong, could he have had it? Sure. But should he have been expected to stop it....I don't think so.
In fact I think all 4 of Portland's goals were more the result of them out hustling the Bears to start the game and some favorable bounces. Once Hershey started to skate hard and hustle after every loose puck they started getting some favorable bounces themselves.
Alexandre Giroux came to play in the third period last night. For the first two periods he seemed to be struggling with the desire factor for the second straight night but he sure turned it on when needed. He scored twice and assisted on the game winner which leaves him at 49 games this season. He is only 5 goals away from becoming the all time Hershey single season goal scoring record holder. With just 1 more goal he becomes the first Bear since Tim Tookey (his name and number hang in the space above your heads at the Giant Center) to do so.
The victory was a big one as the Bears keep pace with the Bridgeport Sound Tigers. And thanks to Norfolk the Bears are now a full 3 points in front of the Penguins. The Penguins are off tonight while the Sound Tigers host these same Portland Pirates at 4:00 this afternoon.
And keep in mind that Hershey has played 2 fewer games than the Tigers and Penguins with only 11 games to go for Hershey.
My Three Stars of the Game:
Grading the Performance:
Good Game Bears!!!
Hershey jumped out to a 1-0 lead on Oskar Osala's 22nd of the year only 2 minutes into the game. But before Hershey could get through one period they were already down 2 goals with a 3-1 score after one period. And things didn't get better right away either as Portland scored less then 4 minutes into the second to go up 4-1.
It was at this point that John Walton decided to blame Daren Machesney for the amount of goals being scored. While I agree that the save percentage wasn't pretty and maybe another goalie would have stopped a couple, I DID NOT think Cheese was to blame for most of those. I honestly didn't think anyone was to blame. The fourth goal especially was just a favorable bounce for Portland. The puck was bouncing around like a Mexican jumping bean and it just happened to bounce in front where a Pirate was standing and he tipped it in. I didn't see what Cheese did that was so wrong, could he have had it? Sure. But should he have been expected to stop it....I don't think so.
In fact I think all 4 of Portland's goals were more the result of them out hustling the Bears to start the game and some favorable bounces. Once Hershey started to skate hard and hustle after every loose puck they started getting some favorable bounces themselves.
Alexandre Giroux came to play in the third period last night. For the first two periods he seemed to be struggling with the desire factor for the second straight night but he sure turned it on when needed. He scored twice and assisted on the game winner which leaves him at 49 games this season. He is only 5 goals away from becoming the all time Hershey single season goal scoring record holder. With just 1 more goal he becomes the first Bear since Tim Tookey (his name and number hang in the space above your heads at the Giant Center) to do so.
The victory was a big one as the Bears keep pace with the Bridgeport Sound Tigers. And thanks to Norfolk the Bears are now a full 3 points in front of the Penguins. The Penguins are off tonight while the Sound Tigers host these same Portland Pirates at 4:00 this afternoon.
And keep in mind that Hershey has played 2 fewer games than the Tigers and Penguins with only 11 games to go for Hershey.
My Three Stars of the Game:
- Alexander Giroux - 2 goals, 1 assist, and a game high 7 shots for the AHL's leading scorer
- Staffon Kronwall - first goal as a Bear is a game winner. Since he arrived the defense has been MUCH better.
- Mark Mancari - a goal and an assist for the Pirates
Grading the Performance:
- Offense - B+ - Really it was a tale of three periods. Through the first two it seemed like Hershey couldn't beat Enroth but the third was all Bears. They kept working and getting to the net and it paid off for them. Not much else to say....really good game.
- Defense - B+ - I saw no real mistakes. Even on the four goals I really don't think they did too badly. Lots of blocked shots by everyone was very impressive.
- Goaltending - B - Like I said above...I didn't think Cheese played badly. Sure some of those could have been stopped but every goal in theory could be stopped. I have seen much worse from the goalie's this season but I have seen much better too.
- Power Play - B+ - Not many opportunities and I think they could have done better but 1 goal out of 3 chances is pretty good.
- Penalty Kill - B+ - They only allowed a 5 on 3 goal and that was due to a lack of communication between Joudrey and Beagle that left a guy open for a second too long. Again...many blocked shots and solid positional play.
- Overall - B+ - If you take away a couple of favorable Portland bounces this game is probably 4-2 Hershey and not close. I honestly think this was just one of those games. And the fact that the Bears stuck together and came back to win in the other teams building is very important and should not be overlooked. These are the games you HAVE to win from time to time to win a Cup and this team has done it a couple times now this season.
Good Game Bears!!!
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Bears Look to Get Win Against Pirates
After a loss last night in Lowell, the Bears make the short trip to Portland to avenge a home loss a little over a month ago. When Portland came to Hershey the Bears were not playing their best hockey and the Pirates beat them 3-2. Well of late the Bears have been playing better and hopefully they want to respond to the loss and get those 2 points back.
Last night was not a great night for Hershey but it wasn't that bad either. The bounces just weren't going their way. And some players didn't seem overly interested in playing the Devils. Tonight though I think this team will come out ready. They don't want to fall any further behind Bridgeport than they are right now so tonight's game is critical.
Portland has been questionable at home lately. They have lost 4 of their last 6 at home and haven't been really good there in a couple months. And it really comes down to the defense. Since December 28 they have only won once at home when they allow more than 1 goal (and that was against Springfield who scored 2 on January 1o). So basically if Hershey scores 2 or 3 goals they should win.
SHOULD WIN! They still have to play their best. I haven't seen anything yet on who will start in goal but I would imagine it would be Daren Machesney. But Woods might feel that Neuvy needs back to back starts to test him. We shall see. Either way they will get a test. Portland has 4 different 20+ goal scorers and 8 different skaters have double digit goals. So they can definitely put the pressure on and it comes from different places.
Hershey needs to win this game and it would be nice if they could do it convincingly.
Scoreboard Watchers:
Bridgeport hosts Providence at 7:00
Wilkes Barre/Scranton travels to Norfolk for a 7:15 start
Hershey Bears
record ~ 42-19-1-6 91 points
standings ~ 2nd in East Division
playoff positioning - 1 pt behind 1st; 1 pt ahead of 3rd
most recent game ~ 2-1 Loss @ Lowell, 3/20
last 5 games ~ 2-2-0-1
road record ~ 18-10-1-3
goals for ~ 256
goals against ~207
power play ~ 18.6% (8th)
penalty kill ~ 79.2% (28th)
Portland Pirates
record ~ 32-27-3-6 73 points
standings ~ 3rd in Atlantic Division
playoff positioning ~ 11 pts behind 1st; tied for 3rd/4th
most recent game ~ 3-1 Loss vs Hartford, 3/20
last 5 games ~ 2-3-0-0
home record ~ 20-12-0-3
goals for ~ 204
goals against ~ 199
power play ~ 15.9% (21st)
penalty kill ~ 84.1% (9th)
last time teams met - Portland won 3-2 in Hershey on February 8.
Players to watch:
Hershey:
Bob Woods - The line combinations were shuffled last weekend due to Keith Aucoin being recalled and the team played great. Last night the lines were still different but he was quick to return to the original lines. Also can he get this team pumped to play a team that isn't chasing them in the standings?
LW Alexandre Giroux (12) - Personally I thought last night was Giroux's worst game of the season. He was regularly standing around and didn't seem interested in being on the ice. He only has 2 goals and 1 assist in his last 5 games.
RW Grant McNeill (27) - In my opinion he has been instrumental in this teams return to form. Once he came back the Bears had a willing goalie crasher who will drop the gloves. He fought last night but he seemed to shy away from the front of the net...GMac...just run over the goaltender if he gets in your way!
Pirates:
RW Mark Mancari (25) - He leads the team with 26 goals and 58 points. In his last 4 games he has 3 goals and an assist.
LW Nathan Gerbe (19) - Second on the team with 25 goals he has 3 goals and 2 assists in his last 4 games.
LW Mathieu Darche (21) - The former Bear has been one of the most consistent Pirates this season. He is second on the team with 54 points and he has 3 goals and 2 assists in his last 4.
LET'S GO BEARS!!!
Last night was not a great night for Hershey but it wasn't that bad either. The bounces just weren't going their way. And some players didn't seem overly interested in playing the Devils. Tonight though I think this team will come out ready. They don't want to fall any further behind Bridgeport than they are right now so tonight's game is critical.
Portland has been questionable at home lately. They have lost 4 of their last 6 at home and haven't been really good there in a couple months. And it really comes down to the defense. Since December 28 they have only won once at home when they allow more than 1 goal (and that was against Springfield who scored 2 on January 1o). So basically if Hershey scores 2 or 3 goals they should win.
SHOULD WIN! They still have to play their best. I haven't seen anything yet on who will start in goal but I would imagine it would be Daren Machesney. But Woods might feel that Neuvy needs back to back starts to test him. We shall see. Either way they will get a test. Portland has 4 different 20+ goal scorers and 8 different skaters have double digit goals. So they can definitely put the pressure on and it comes from different places.
Hershey needs to win this game and it would be nice if they could do it convincingly.
Scoreboard Watchers:
Bridgeport hosts Providence at 7:00
Wilkes Barre/Scranton travels to Norfolk for a 7:15 start
Hershey Bears
record ~ 42-19-1-6 91 points
standings ~ 2nd in East Division
playoff positioning - 1 pt behind 1st; 1 pt ahead of 3rd
most recent game ~ 2-1 Loss @ Lowell, 3/20
last 5 games ~ 2-2-0-1
road record ~ 18-10-1-3
goals for ~ 256
goals against ~207
power play ~ 18.6% (8th)
penalty kill ~ 79.2% (28th)
Portland Pirates
record ~ 32-27-3-6 73 points
standings ~ 3rd in Atlantic Division
playoff positioning ~ 11 pts behind 1st; tied for 3rd/4th
most recent game ~ 3-1 Loss vs Hartford, 3/20
last 5 games ~ 2-3-0-0
home record ~ 20-12-0-3
goals for ~ 204
goals against ~ 199
power play ~ 15.9% (21st)
penalty kill ~ 84.1% (9th)
last time teams met - Portland won 3-2 in Hershey on February 8.
Players to watch:
Hershey:
Bob Woods - The line combinations were shuffled last weekend due to Keith Aucoin being recalled and the team played great. Last night the lines were still different but he was quick to return to the original lines. Also can he get this team pumped to play a team that isn't chasing them in the standings?
LW Alexandre Giroux (12) - Personally I thought last night was Giroux's worst game of the season. He was regularly standing around and didn't seem interested in being on the ice. He only has 2 goals and 1 assist in his last 5 games.
RW Grant McNeill (27) - In my opinion he has been instrumental in this teams return to form. Once he came back the Bears had a willing goalie crasher who will drop the gloves. He fought last night but he seemed to shy away from the front of the net...GMac...just run over the goaltender if he gets in your way!
