The Hershey Bears are in Canada right now getting ready to play the Toronto Marlies. Then tomorrow night they will be in Cleveland to play the Lake Erie Monsters.
Both teams are in the AHL's North Division. Toronto sits in 4th with 65 points while the Monsters are in 3rd with 66 points.
The Bears are looking for a little retribution on this short road trip. Both the Marlies and Monsters have already won in Hershey this year. Both by a 3-2 score with the Lake Erie game decided in a shootout.
Hershey will have some additional weapons at their disposal for the two games but neither of them is Russian. Andrew Joudrey and Brian Fahey are expected to play, Joudrey tonight and tomorrow with Fahey getting in the lineup tomorrow (maybe tonight).
That's big news considering some of the injuries that the club has been dealing with. Joudrey's return is allowing the team to consider moving Brian Willsie back to where he started the season, on the 1st line. Willsie has mainly played 2nd line center since Mathieu Perreault was recalled to Washington.
With Jay Beagle's return last week and Joudrey getting healthy there is now a little more depth at center which will allow Willsie to return to the top line. Steve Pinizzotto has spent the last couple games at that position but it has really been a revolving door since Gordon went out.
Hershey needs more production from the top line as Keith Aucoin has been held without a point in 4 of the last 6 games....all Hershey losses. Hopefully (if they make the move) Willsie will help with that.
It is another tough stretch for the Bears this week. But not as difficult as the previous 5 in 7 and definitely not as tough as the stretch in March.
3 games in 4 nights in 4 different cities is challenging. After tomorrow nights game the Bears will return to