Pirates:
RW Mark Mancari (25) - He leads the team with 26 goals and 58 points. In his last 4 games he has 3 goals and an assist.
LW Nathan Gerbe (19) - Second on the team with 25 goals he has 3 goals and 2 assists in his last 4 games.
LW Mathieu Darche (21) - The former Bear has been one of the most consistent Pirates this season. He is second on the team with 54 points and he has 3 goals and 2 assists in his last 4.
LET'S GO BEARS!!!
Bears Drop to Second in Lowell
Well color me surprised! Okay maybe not so much. I hate that I was right but the Bears did not seem at all interested in playing in that game last night. I was unable to watch it live but just finished watching it this morning and I would have to say that the first 2 periods were some of the most boring hockey of the season. Neither team seemed to want to play the game. But Lowell wanted to win more than Hershey and they did 2-1. The loss slides the Bears back to second place as Bridgeport won last night to take the division lead.
I actually think the team played okay. I thought the defense was solid and the goaltending was okay. It was actually the offense that I thought needed to do more. Maybe more isn't the write idea since they did have 44 shots. Maybe better would be more accurate. Go back and watch the game again and count how many of the shots were from bad angles or with no traffic. Honestly I didn't think Lowell goalie Jeff Frazee played that well. Sure he made some big saves but he got lucky numerous times and the Bears allowed him to see every single shot.
The Bears offense played the same way they did for most of February, take as many shots as you can and don't worry about making them good ones. Quantity over quality seems to be this teams mantra on many an occasion. But guess what....it isn't working! Last weekend Hershey looked really good and I personally think the lines had a big effect on that.
With Chris Bourque expecting to get recalled he didn't play which left Woods in need of new line combinations. But I think he screwed up a bit. Last weekend I thought the Beagle, Osala, and Mink line was fantastic. I thought they played hard both nights and created numerous opportunities. Last night Perrault joined that line (with Mink and Osala) and I don't think they had any decent chances. I am not saying Perrault isn't worthy of that position but he would work better with Giroux or Gordon in my opinion.
Well we will see what happens tonight. Hopefully the loss will get the team fired up and they will come out swinging tonight against Portland.
If you are scoreboard watching tonight here are the games:
Bridgeport hosts Providence at 7:00
Wilkes Barre/Scranton travels to Norfolk for a 7:15 start
The Penguins lost last night in Philly while Bridgeport defeated Worcester 2-1. Not much offense in any of the games involving the division leaders as Bridgeport, Hershey, and Wilkes Barre combined for 4 goals and allowed a combined 5 as all three games ended 2-1. I can't imagine these teams won't score a lot more tonight to get back on track.
My Three Stars of the Game:
Grading the Performance:
LET'S GO BEARS!!!!
news and notes:
I actually think the team played okay. I thought the defense was solid and the goaltending was okay. It was actually the offense that I thought needed to do more. Maybe more isn't the write idea since they did have 44 shots. Maybe better would be more accurate. Go back and watch the game again and count how many of the shots were from bad angles or with no traffic. Honestly I didn't think Lowell goalie Jeff Frazee played that well. Sure he made some big saves but he got lucky numerous times and the Bears allowed him to see every single shot.
The Bears offense played the same way they did for most of February, take as many shots as you can and don't worry about making them good ones. Quantity over quality seems to be this teams mantra on many an occasion. But guess what....it isn't working! Last weekend Hershey looked really good and I personally think the lines had a big effect on that.
With Chris Bourque expecting to get recalled he didn't play which left Woods in need of new line combinations. But I think he screwed up a bit. Last weekend I thought the Beagle, Osala, and Mink line was fantastic. I thought they played hard both nights and created numerous opportunities. Last night Perrault joined that line (with Mink and Osala) and I don't think they had any decent chances. I am not saying Perrault isn't worthy of that position but he would work better with Giroux or Gordon in my opinion.
Well we will see what happens tonight. Hopefully the loss will get the team fired up and they will come out swinging tonight against Portland.
If you are scoreboard watching tonight here are the games:
Bridgeport hosts Providence at 7:00
Wilkes Barre/Scranton travels to Norfolk for a 7:15 start
The Penguins lost last night in Philly while Bridgeport defeated Worcester 2-1. Not much offense in any of the games involving the division leaders as Bridgeport, Hershey, and Wilkes Barre combined for 4 goals and allowed a combined 5 as all three games ended 2-1. I can't imagine these teams won't score a lot more tonight to get back on track.
My Three Stars of the Game:
- Jeff Frazee - 43 saves will earn you some recognition. Not great but definitely good enough.
- Olivier Magnon - game winning goal on a rocket shot in the third
- Jay Beagle - good hustle all night provided him a goal and many other chances
Grading the Performance:
- Offense - B - 44 shots but I would say many of them weren't worth taking. They hit a couple posts and missed a couple open nets but not a perfect game. Get traffic to the front and get the rebounds. Not a terrible game by any means but not quite enough either.
- Defense - B+ - I don't blame them for either goal honestly and I think they all played very well. Still some unnecessary chasing and offensive zone play but overall I think they have improved exponentially in the past couple weeks.
- Goaltending - B - I think Neuvy wants both goals back. The first was on a rebound where he ended up out of position (and unlike Varly he likes to be in position) while the second was just a rocket shot that beat the rookie. Still made some good saves and is definitely a calming influence in goal as he doesn't bounce around and get caught out of position much.
- Power Play - ? - Not very consistent when they did get the chances but with only 2 chances you can't really grade it.
- Penalty Kill - ? - There was only one Lowell power play all night so this unit wasn't out long. Although they did allow a goal on the one power play it was waved off.
- Overall - B - Not terrible. I think if one of the bounces goes their way this is a whole different game. Frazee got lucky on numerous occasions as he was left vulnerable by his defense and his own rebounds on more than one occasion but sometimes it's better to be lucky than good. If you are looking for someone to blame for this lose I think you have to look at the coach. The line combinations worked great last week......why change them now???
LET'S GO BEARS!!!!
news and notes:
- Quintin Laing came back from injury to play for the Caps and will now miss the rest of the season with a new injury. Laing tore his spleen at some point in the game Thursday night and will miss the remainder of the season.
- Mike Green was also injured Thursday night so there could be a call up coming but no word of yet.
- Chris Bourque has been called up to Washington to replace Laing.
- The Capitals/Bears signed Trevor Bruess to an amateur tryout contract. Bruess played at Minnesota State the past 3 seasons and seems like a pretty good player. John Walton has a decent write up about him in last night's game preview that gives more detail on what kind of player he is. Check it out here.
Friday, March 20, 2009
Bears visit Lowell Devils tonight
After two HUGE wins last weekend the Bears are on the road for a 3 in 3 this weekend. Tonight they are in Lowell to play the Devils. And hopefully they can get excited about playing the 6th best team in the Atlantic division.
Lowell is having some offensive troubles lately. First of all they are basically 3-7 in their last 10 home games (that includes 3 SO losses). So they aren't playing well at home. And honestly they aren't playing well at all in their last 10 either home or away. They are 2-8 in their last 10 overall and have scored more than 2 goals only twice....and they won both games. In the 10 games they have scored a whopping 14 goals and have allowed 32. You won't win too many with that kind of discrepancy.
During this poor stretch the Devils have scored 1 goal or less in 7 of 10 including 5 games in a row with only 1 goal. They are falling fast in the standings and are 6 points out of the playoffs right now.
Hershey on the other hand is where they have been all season....in first place. They fell out of first for a weekend but played some of their best hockey of 2009 and won 2 games to get back into first.
Now the question is can they play their best hockey against teams that aren't chasing them in the standings. After tonight they play Portland and Manchester and they need to win all of them to guarantee a first place position after the weekend. They are ONLY 1 point ahead of both Bridgeport and Wilkes Barre. So which Bears team will show up? The one that beat Wilkes Barre and Bridgeport last weekend or the team that lost to last place Springfield.
I am telling you now....don't be surprised if they don't dominate tonight and come out flat. AND also don't worry if they do. Sure they should want to dominate but even I am not as excited about tonight's game so I am sure the players aren't either.
Some minor changes to the roster this week. Keith Aucoin was reassigned and will be ready to go tonight. Michal Neuvirth is (probably) the #1 goaltender right now and will start tonight. And Quintin Laing is healthy....but he is in Washington for now.
Hershey Bears
record ~ 42-18-1-6 91 points
standings ~ 1st in East Division
playoff positioning - 1 pt ahead of 1st
most recent game ~ 3-2 Win vs Bridgeport, 3/20
last 5 games ~ 3-1-0-1
road record ~ 18-9-1-3
goals for ~ 255
goals against ~205
power play ~ 18.8% (8th)
penalty kill ~ 79.2% (28th)
Lowell Devils
record ~ 29-30-2-6 66 points
standings ~ 6th in Atlantic Division
playoff positioning ~ 6 pts behind 4th
most recent game ~ 1-0 Loss @ Hartford, 3/18
last 5 games ~ 1-4-0-0
home record ~ 15-12-0-5
goals for ~ 184
goals against ~ 210
power play ~ 16.1% (19th)
penalty kill ~ 81.5% (21st)
last time teams met - Hershey won 4-2 in Hershey on December 20.
Players to watch:
Hershey:
G Michal Neuvirth (30)- He returns to the Hershey lineup after spending a few weeks backing up Jose Theodore in Washington. He will be the goalie Hershey leans on for the rest of the regular season (and maybe longer) so he needs to be sharp every game.
C Keith Aucoin (11) - Some players come back after a recall and don't play as effectively. Surely Woods will put him back on the top line so he has to be ready to play. Will Woods keep his lines changed or will the MAG line return?
LW Chris Bourque (17) - He is hitting his stride at the right time. He has points in 7 straight games and has 4 goals and 7 assists in those games. Can he continue to produce into the playoffs?
Devils:
RW Nicklas Bergfors (18) - He leads the team with 18 goals on the year and is one of the few players that has done anything in March. He has 2 goals and 2 assists in his last 4 games.
RW Jon DiSalvatore (14) - Team leader in points with 46 but he has struggled of late. He has only 1 goal and no assists in his last 10 games.
RW Matt Halischuk (28) - The rookie had an incredible February with 5 goals and 10 assists but in March he has only managed 1 goal.
LET'S GO BEARS!!!
Lowell is having some offensive troubles lately. First of all they are basically 3-7 in their last 10 home games (that includes 3 SO losses). So they aren't playing well at home. And honestly they aren't playing well at all in their last 10 either home or away. They are 2-8 in their last 10 overall and have scored more than 2 goals only twice....and they won both games. In the 10 games they have scored a whopping 14 goals and have allowed 32. You won't win too many with that kind of discrepancy.
During this poor stretch the Devils have scored 1 goal or less in 7 of 10 including 5 games in a row with only 1 goal. They are falling fast in the standings and are 6 points out of the playoffs right now.
Hershey on the other hand is where they have been all season....in first place. They fell out of first for a weekend but played some of their best hockey of 2009 and won 2 games to get back into first.
Now the question is can they play their best hockey against teams that aren't chasing them in the standings. After tonight they play Portland and Manchester and they need to win all of them to guarantee a first place position after the weekend. They are ONLY 1 point ahead of both Bridgeport and Wilkes Barre. So which Bears team will show up? The one that beat Wilkes Barre and Bridgeport last weekend or the team that lost to last place Springfield.
I am telling you now....don't be surprised if they don't dominate tonight and come out flat. AND also don't worry if they do. Sure they should want to dominate but even I am not as excited about tonight's game so I am sure the players aren't either.
Some minor changes to the roster this week. Keith Aucoin was reassigned and will be ready to go tonight. Michal Neuvirth is (probably) the #1 goaltender right now and will start tonight. And Quintin Laing is healthy....but he is in Washington for now.
Hershey Bears
record ~ 42-18-1-6 91 points
standings ~ 1st in East Division
playoff positioning - 1 pt ahead of 1st
most recent game ~ 3-2 Win vs Bridgeport, 3/20
last 5 games ~ 3-1-0-1
road record ~ 18-9-1-3
goals for ~ 255
goals against ~205
power play ~ 18.8% (8th)
penalty kill ~ 79.2% (28th)
Lowell Devils
record ~ 29-30-2-6 66 points
standings ~ 6th in Atlantic Division
playoff positioning ~ 6 pts behind 4th
most recent game ~ 1-0 Loss @ Hartford, 3/18
last 5 games ~ 1-4-0-0
home record ~ 15-12-0-5
goals for ~ 184
goals against ~ 210
power play ~ 16.1% (19th)
penalty kill ~ 81.5% (21st)
last time teams met - Hershey won 4-2 in Hershey on December 20.
Players to watch:
Hershey:
G Michal Neuvirth (30)- He returns to the Hershey lineup after spending a few weeks backing up Jose Theodore in Washington. He will be the goalie Hershey leans on for the rest of the regular season (and maybe longer) so he needs to be sharp every game.
C Keith Aucoin (11) - Some players come back after a recall and don't play as effectively. Surely Woods will put him back on the top line so he has to be ready to play. Will Woods keep his lines changed or will the MAG line return?
LW Chris Bourque (17) - He is hitting his stride at the right time. He has points in 7 straight games and has 4 goals and 7 assists in those games. Can he continue to produce into the playoffs?
Devils:
RW Nicklas Bergfors (18) - He leads the team with 18 goals on the year and is one of the few players that has done anything in March. He has 2 goals and 2 assists in his last 4 games.
RW Jon DiSalvatore (14) - Team leader in points with 46 but he has struggled of late. He has only 1 goal and no assists in his last 10 games.
RW Matt Halischuk (28) - The rookie had an incredible February with 5 goals and 10 assists but in March he has only managed 1 goal.
LET'S GO BEARS!!!
Monday, March 16, 2009
Machesney Comes up Big for Hershey
Two games in two nights against their main TWO challenges in the division and what do the Bears do?
THEY WIN THEM BOTH!!!
Two huge victories that put Hershey back into first place in the division with only 13 games to go.
I already discussed the Saturday night game here so I will focus on last night's big win over the Bridgeport Sound Tigers.
I honestly didn't think this game was as close as the score for most of the night but to be honest I wasn't watching super intently. I had some other (prior) engagements distracting me so I watched what I could.
If you look at the stats it looks as though Bridgeport dominated as they outshot the Bears 38-26. But from what I saw many of those shots were average at best and the Bears controlled the play.
Daren Machesney was in goal last night after Simeon Varlamov was recalled by Washington and he played great making 36 saves and earning a big win for the Bears.
The defense has been much better this weekend and Tyler Sloan returned to the lineup last night and played a very good solid game himself. Hopefully this unit can continue with the progress they showed this weekend and play this good the rest of the season and in the playoffs.
This weekend was very important for the Bears as a measure of where they are in the East division. They came in after a bad loss to Springfield Wednesday and had been struggling mightily in recent weeks. But they rose to challenge and knocked off the teams that have been chasing them all season and retook first place in the division.
Good game and Great Weekend Bears!! Take the momentum and get three wins in New England this weekend.
My Three Stars of the Game:
**I am not going to grade the performance today as I didn't see enough specifics to really get an accurate portrayal.
Scoreboard watching this week:
News and notes:
THEY WIN THEM BOTH!!!
Two huge victories that put Hershey back into first place in the division with only 13 games to go.
I already discussed the Saturday night game here so I will focus on last night's big win over the Bridgeport Sound Tigers.
I honestly didn't think this game was as close as the score for most of the night but to be honest I wasn't watching super intently. I had some other (prior) engagements distracting me so I watched what I could.
If you look at the stats it looks as though Bridgeport dominated as they outshot the Bears 38-26. But from what I saw many of those shots were average at best and the Bears controlled the play.
Daren Machesney was in goal last night after Simeon Varlamov was recalled by Washington and he played great making 36 saves and earning a big win for the Bears.
The defense has been much better this weekend and Tyler Sloan returned to the lineup last night and played a very good solid game himself. Hopefully this unit can continue with the progress they showed this weekend and play this good the rest of the season and in the playoffs.
This weekend was very important for the Bears as a measure of where they are in the East division. They came in after a bad loss to Springfield Wednesday and had been struggling mightily in recent weeks. But they rose to challenge and knocked off the teams that have been chasing them all season and retook first place in the division.
Good game and Great Weekend Bears!! Take the momentum and get three wins in New England this weekend.
My Three Stars of the Game:
- Daren Machesney - has had some rough games but 36 saves on 38 shots against the (former) division leaders is impressive
- Mathieu Perrault - he has been one of the most consistent hustlers and performers of the past couple weeks and the assist on Giroux's goal was GREAT
- Jon Sim - he had a goal and an assist for the Sound Tigers and is probably the most dangerous player on the team
**I am not going to grade the performance today as I didn't see enough specifics to really get an accurate portrayal.
Scoreboard watching this week:
- Wilkes Barre/Scranton @ Albany - Tonight 7:00
- Philly @ Wilkes Barre/Scranton - Wednesday 7:05
- Worcester @ Bridgeport - Friday 7:00
- Wilkes Barre/Scranton @ Philly - Friday 7:00
News and notes:
- In case you didn't hear Michal Neuvirth is back in Hershey but Varly and Brian Pothier are up in Washington.
- With Pothier playing that means there is no risk of Alzner getting called up until the postseason (there is no salary cap for postseason) unless an injury occurs.
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Sound Tigers Come To Hershey
After a huge win last night over the hated Penguins the Bridgeport Sound Tigers come to Giant Center today. The Sound Tigers are currently in first place in the East division but only by one point. Whoever wins will lead the division after today's game.
Hershey is coming off a playoff like game last night and needs to be ready for another one tonight. Bridgeport lost in Hartford last night and probably didn't face the same intensity in their game. They are also missing multiple players to NHL call up including 2 of their top 3 point producers Mike Iggulden and Kurtis McLean.
What the Bears need to do is get over last nights game and we get set for tonight. Playing back to back games with this much intensity is tough but it is what you have to do in the playoffs. The Giant Center will probably be a near sell out again tonight and will be loud after the impressive performance the Bears put in last night.
Bridgeport and Hershey have played 3 times this season with Hershey winning the last 2. There are 3 more games this season including tonight's game. Win tonight and the worse that Hershey can get is a split of the season series.
Hershey Bears
record ~ 41-18-1-6 89 points
standings ~ 2nd in East Division
playoff positioning - 1 pt behind 1st; 3 pts ahead of 3rd
most recent game ~ 3-2 Win vs Wilkes Barre, 3/14
last 5 games ~ 3-1-0-1
home record ~ 23-8-0-3
goals for ~ 252
goals against ~203
power play ~ 18.7% (8th)
penalty kill ~ 79.2% (28th)
Bridgeport Sound Tigers
record ~ 41-19-3-5 90 points
standings ~ 1st in East Division
playoff positioning ~ 1 pt ahead of 2nd
most recent game ~ 6-3 Loss @ Hartford, 3/14
last 5 games ~ 4-1-0-0
road record ~ 19-13-2-2
goals for ~ 200
goals against ~ 173
power play ~ 16.7% (16th)
penalty kill ~ 84.5% (8th)
last time teams met - Hershey won 5-3 in Bridgeport on January 16.
Players to watch:
Hershey:
LW Chris Bourque (17)- He has had a successful season with 59 points but the goals haven't come as easily this year. In his last 6 games he has 2 goals and 6 assists and is on a 6 game point streak.
C Andrew Joudrey (23) - Easily one of my favorite players he is always hustling and working hard in the corner. And in his own end he is one of the best on the team. Not a point producer although he does have 21 this season he is the kind of player that makes things happen.
RW Andrew Gordon (10) - I would say he is one of the more talented players on this team but he isn't producing with any consistency. Once he gets going he will be hard to stop and he was skating hard again last night. Hopefully he can start putting some pucks in the net soon.
Sound Tigers:
LW Jon Sim (16) - He has only played 6 games for the team this season (all in March) but he has made them count. He has 6 goals and an assist in those games.
RW Junior Lessard (17) - After spending most of the season in Chicago he has played 10 games for Bridgeport nad has 7 points. In his last 4 games he has 3 goals and an assist.
LW Trevor Smith (23) - He leads the team in goals with 27 and is second on the team in points. In his last 8 games he has 3 goals and 5 assists.
LET'S GO BEARS!!!
Hershey is coming off a playoff like game last night and needs to be ready for another one tonight. Bridgeport lost in Hartford last night and probably didn't face the same intensity in their game. They are also missing multiple players to NHL call up including 2 of their top 3 point producers Mike Iggulden and Kurtis McLean.
What the Bears need to do is get over last nights game and we get set for tonight. Playing back to back games with this much intensity is tough but it is what you have to do in the playoffs. The Giant Center will probably be a near sell out again tonight and will be loud after the impressive performance the Bears put in last night.
Bridgeport and Hershey have played 3 times this season with Hershey winning the last 2. There are 3 more games this season including tonight's game. Win tonight and the worse that Hershey can get is a split of the season series.
Hershey Bears
record ~ 41-18-1-6 89 points
standings ~ 2nd in East Division
playoff positioning - 1 pt behind 1st; 3 pts ahead of 3rd
most recent game ~ 3-2 Win vs Wilkes Barre, 3/14
last 5 games ~ 3-1-0-1
home record ~ 23-8-0-3
goals for ~ 252
goals against ~203
power play ~ 18.7% (8th)
penalty kill ~ 79.2% (28th)
Bridgeport Sound Tigers
record ~ 41-19-3-5 90 points
standings ~ 1st in East Division
playoff positioning ~ 1 pt ahead of 2nd
most recent game ~ 6-3 Loss @ Hartford, 3/14
last 5 games ~ 4-1-0-0
road record ~ 19-13-2-2
goals for ~ 200
goals against ~ 173
power play ~ 16.7% (16th)
penalty kill ~ 84.5% (8th)
last time teams met - Hershey won 5-3 in Bridgeport on January 16.
Players to watch:
Hershey:
LW Chris Bourque (17)- He has had a successful season with 59 points but the goals haven't come as easily this year. In his last 6 games he has 2 goals and 6 assists and is on a 6 game point streak.
C Andrew Joudrey (23) - Easily one of my favorite players he is always hustling and working hard in the corner. And in his own end he is one of the best on the team. Not a point producer although he does have 21 this season he is the kind of player that makes things happen.
RW Andrew Gordon (10) - I would say he is one of the more talented players on this team but he isn't producing with any consistency. Once he gets going he will be hard to stop and he was skating hard again last night. Hopefully he can start putting some pucks in the net soon.
Sound Tigers:
LW Jon Sim (16) - He has only played 6 games for the team this season (all in March) but he has made them count. He has 6 goals and an assist in those games.
RW Junior Lessard (17) - After spending most of the season in Chicago he has played 10 games for Bridgeport nad has 7 points. In his last 4 games he has 3 goals and an assist.
LW Trevor Smith (23) - He leads the team in goals with 27 and is second on the team in points. In his last 8 games he has 3 goals and 5 assists.
LET'S GO BEARS!!!
Hershey beats Penguins in Regulation
That was a hockey game! And it seemed very playoff like to me as well.
The Bears came away with a 3-2 victory over Wilkes Barre for the first time since well the first game of the season. They had lost 5 straight to the Baby Penguins since then. But last night the team came together for a great performance.
Graham Mink scored 2 goals (29th and 30th) and Grant McNeill picked up his 2nd of the season as the Bears built a 3-0 lead. And as it turns out they needed all 3 of those goals. WB/S came within whiskers of tying the game in the third period but the Bears defense picked up their play to help the team get the win.
For weeks I have been complaining about the defensive play in Hershey but last night was EASILY the best that unit has played. I would love to take those 6 guys into the playoffs. But unfortunately what you are seeing will probably end up just being a mirage. Karl Alzner and Brian Pothier will more than likely be in Washington for the playoffs. So get your fill of them now.
Simeon Varlamov started in goal for the 4th straight game and was spectacular. I wonder though, does his heart beat incredibly fast when he finds himself way out of position? He is always so active and I know my heart is beating faster when he challenges so much and gets caught. The Pens didn't score on any of those but I know that it makes me tense anyway. Do you think it even fazes him??
Either way he played great, the offense played great, and the defense played great. I was impressed and I am expecting to see the same thing this evening when Bridgeport comes to play.
Oh and in case you didn't know, Bridgeport lost last night so if the Bears win in regulation tonight they reclaim the top spot in the division. GO BEARS!!!!
My Three Stars of the Game:
Grading the Performance:
Oh and the 4th line of Pinner, Joudrey, and GMac deserves a special shout out. You guys might have been the BEST line on the ice last night. You earned playing time and you made the most of it. Good game fellas!!!
LET'S GO BEARS!!!
The Bears came away with a 3-2 victory over Wilkes Barre for the first time since well the first game of the season. They had lost 5 straight to the Baby Penguins since then. But last night the team came together for a great performance.
Graham Mink scored 2 goals (29th and 30th) and Grant McNeill picked up his 2nd of the season as the Bears built a 3-0 lead. And as it turns out they needed all 3 of those goals. WB/S came within whiskers of tying the game in the third period but the Bears defense picked up their play to help the team get the win.
For weeks I have been complaining about the defensive play in Hershey but last night was EASILY the best that unit has played. I would love to take those 6 guys into the playoffs. But unfortunately what you are seeing will probably end up just being a mirage. Karl Alzner and Brian Pothier will more than likely be in Washington for the playoffs. So get your fill of them now.
Simeon Varlamov started in goal for the 4th straight game and was spectacular. I wonder though, does his heart beat incredibly fast when he finds himself way out of position? He is always so active and I know my heart is beating faster when he challenges so much and gets caught. The Pens didn't score on any of those but I know that it makes me tense anyway. Do you think it even fazes him??
Either way he played great, the offense played great, and the defense played great. I was impressed and I am expecting to see the same thing this evening when Bridgeport comes to play.
Oh and in case you didn't know, Bridgeport lost last night so if the Bears win in regulation tonight they reclaim the top spot in the division. GO BEARS!!!!
My Three Stars of the Game:
- Graham Mink - 2 goals and he was killing people all night. Way to step up Minker!!
- Jay Beagle - he had 1 assist but he played the whole night. Great hustle!
- Simeon Varlamov - made some HUGE saves and was solid all night long
Grading the Performance:
- Offense - B+ - I think the only knock on the game last night is the lack of shots. They finished the game with 22 of them which isn't enough. But they made them count. I would rather score 3 goals on 22 shots than 2 on 45 which they have done. Oh and keep in mind that EVERY GOAL last night was from RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE NET!! That is how you win in the playoffs and last night was as close to playoff hockey as you can get in the regular season.
- Defense - B+ - There were a couple minor lapses, one that led to a goal, but for the most part this unit was on top of their game. You aren't going to see perfect games so for only a couple of lapses I think it was pretty good. I still want to see Sami realize that he is NOT MIKE GREEN and stop jumping into the offensive zone so much. You don't see Helmer or Alzner doing that do you?
- Goaltending - A - Varly played a great game. He ended up with 29 saves and many of them were great. The first goal was maybe stoppable but he might not have seen it as there were many bodies in front of him. But the second goal was a perfect tip in and not many goalies, if any, would have gotten it.
- Power Play - C - I know they scored once but this unit was largely ineffective all game. There were multiple power plays where I don't think they had any shots. And in the first they had a 4 minute chance and didn't do much. Not having Keith Aucoin on the ice really hurt the power play unit I think.
- Penalty Kill - B - They allowed a goal which isn't great but this unit also played very well. They were mixing it up and clearing pucks that were left laying. Dean Arsene was trying to block every single shot and everyone on these units worked together and killed off 5 different power plays.
- Overall - B+ - Very good game. Not perfect and not their best of the season. But if this is how they are going to play in the postseason I am confident and excited. Playoff hockey is about grit, determination, and hustle. And this team showed that last night. Their hustle was previously unmatched in many games as they got to all the loose pucks and cycled the puck exceptionally all game. Good game guys....now do it again tonight!!!
Oh and the 4th line of Pinner, Joudrey, and GMac deserves a special shout out. You guys might have been the BEST line on the ice last night. You earned playing time and you made the most of it. Good game fellas!!!
LET'S GO BEARS!!!
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Bears Need Win Over Pens
Obviously we all know how important this game is tonight. So far the Bears and Pens have played 6 games head to head and the Bears have struggled going 1-3-0-2. And that one win was the first game of the season.
The games have all been pretty close though. The last 2 have ended 4-3 in shootouts and only 2 games (the Bears win and one Pens win) were decided by more than 1 goal. In fact if you take away the 2 goals the Pens were awarded for the shootout victories these teams have been almost identical with the Pens outscoring Hershey 25-23 in 6 games.
You can't get much closer than that. But Hershey needs to climb back into the win column against the Pens tonight. This is the first of 4 games remaining between the clubs and 3 of those will be in Hershey.
A few weeks ago Hershey was almost 10 points up in the division but now they are only 7 points out of 4th place Binghamton. Bridgeport, who visits tomorrow, is 3 points ahead of Hershey and the Baby Pens are in position to jump Hershey with a win tonight.
Just when Hershey needs a big win the Pens might have gotten stronger. Miroslav Satan cleared waivers and is listed on the Pens roster. He hasn't not played a game yet for the Baby Pens but tonight could be his debut. The veteran NHLer was struggling a bit in Pittsburgh but he still had 17 goals and 19 assists this season. If he brings that kind of production to the AHL he could add a whole other dimension to the Baby Pens.
The Giant Center is sold out and a playoff like atmosphere is expected tonight in Hershey. This weekend will tell us all a lot about what this Bears team is capable of. If Hershey can win at least one of the two games it will be an step in the right direction. But what they really needs is two victories over their two main rivals for playoff positioning. Hopefully they can pull it off.
Hershey Bears
record ~ 40-18-1-6 87 points
standings ~ 2nd in East Division
playoff positioning - 3 pts behind 1st; 1 pt ahead of 3rd
most recent game ~ 3-2 SO Loss vs Springfield, 3/11
last 5 games ~ 3-1-0-1
home record ~ 22-8-0-3
goals for ~ 249
goals against ~201
power play ~ 18.6% (8th)
penalty kill ~ 79.2% (29th)
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins
record ~ 41-21-2-2 86 points
standings ~ 3rd in East Division
playoff positioning ~ 1 point behind 2nd; 6 pts ahead of 4th
most recent game ~ 4-1 Win @ Albany, 3/13
last 5 games ~ 3-2-0-0
road record ~ 18-14-1-0
goals for ~ 229
goals against ~ 177
power play ~ 18.0% (11th)
penalty kill ~ 83.8% (12th)
last time teams met - Hershey lost in a shootout 4-3 on January 30 in Wilkes Barre.
Players to watch:
Hershey:
C Kyle Wilson (18)- He is third on the team in goals with 24. But he hasn't scored a goal in 5 games but does have 4 assists in that period.
Defense - This unit has to be better starting tonight. We aren't going to see Greg Amadio much during the regular season but guys like Helmer and Lepisto have to start playing better.
G Simeon Varlamov (31) - He appears to be healthy and he made some great saves Wednesday just to keep Hershey in the game but he needs to be at his absolute best tonight.
Baby Pens:
LW Janne Pesonen (25) - Team leader in points with 66. He has 8 goals and 9 assists in his last 9 games.
C Matt Letestu (10) - He is third on the team in points but has been solid recently. 3 goals and 6 assists in his last 6 games.
LW Miroslav Satan (81) - The NHL veteran had 17 goals and 19 assists with the Pittsburgh Penguins this season before getting sent down.
LET'S GO BEARS!!!
The games have all been pretty close though. The last 2 have ended 4-3 in shootouts and only 2 games (the Bears win and one Pens win) were decided by more than 1 goal. In fact if you take away the 2 goals the Pens were awarded for the shootout victories these teams have been almost identical with the Pens outscoring Hershey 25-23 in 6 games.
You can't get much closer than that. But Hershey needs to climb back into the win column against the Pens tonight. This is the first of 4 games remaining between the clubs and 3 of those will be in Hershey.
A few weeks ago Hershey was almost 10 points up in the division but now they are only 7 points out of 4th place Binghamton. Bridgeport, who visits tomorrow, is 3 points ahead of Hershey and the Baby Pens are in position to jump Hershey with a win tonight.
Just when Hershey needs a big win the Pens might have gotten stronger. Miroslav Satan cleared waivers and is listed on the Pens roster. He hasn't not played a game yet for the Baby Pens but tonight could be his debut. The veteran NHLer was struggling a bit in Pittsburgh but he still had 17 goals and 19 assists this season. If he brings that kind of production to the AHL he could add a whole other dimension to the Baby Pens.
The Giant Center is sold out and a playoff like atmosphere is expected tonight in Hershey. This weekend will tell us all a lot about what this Bears team is capable of. If Hershey can win at least one of the two games it will be an step in the right direction. But what they really needs is two victories over their two main rivals for playoff positioning. Hopefully they can pull it off.
Hershey Bears
record ~ 40-18-1-6 87 points
standings ~ 2nd in East Division
playoff positioning - 3 pts behind 1st; 1 pt ahead of 3rd
most recent game ~ 3-2 SO Loss vs Springfield, 3/11
last 5 games ~ 3-1-0-1
home record ~ 22-8-0-3
goals for ~ 249
goals against ~201
power play ~ 18.6% (8th)
penalty kill ~ 79.2% (29th)
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins
record ~ 41-21-2-2 86 points
standings ~ 3rd in East Division
playoff positioning ~ 1 point behind 2nd; 6 pts ahead of 4th
most recent game ~ 4-1 Win @ Albany, 3/13
last 5 games ~ 3-2-0-0
road record ~ 18-14-1-0
goals for ~ 229
goals against ~ 177
power play ~ 18.0% (11th)
penalty kill ~ 83.8% (12th)
last time teams met - Hershey lost in a shootout 4-3 on January 30 in Wilkes Barre.
Players to watch:
Hershey:
C Kyle Wilson (18)- He is third on the team in goals with 24. But he hasn't scored a goal in 5 games but does have 4 assists in that period.
Defense - This unit has to be better starting tonight. We aren't going to see Greg Amadio much during the regular season but guys like Helmer and Lepisto have to start playing better.
G Simeon Varlamov (31) - He appears to be healthy and he made some great saves Wednesday just to keep Hershey in the game but he needs to be at his absolute best tonight.
Baby Pens:
LW Janne Pesonen (25) - Team leader in points with 66. He has 8 goals and 9 assists in his last 9 games.
C Matt Letestu (10) - He is third on the team in points but has been solid recently. 3 goals and 6 assists in his last 6 games.
LW Miroslav Satan (81) - The NHL veteran had 17 goals and 19 assists with the Pittsburgh Penguins this season before getting sent down.
LET'S GO BEARS!!!
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Bears Drop Another
Here are the 3 key things you need to know from last night's shootout loss at home vs Springfield.
1. Simeon Varlamov is the ONLY reason the Bears got 1 point out of the game. He made many great saves and the two goals weren't totally his fault.
2. The offense was okay but needs to be much better. 2 goals against a bad team at home is not enough. Sure the goalie made big saves but the forwards didn't seem to be interested in playing the way they need to play.
3. The defense was TERRIBLE! If that wouldn't have been for Varly the score could have been 7-2 Falcons. It was horrible.
I have done my fair share of complaining over the past month about the defense and the struggles of this team is not all on them. For instance, Alexandre Giroux, what the hell were you doing in the third period last night? You had 2 horrible plays. The first was a 3 on 1 and you waited way too long to make a pass and you guys didn't even get a shot. Either pass or shoot but you have to do it before you get to the goalie. And the other problem was on the power play. You were WAY out of position. If you were over around the faceoff dot where you are supposed to be you would have had a goal. But instead you are hanging out between the circles with the defensemen causing confusion. TERRIBLE!
Now back to the defense. Tyler Sloan was horrible last night. The first goal happened cause Sloan had NO idea there was a guy skating in behind him. Tyler, watch Brian Pothier play or Karl Alzner, they ALWAYS know where the opposition is and where they are going.
Oh and to Sami Lepisto and Sloan, why are you going deep into the corners with the puck in the offensive zone? Let me give you guys a piece of advice if you EVER want to last in the NHL....NEITHER of you is Mike Green or Tom Poti. DO NOT CARRY THE PUCK DEEP!! And don't jump into the play when you are skating 4 on 4 in overtime either. Sami jumped in last night and forced Coiner to take a penalty cause our defense isn't doing its job.
My advice and opinion is that unless the defense shapes up and starts playing better this team will be golfing before the conference championships. I don't know who is responsible for the defense but here are my recommendations:
The six defensemen that should be playing every night in the playoffs are (assuming Alzner is in Washington):
~ Greg Amadio - he isn't going to do much at the offensive end but he knows EXACTLY where to be at the end he plays in and that is crucial right now.
~ Sean Collins - he has had some bad moments this season but has been one of the steadier players in my opinion.
~ Patrick McNeill - same as Collins. Struggled at times but has been much more consistent than some others.
~ Staffon Kronwall - so far he has shown me nothing but good things. And he can help with the power play too.
~ Sami Lepisto - maybe getting less ice time will help his play cause it hasn't been spectacular this season.
~ Bryan Helmer - still the captain so he needs to be on the list but he has struggled against some of the top players of other teams.
Top Bench Guys:
~ Patrick Wellar - I would feel comfortable with him over Sami and Helmer.
~ Dean Arsene - Much like Amadio he is going to play well in his own end but he has struggled with his play and health again this season.
And Here are the Pairings for these Players:
~ Amadio - Lepisto: This way when Sami jumps up we know there is a good player back.
~ Kronwall - Helmer: Kronwall is a much better skater than Helmer so he will compliment him well
~ Collins - McNeill: They have been solid all season so keep them in and play them together.
You will notice that Sloan is not on this list. I think the team would be much better if he was not on the ice. But since that isn't likely I would HIGHLY recommend playing him alongside either Kronwall or Amadio but NOT Sami or Helmer.
If those things happen than MAYBE this team can improve their defensive zone play. If Woods and French keep the same defensive pairings for the playoffs the offense and goalie's are going to have to carry this team. And I am not sure they can do that.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
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.
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.
Sunday, March 8, 2009
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!!!
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!!!
Big Win In Toronto
Simeon Varlamov returned to action last night and gave Bears fans a glimpse of what this team could be with him between the pipes. He didn't have to do too much but he made some big saves on a couple defensive letdowns that had been going in during the past few weeks. He ended up with 20 saves on the night.
Unfortunately for Bears fans it might be a limited glimpse as Varly is expected to switch places with Michal Neuvirth after he gets a couple games in. In most people's opinion Varly is the more NHL ready of the goaltenders so the Caps will want him to help Theodore (and maybe push Theodore) down the stretch.
Last night's game (I guess it was technically evening or afternoon) was dominated by the Bears. Not so much on the stat sheet as they only had 29 shots but on the scoreboard and on the ice the Bears pretty much controlled the play.
The first period gave an appearance of what would be a close defensive game as no goals were scored on a combined 16 shots. And then the second period came and Francois Bouchard score 2 goals (his 13th and 14th) from the same spot on the ice. The first goal was a beautiful pass from Andrew Gordon and the second was a rebound put back which gave the Bears a 2-1 lead.
After that it was all Bears. Alexandre Giroux scored once in the second (44th) and again in the third (45th) and Keith Aucoin (22) and Graham Mink added his 28th to give the Bears a 6-1 win.
Two things really contributed to this win a bit I think. First Varly's return (and some big saves early) really gave the Bears some confidence that their goalie was going to help them. And second I think Hershey ran into a cold goaltender. Adam Munro did not look good on many of the goals and just seemed flustered much of the game. He reminded me of Cheese after he let in those 2 goals in the second. He just couldn't find his game again.
It was an important win as Bridgeport also won to stay 2 points back of the Bears in the standings. The 2 teams play 2 games in Hershey this month with the first coming next Sunday at 5.
My Three Stars of the Game:
Grading the Performance:
LET'S GO BEARS!!!
Unfortunately for Bears fans it might be a limited glimpse as Varly is expected to switch places with Michal Neuvirth after he gets a couple games in. In most people's opinion Varly is the more NHL ready of the goaltenders so the Caps will want him to help Theodore (and maybe push Theodore) down the stretch.
Last night's game (I guess it was technically evening or afternoon) was dominated by the Bears. Not so much on the stat sheet as they only had 29 shots but on the scoreboard and on the ice the Bears pretty much controlled the play.
The first period gave an appearance of what would be a close defensive game as no goals were scored on a combined 16 shots. And then the second period came and Francois Bouchard score 2 goals (his 13th and 14th) from the same spot on the ice. The first goal was a beautiful pass from Andrew Gordon and the second was a rebound put back which gave the Bears a 2-1 lead.
After that it was all Bears. Alexandre Giroux scored once in the second (44th) and again in the third (45th) and Keith Aucoin (22) and Graham Mink added his 28th to give the Bears a 6-1 win.
Two things really contributed to this win a bit I think. First Varly's return (and some big saves early) really gave the Bears some confidence that their goalie was going to help them. And second I think Hershey ran into a cold goaltender. Adam Munro did not look good on many of the goals and just seemed flustered much of the game. He reminded me of Cheese after he let in those 2 goals in the second. He just couldn't find his game again.
It was an important win as Bridgeport also won to stay 2 points back of the Bears in the standings. The 2 teams play 2 games in Hershey this month with the first coming next Sunday at 5.
My Three Stars of the Game:
- Francois Bouchard - 2 goals (one a game winner) and great positioning on the ice for both
- Keith Aucoin - 1 goal and 2 assists to extend his point streak to 15 games
- Simeon Varlamov - not many saves but the confidence this team has with him in net is immeasurable
Grading the Performance:
- Offense - A - 6 goals on 29 shots is pretty impressive. They got to the net and got some garbage goals and they rifled a couple past him. Overall they seemed to just out play the Toronto defense every time down the ice.
- Defense - B - I think this unit was made to look much better with Varly in net. There were some really good Toronto looks that got stopped by Varly. With another goaltender in there I think this unit shows some flaws. Brian Pothier looked like he had been playing all the time. He looked really comfortable out there. And Staffon Kronwall looked very good too. I am glad he is a Bear cause he showed that he can play last night.
- Goaltending - A - He only faced 21 shots which might be one of the lowest shot totals against in the recent months but he made some big saves at big times. He never seems flustered in the net. He moves all over but he always seems to be in control.
- Power Play - B - Yes they scored 2 goal but it was a trial just getting set up in the zone. Especially early when it was still close they seemed to struggle keeping the puck in the zone and getting set up.
- Penalty Kill - B - They allowed 1 goal on 4 chances which isn't terrible but really they still show some questionable decisions. I thought they looked better though and if they continue to move forward could become a strength.
- Overall - B+ - Easily the best game since January. It still wasn't perfect though. If the Marlies get 30 shots, how many goals do they get? I am not saying Varly wouldn't have stopped most of them. What I am saying is maybe this team just wasn't on the same level tonight. Munro struggled and the offense never really got its footing. These are the games you have to win and the Bears did. Now let's make it 2 in a row against the West today in Cleveland.
LET'S GO BEARS!!!
Saturday, March 7, 2009
Bears @ Marlies preview, 3/7
Hershey begins a 2 game road trip late this afternoon with a 4:00 face off in Toronto against the Marlies. Tomorrow evening the Bears make a stop in Cleveland to play the Lake Erie Monsters.
But first up are the Marlies. They are currently in the playoffs in the West but are just in at this time so every game means more to them. And being at home is an added bonus. They have not played an overtime game at home since 12/27 and are 11-5 over that stretch. They had actually lost 3 in a row before winning their most recent home game.
One player to keep an eye on for Toronto is Jiri Tlusty (he is mentioned below). He has been on an absolute tear over the past few weeks. In his last 14 games he has 14 goals and 17 assists. Yeah you read that right...he is averaging over 2 points per game in his last 14 games. That includes 3 games that he has recorded at least 4 points. So he is one player to watch.
Fortunately for the Bears they have a spy in their locker room. Staffon Kronwall was playing in this town and in this arena just a few weeks ago before getting claimed by the Capitals on waivers. Since then he has played sparingly in Washington before getting sent to Hershey this week. He is expected to make his Bears debut against a team that he played for as recently as January 31st.
Some other good news for Hershey is that for the next few games the Bears will have the services of Brian Pothier. Pothier has missed about a year of hockey now with serious concussion issues that have put his future in doubt. If he has any setbacks it is more than likely that he will be forced to retire. So let's all hope that he is symptom free and that he can make a return to full time player.
And also Simeon Varlamov is set to return to action this weekend. I haven't heard whether or not that will come tonight but it could. He has been out since January 14th due to a knee injury. Hopefully he can get a couple wins for Hershey over the next week or so cause he won't be around long. It is assumed that once he has a few games under his belt he is headed up to Washington and Neuvirth will return for Hershey. Apparently Washington feels (as do I) that Varly is more NHL ready at this point than Neuvirth so he will be up there for the foreseeable future.
Hershey Bears
record ~ 39-17-1-5 84 points
standings ~ 1st in East Division
playoff positioning - 2 points ahead of 2nd place
most recent game ~ 6-4 Win vs Providence, 3/1
last 5 games ~ 3-0-1-1
road record ~ 17-9-1-3
goals for ~ 238
goals against ~191
power play ~ 18.3% (8th)
penalty kill ~ 79.4% (29th)
Toronto Marlies
record ~ 31-24-2-5 69 points
standings ~ 4th in North Division
playoff positioning ~ 9 points behind 3rd; 3 points ahead of 5th
most recent game ~ 2-0 Loss @ Hamilton, 3/6
last 5 games ~ 2-3-0-0
home record ~ 19-11-0-2
goals for ~ 194
goals against ~ 179
power play ~ 20.5% (4th)
penalty kill ~ 81.9% (20th)
last time teams met - First meeting of the season. Toronto won both games between the teams last season.
Players to watch:
Hershey:
C Mathieu Perrault (24)- He has been one of the best forwards in the recent weeks and he has begun producing again. He currently has a 5 game point streak and has 1 goal and 6 assists over that span.
RW Graham Mink (21) - He is on a 4 game scoring streak. During the streak he has 5 goals and 4 assists.
C Keith Aucoin (11) - His point streak still isn't being talked about but it is now at 13 games after he collected 2 assists in the last game.
Toronto:
LW Jiri Tlusty (41) - He leads the team with 23 goals on the season and is second in points. In his last 14 games he has 14 goals and 17 assists including 3 goals and 8 assists in last 4 games.
C Tim Stapleton (17) - Leads the team in points with 58. In his last 3 games he has 2 goals and 4 assists.
RW Jeremy Williams (19) - He is second on the team in goals with 18 and in his last 10 games he has 7 goals and 5 assists. He has only played 29 games for the Marlies this season.
LET'S GO BEARS!!!
But first up are the Marlies. They are currently in the playoffs in the West but are just in at this time so every game means more to them. And being at home is an added bonus. They have not played an overtime game at home since 12/27 and are 11-5 over that stretch. They had actually lost 3 in a row before winning their most recent home game.
One player to keep an eye on for Toronto is Jiri Tlusty (he is mentioned below). He has been on an absolute tear over the past few weeks. In his last 14 games he has 14 goals and 17 assists. Yeah you read that right...he is averaging over 2 points per game in his last 14 games. That includes 3 games that he has recorded at least 4 points. So he is one player to watch.
Fortunately for the Bears they have a spy in their locker room. Staffon Kronwall was playing in this town and in this arena just a few weeks ago before getting claimed by the Capitals on waivers. Since then he has played sparingly in Washington before getting sent to Hershey this week. He is expected to make his Bears debut against a team that he played for as recently as January 31st.
Some other good news for Hershey is that for the next few games the Bears will have the services of Brian Pothier. Pothier has missed about a year of hockey now with serious concussion issues that have put his future in doubt. If he has any setbacks it is more than likely that he will be forced to retire. So let's all hope that he is symptom free and that he can make a return to full time player.
And also Simeon Varlamov is set to return to action this weekend. I haven't heard whether or not that will come tonight but it could. He has been out since January 14th due to a knee injury. Hopefully he can get a couple wins for Hershey over the next week or so cause he won't be around long. It is assumed that once he has a few games under his belt he is headed up to Washington and Neuvirth will return for Hershey. Apparently Washington feels (as do I) that Varly is more NHL ready at this point than Neuvirth so he will be up there for the foreseeable future.
Hershey Bears
record ~ 39-17-1-5 84 points
standings ~ 1st in East Division
playoff positioning - 2 points ahead of 2nd place
most recent game ~ 6-4 Win vs Providence, 3/1
last 5 games ~ 3-0-1-1
road record ~ 17-9-1-3
goals for ~ 238
goals against ~191
power play ~ 18.3% (8th)
penalty kill ~ 79.4% (29th)
Toronto Marlies
record ~ 31-24-2-5 69 points
standings ~ 4th in North Division
playoff positioning ~ 9 points behind 3rd; 3 points ahead of 5th
most recent game ~ 2-0 Loss @ Hamilton, 3/6
last 5 games ~ 2-3-0-0
home record ~ 19-11-0-2
goals for ~ 194
goals against ~ 179
power play ~ 20.5% (4th)
penalty kill ~ 81.9% (20th)
last time teams met - First meeting of the season. Toronto won both games between the teams last season.
Players to watch:
Hershey:
C Mathieu Perrault (24)- He has been one of the best forwards in the recent weeks and he has begun producing again. He currently has a 5 game point streak and has 1 goal and 6 assists over that span.
RW Graham Mink (21) - He is on a 4 game scoring streak. During the streak he has 5 goals and 4 assists.
C Keith Aucoin (11) - His point streak still isn't being talked about but it is now at 13 games after he collected 2 assists in the last game.
Toronto:
LW Jiri Tlusty (41) - He leads the team with 23 goals on the season and is second in points. In his last 14 games he has 14 goals and 17 assists including 3 goals and 8 assists in last 4 games.
C Tim Stapleton (17) - Leads the team in points with 58. In his last 3 games he has 2 goals and 4 assists.
RW Jeremy Williams (19) - He is second on the team in goals with 18 and in his last 10 games he has 7 goals and 5 assists. He has only played 29 games for the Marlies this season.
LET'S GO BEARS!!!
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Capitals Make No Moves
Yesterday the trade deadline came and went in the NHL and no one in the Washington organization was affected.
But was this the right move? Or is it time to panic?
Yes, I think it was the right move. And no it is NOT time to panic.
Many people have said that there were two serious areas of concern for the Capitals, a goaltender (backup or otherwise) and a defenseman.
Let me first start this by saying if they are hurting that bad at those two positions what is one d-man or a backup goaltender going to do to help in the playoffs? A backup goaltender is meaningless in the postseason and a defenseman probably isn't going to solve the problem by himself.
But either way that was the discussion and there were options for both.
At either position it was going to cost a lot to get someone worth while. You had a few goalies mentioned but are any of them an upgrade over Theodore? And if all you are looking at is a backup, what is wrong with the young kids Simeon Varlamov and Michal Neuvirth. Both have looked good in Washington when they have gotten a chance.
On defense there was more options including Jay Bouwmeester from Florida, Chris Pronger from Anaheim, and Derek Morris from Phoenix. Only Morris ended up moving and honestly it cost A LOT. The Rangers had to give up 3 roster players to get the defenseman.
Pronger and Bouwmeester deals would have reportedly included Karl Alzner AND John Carlson AND Simeon Varlamov. If the Caps had done that deal everyone would have been calling McPhee an idiot.
Why would you possibly trade your future for a rental player and a shot (remember nothing is guaranteed) at a Stanley Cup. Especially when your team is already going to get a shot (and a rather good one) at the Cup. They are 3rd in the Eastern Conference and easily ahead in the Southeast division.
My opinion:
If there would have been a small move to make than it MIGHT have made sense BUT to give up more than a prospect and a pick for anyone is too much. The Caps made that kind of mistake a few years ago with Jagr and that worked out well.
Thank you to GMGM for NOT getting rid of any players for a one year run at the Cup. Next year and the year after will see players like Alzner, Carlson, Varlamov, Neuvirth, Osala, and others make the jump to the NHL and help the Caps win the cup.
Remember no hockey team is going to be perfect. There will always be problems. This team has won 40 games with the team they have now. They WILL get their shot to win a Cup soon.
And remember this too....if Brian Pothier can come back from his concussion and play and be near the player he was that will be just like a trade deadline acquisition.
Other opinions on the Non Moves:
News and Notes:
- Brian Pothier and Staffan Kronwall have been reassigned to Hershey. Pothier is on a conditioning assignment and Kronwall is here for the time being.
- If Pothier has any more concussion symptoms then his career is probably over. Hopefully he can step in to Hershey and everything goes well for him and he will be back up in Washington soon.
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
A Look Back....February 09
February 2009:
Record going into the month : : 33-12-0-4
Points entering the month : : 70
Place in standings entering month : : 1st
Games in February : : 12
Record in February : : 5-5-1-1
Points earned in February : : 12
Points left on the table : : 12
Home record in February : : 3-3-0-0
Road record in February : : 2-2-1-1
Three Stars for February:
How did the Bears do this month?
This team struggled mightily for most of February. The scoring wasn't there at the beginning of the month as they only scored 3 goals twice in the first 8 games and this team isn't strong when they score 3 goals or less. And it didn't help that the goaltending for the month of February was definitely below average.
The goalies, Daren Machesney and Kris Mayotte, just couldn't get any consistency out of their play. It wasn't all their fault though since some of the blame could be placed on the defense but some big saves would have helped occasionally. Their numbers look pretty similar for the month as they each have goals against averages over 3.70 (Cheese 3.72; Kris 3.84) and save percentages below .850 (Cheese .844; Kris .843). They each showed great potential in a couple games and both showed why they are destined for the bench in others.
As I previously mentioned the defense was bad most of the month. Many of the goals given up by the goaltenders would have been difficult for NHL All Stars to stop because guys were getting wide open looks from the circles or worse yet they were left untouched at the edge of the crease. None of the defenseman did anything to warrant large accolades as they were all to blame at some point or another.
Fortunately the Bears seem to be turning the corner as the month has ended. In the past week the defense has improved, Machesney has regained some confidence, and the offense has regained their scoring touch. With those things being fixed the team is heading in the right direction as we get into March.
A look ahead at March:
Games in March : : 13
Home games : : 7
Road games : : 6
4 in 5 weekends : : 1 (ends March 29)
Games against division : : 5
Games to Pay Attention to in March:
Expectations for March:
Honestly I think the expectations should be high. After the way the team has rebounded late in February I expect to see at least a winning record through March. And you add to their improved play the return (hopefully) of Simeon Varlamov should help the goaltending and in turn the defense.
This month will determine where Hershey finishes in the division. While I really don't think there is much chance they miss the playoffs I am not sold that they can hold on to the division lead. Wilkes Barre is currently 4 points back and Bridgeport is only 6 back. So every game against those teams matter and there are 4 total this month.
I think out of a possible 26 points 16 or 17 is definitely manageable. With more of those coming in the form of wins, not overtime or shootout losses.
LET'S GO BEARS!!!!
Record going into the month : : 33-12-0-4
Points entering the month : : 70
Place in standings entering month : : 1st
Games in February : : 12
Record in February : : 5-5-1-1
Points earned in February : : 12
Points left on the table : : 12
Home record in February : : 3-3-0-0
Road record in February : : 2-2-1-1
Three Stars for February:
- Keith Aucoin - His month was incredible. He played in all 12 games in February and accounted for 20 points (4 goals and 16 assists). And to make things even better....he recorded a point in every game of the month. Oh and you want more....with regards to plus/minus he was either even or plus in every game of the month.
- Graham Mink - This was his month to shine as far as scoring goes. January was Giroux's month but February was Minks. He scored 10 goals and added 5 assists in 12 games last month.
- Alexander Giroux - He only played in 10 games this month due to a call up he managed to get points in 9 of those games. He scored 5 goals and assisted on 8 others in 13 games.
How did the Bears do this month?
This team struggled mightily for most of February. The scoring wasn't there at the beginning of the month as they only scored 3 goals twice in the first 8 games and this team isn't strong when they score 3 goals or less. And it didn't help that the goaltending for the month of February was definitely below average.
The goalies, Daren Machesney and Kris Mayotte, just couldn't get any consistency out of their play. It wasn't all their fault though since some of the blame could be placed on the defense but some big saves would have helped occasionally. Their numbers look pretty similar for the month as they each have goals against averages over 3.70 (Cheese 3.72; Kris 3.84) and save percentages below .850 (Cheese .844; Kris .843). They each showed great potential in a couple games and both showed why they are destined for the bench in others.
As I previously mentioned the defense was bad most of the month. Many of the goals given up by the goaltenders would have been difficult for NHL All Stars to stop because guys were getting wide open looks from the circles or worse yet they were left untouched at the edge of the crease. None of the defenseman did anything to warrant large accolades as they were all to blame at some point or another.
Fortunately the Bears seem to be turning the corner as the month has ended. In the past week the defense has improved, Machesney has regained some confidence, and the offense has regained their scoring touch. With those things being fixed the team is heading in the right direction as we get into March.
A look ahead at March:
Games in March : : 13
Home games : : 7
Road games : : 6
4 in 5 weekends : : 1 (ends March 29)
Games against division : : 5
Games to Pay Attention to in March:
- 2 home games against Wilkes Barre (3/14, 3/29)
- 2 home games against Bridgeport (3/15 , 3/28 )
- 1 game @ Bingo (3/27)
Expectations for March:
Honestly I think the expectations should be high. After the way the team has rebounded late in February I expect to see at least a winning record through March. And you add to their improved play the return (hopefully) of Simeon Varlamov should help the goaltending and in turn the defense.
This month will determine where Hershey finishes in the division. While I really don't think there is much chance they miss the playoffs I am not sold that they can hold on to the division lead. Wilkes Barre is currently 4 points back and Bridgeport is only 6 back. So every game against those teams matter and there are 4 total this month.
I think out of a possible 26 points 16 or 17 is definitely manageable. With more of those coming in the form of wins, not overtime or shootout losses.
LET'S GO BEARS!!!!
Monday, March 2, 2009
Hershey Outscores Providence
In the last 5 games the Bears have allowed 22 goals (not counting Bingo's goal for winning the shootout), which isn't usually followed by this statement: The Bears have gotten at least 1 point in 5 straight games. The reason this can be said now is because Hershey has scored 26 goals in those 5 games.
This past week didn't start off all that well. A trip up to Binghamton that saw the Sens erase a 3 goal Bears lead as Hershey fell in a shootout. But it ended pretty well for Hershey too. 2 straight wins and some solid goaltending to win both of the weekend home games.
There are obviously still some concerns moving forward with penalties and a couple other things but as long as the offense continues to crash the net and get the ugly goals this team should be fine for now.
Penalties, especially when you are already down one player, just can't happen with that frequency. At one point in the third period of last night's game the Bears were skating with 4 players for almost 8 full minutes and surprise...they let in a goal. And then at the end of the game after Alexandre Giroux got a major penalty Tyler Sloan took a high sticking penalty that almost cost Hershey their lead. Providence pulled the goalie and played 6 on 3 for the final minute and a half. They managed to score one goal and had another one go in as time expired. Had they had some more time there would have been major concerns.
But other than the penalties the other issues that have plagued this team through the past month plus have (for now) been solved. The physical play in front of their own net has improved this weekend and the physical play down low in the offensive zone was much improved on Saturday and Sunday. That type of play HAS to continue. If they slip back into their bad habits of playing cute they will struggle again.
It was a good weekend and another step to returning to the dominant team from early in the season. But if you are giving up 22 goals every 5 games you are RARELY going to get 8 points in those 5 games.
My Three Stars of the Game:
Grading the Performance:
LET'S GO BEARS!!!
This past week didn't start off all that well. A trip up to Binghamton that saw the Sens erase a 3 goal Bears lead as Hershey fell in a shootout. But it ended pretty well for Hershey too. 2 straight wins and some solid goaltending to win both of the weekend home games.
There are obviously still some concerns moving forward with penalties and a couple other things but as long as the offense continues to crash the net and get the ugly goals this team should be fine for now.
Penalties, especially when you are already down one player, just can't happen with that frequency. At one point in the third period of last night's game the Bears were skating with 4 players for almost 8 full minutes and surprise...they let in a goal. And then at the end of the game after Alexandre Giroux got a major penalty Tyler Sloan took a high sticking penalty that almost cost Hershey their lead. Providence pulled the goalie and played 6 on 3 for the final minute and a half. They managed to score one goal and had another one go in as time expired. Had they had some more time there would have been major concerns.
But other than the penalties the other issues that have plagued this team through the past month plus have (for now) been solved. The physical play in front of their own net has improved this weekend and the physical play down low in the offensive zone was much improved on Saturday and Sunday. That type of play HAS to continue. If they slip back into their bad habits of playing cute they will struggle again.
It was a good weekend and another step to returning to the dominant team from early in the season. But if you are giving up 22 goals every 5 games you are RARELY going to get 8 points in those 5 games.
My Three Stars of the Game:
- Chris Bourque - 2 goals and an assist and a lot of hustle all weekend
- Mathieu Perrault - 3 assists and another guy that hustled all weekend
- Martin St. Pierre - He also had 3 assists for the Bruins and kept them in the game
Grading the Performance:
- Offense - A - Easily the best performance in a few weeks. To get 6 goals on 33 shots is a big change from the past month when the team was only getting a goal or 2 on 40 shots. Tons of traffic in front of the net caused problems for Rask all game long. And cycling the puck consistently caused the Bruins to tire early.
- Defense - B - They did much better. The 4th goal was a 6 on 3 so there wasn't too much they could do. The one problem I STILL have is players getting stuck down low. And last night Sean Collins did it early (on Providence's 1st goal), he took the puck to the corner in the Bruins end and when it went the other way it was only Tyler Sloan back to stop it. A defenseman's first responsibility is to remain in position, if you get caught in deep which players (Lepisto, Collins, Sloan) continue to do it is going to lead to goals.
- Goaltending - B - Daren Machesney played very well especially in the third period again. He finished the night with 24 saves on 28 shots including 10 in the third period. Still some room for improvement but it is getting better from Cheese.
- Power Play - C - 0 for 4. Not good. They did get some pressure and managed to get some looks but it needs to be more consistent. Some games they get 2 or 3 power play goals while other games they get none. Not terrible but not good either.
- Penalty Kill - B - Better. They were out there for 10 total chances and only allowed 2 goals and one was a 6 on 3 which is not going to be stopped by too many teams.
- Overall - B+ - One of the better games since the calendar turned to 09. There are obviously still problems cause you can't continuously give up 4 or 5 goals and get wins BUT the offense has improved and the goals being scored on Hershey are more impressive then they were a few weeks ago. They are on the right track to getting back to the team they were.
LET'S GO BEARS!!!
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Bears vs Providence preview, 3/1
Which Bears team will show up tonight? The one that finished the game last night or the one that started the game? Providence is a good team and they are in first in their own division and are fighting to stay there so they aren't going to come out slow. They lost last night in Philly and are going to be looking for a statement win tonight against the 1st place team in the Eastern Conference.
The Bears need to come out on all cylinders this evening or they could find themselves in a hole early. They have now won 2 straight home games and are going to look to make it three before heading out on the road for 2 games next weekend. They return to home ice on the 11th when they welcome Springfield to town.
Providence on the other hand is in the middle of an 8 game road trip. They have started out by earning 4 points (1 win, 2 shootout losses) in the first 3 games of the trip. They aren't nearly as good on the road as they are at home so hopefully the Bears can catch them tonight.
The Bruins are finishing up a 4 in 6 while the Bears are at the tail end of a 4 in 5 weekend so both teams might be a little tired.
Hopefully the Bears can come out and play with urgency for the entire game instead of just the third period like they have the past few games.
Hershey Bears
record ~ 38-17-1-5 82 points
standings ~ 1st in East Division
playoff positioning - 4 points ahead of 2nd place
most recent game ~ 6-4 Win vs Norfolk, 2/28
last 5 games ~ 2-1-1-1
home record ~ 21-8-0-2
goals for ~ 232
goals against ~187
power play ~ 18.6% (8th)
penalty kill ~ 79.4% (26th)
Providence Bruins
record ~ 34-21-2-3 73 points
standings ~ 1st in Atlantic Division
playoff positioning ~ 2 points ahead of 2nd
most recent game ~ 4-3 SO Loss @ Philly, 2/28
last 5 games ~ 3-0-0-2
road record ~ 13-11-2-3
goals for ~ 184
goals against ~ 172
power play ~ 18.0% (11th)
penalty kill ~ 82.6% (16th)
last time teams met - Providence won 7-2 in Providence on January 2.
Players to watch:
Hershey:
LW Oskar Osala (36)- After not recording a point in almost a month and a half he has an assists and a goal in his last 2 games. Played well last night with Mink and Aucoin...will we see that line again?
RW Graham Mink (21) - Went on a tear through February with 10 goals and 5 assists in the 12 games last month. That includes 4 goals and 3 assists in the last 3 games.
C Keith Aucoin (11) - He has quietly put together a 12 game point streak after tallying at least one point in every game in February. In those 12 games he had 4 goals and 16 assists.
Bruins:
RW Brad Marchand (12) - He is tied for second on the team with 47 points but has been on a tear lately. He has 5 goals and 10 assists in his last 10 games.
C Martin St. Pierre (39) - Also tied for second in points with 47 but his have come in only 42 games. He has 1 goal and 4 assists in his last 5 games.
D Johnny Boychuk (3) - The former Bear leads the team with 50 points this season. In his last 6 games he has 3 goals and 3 assists.
LET'S GO BEARS!!!
The Bears need to come out on all cylinders this evening or they could find themselves in a hole early. They have now won 2 straight home games and are going to look to make it three before heading out on the road for 2 games next weekend. They return to home ice on the 11th when they welcome Springfield to town.
Providence on the other hand is in the middle of an 8 game road trip. They have started out by earning 4 points (1 win, 2 shootout losses) in the first 3 games of the trip. They aren't nearly as good on the road as they are at home so hopefully the Bears can catch them tonight.
The Bruins are finishing up a 4 in 6 while the Bears are at the tail end of a 4 in 5 weekend so both teams might be a little tired.
Hopefully the Bears can come out and play with urgency for the entire game instead of just the third period like they have the past few games.
Hershey Bears
record ~ 38-17-1-5 82 points
standings ~ 1st in East Division
playoff positioning - 4 points ahead of 2nd place
most recent game ~ 6-4 Win vs Norfolk, 2/28
last 5 games ~ 2-1-1-1
home record ~ 21-8-0-2
goals for ~ 232
goals against ~187
power play ~ 18.6% (8th)
penalty kill ~ 79.4% (26th)
Providence Bruins
record ~ 34-21-2-3 73 points
standings ~ 1st in Atlantic Division
playoff positioning ~ 2 points ahead of 2nd
most recent game ~ 4-3 SO Loss @ Philly, 2/28
last 5 games ~ 3-0-0-2
road record ~ 13-11-2-3
goals for ~ 184
goals against ~ 172
power play ~ 18.0% (11th)
penalty kill ~ 82.6% (16th)
last time teams met - Providence won 7-2 in Providence on January 2.
Players to watch:
Hershey:
LW Oskar Osala (36)- After not recording a point in almost a month and a half he has an assists and a goal in his last 2 games. Played well last night with Mink and Aucoin...will we see that line again?
RW Graham Mink (21) - Went on a tear through February with 10 goals and 5 assists in the 12 games last month. That includes 4 goals and 3 assists in the last 3 games.
C Keith Aucoin (11) - He has quietly put together a 12 game point streak after tallying at least one point in every game in February. In those 12 games he had 4 goals and 16 assists.
Bruins:
RW Brad Marchand (12) - He is tied for second on the team with 47 points but has been on a tear lately. He has 5 goals and 10 assists in his last 10 games.
C Martin St. Pierre (39) - Also tied for second in points with 47 but his have come in only 42 games. He has 1 goal and 4 assists in his last 5 games.
D Johnny Boychuk (3) - The former Bear leads the team with 50 points this season. In his last 6 games he has 3 goals and 3 assists.
LET'S GO BEARS!!!
Bears Play Physical, Bears Win
Referee Jeff Smith has a reputation for calling few penalties and really letting teams play. Well that wasn't very easy to do last night in Hershey. The Bears and the Norfolk Admirals combined for 24 penalty calls for 94 minutes. That included 5 fighting majors and 2 game misconduct penalties.
Grant McNeill managed to account for 25 of those penalty minutes and 3 of the fights all by himself. Oh and he also scored his first goal of the season to give the Bears a 1-0 lead in the first period.
Unfortunately the Bears couldn't hold that lead and ended up having to come back from 2 goals down again after allowing the Ads to get a 4-2 lead midway through the game.
But they did it! And you know how they did it? Traffic in front of the net and crashing the net to get rebounds. 5 of their six goals came from in close either off deflections or off rebounds. That is how you win consistently. Those pretty goals and incredible shots are nice but teams can shut those down easier. The key to consistent success is the ugly goals that guys get right in front.
Think back to the beginning of the season when the Bears were winning and scoring at will. They did that cause Graham Mink and Oskar Osala were getting lots of in close shots and rebounds. In the first 21 games Mink and Osala combined for 26 goals and the Bears were 20-5-0-1 in those games. And I guarantee if you go back and look at the goals only a few would be from more than 10 feet from the goal.
The other thing the Bears did last night, and I am going to call out a couple players here, is they got physical in front of their own goal. Two players that have made some mistakes were very physical last night with the Norfolk forwards, Tyler Sloan and Sami Lepisto. I have been critical of these two multiple times in the past couple months but last night they stepped up and played very well. They were especially good when it came to tying up players in front of Daren Machesney.
There were obviously still some problems last night. Machesney had a couple goals (the third and fourth) that he would probably like back but he also saved the game for Hershey in the third period with some great saves. A couple other problems were dumb penalties (BOURQUE that one was terrible, you were already down a man and you just pulled the guy down) and some minor defensive lapses. The defensive lapses I am talking about were a couple times guys jumped into the offensive end too far (Patty McNeill did it once and Greg Amadio took a penalty cause of it and Sloan does it a little too much) and Karl Alzner struggled on 2 of the goals, one he tripped and the second (4th Norfolk goal) he misplayed his man who came around the net and scored.
But even with those bad things this was still a much better game. The team isn't completely out of their slump yet but they are getting there. If they continue to take the body at the defensive end and crash the net at the offensive end they will be tough to beat. Once you start doing those two things teams adjust and they will start shooting from further out (which will help the goalies) and they will start allowing shots from outside (which allows Alexandre Giroux and Chris Bourque to get some nice shots).
Either way it was an important win that proves this team still has some "want" in them.
My Three Stars of the Game:
Grading the Performance:
LET'S GO BEARS!!!! GET ANOTHER ONE TONIGHT!!!
Grant McNeill managed to account for 25 of those penalty minutes and 3 of the fights all by himself. Oh and he also scored his first goal of the season to give the Bears a 1-0 lead in the first period.
Unfortunately the Bears couldn't hold that lead and ended up having to come back from 2 goals down again after allowing the Ads to get a 4-2 lead midway through the game.
But they did it! And you know how they did it? Traffic in front of the net and crashing the net to get rebounds. 5 of their six goals came from in close either off deflections or off rebounds. That is how you win consistently. Those pretty goals and incredible shots are nice but teams can shut those down easier. The key to consistent success is the ugly goals that guys get right in front.
Think back to the beginning of the season when the Bears were winning and scoring at will. They did that cause Graham Mink and Oskar Osala were getting lots of in close shots and rebounds. In the first 21 games Mink and Osala combined for 26 goals and the Bears were 20-5-0-1 in those games. And I guarantee if you go back and look at the goals only a few would be from more than 10 feet from the goal.
The other thing the Bears did last night, and I am going to call out a couple players here, is they got physical in front of their own goal. Two players that have made some mistakes were very physical last night with the Norfolk forwards, Tyler Sloan and Sami Lepisto. I have been critical of these two multiple times in the past couple months but last night they stepped up and played very well. They were especially good when it came to tying up players in front of Daren Machesney.
There were obviously still some problems last night. Machesney had a couple goals (the third and fourth) that he would probably like back but he also saved the game for Hershey in the third period with some great saves. A couple other problems were dumb penalties (BOURQUE that one was terrible, you were already down a man and you just pulled the guy down) and some minor defensive lapses. The defensive lapses I am talking about were a couple times guys jumped into the offensive end too far (Patty McNeill did it once and Greg Amadio took a penalty cause of it and Sloan does it a little too much) and Karl Alzner struggled on 2 of the goals, one he tripped and the second (4th Norfolk goal) he misplayed his man who came around the net and scored.
But even with those bad things this was still a much better game. The team isn't completely out of their slump yet but they are getting there. If they continue to take the body at the defensive end and crash the net at the offensive end they will be tough to beat. Once you start doing those two things teams adjust and they will start shooting from further out (which will help the goalies) and they will start allowing shots from outside (which allows Alexandre Giroux and Chris Bourque to get some nice shots).
Either way it was an important win that proves this team still has some "want" in them.
My Three Stars of the Game:
- Graham Mink - 2 goals and a team high 7 shots...he wanted to win this game
- Oskar Osala - 1 goal and incredible energy all night
- Brandon Bochenski - 2 goals and he also had a team high 7 shots for Norfolk
Grading the Performance:
- Offense - A - I know they waited until the third period (and the end of it at that) to really start pressing but all game they were getting traffic in front and were playing a more physical game. They started out slow with only 7 shots in the first period but they finished with 44 so they obviously turned it around.
- Defense - B - One of the better performances I have seen in a while from this unit. Guys playing physical in front and not taking crap from Norfolk. Good to see the captain Bryan Helmer drop the gloves and pound on Grant Potulny in the first. That fight really set the tone for the game.
- Goaltending - B - He could have been better but without his 37 saves (17 in the third alone) Hershey would NOT have been in this game. Give Cheese some credit for saving the past two games for the Bears. It is exactly what we have been asking for.
- Power Play - C - They scored one goal and it was very nice but other than that they didn't get much pressure with the man advantage. They need to do more.
- Penalty Kill - C - They did allow 2 goals on 4 chances but to their defense they were down 2 men both times and one of them Kyle Wilson didn't have a stick with hurt more. Still would like to see them kill those off but I can understand why they didn't.
- Overall - B - I thought this team really showed something late in the game. AND HUGE CREDIT to Coach Woods for changing up his offense late in the game. He took Giroux off the top line and put Osala up there and it led to 2 goals. I have been waiting to see what would happen if you split that line up and it gave the team some much needed energy last night. Overall a nice game but there is still room for improvement.
LET'S GO BEARS!!!! GET ANOTHER ONE TONIGHT!!!
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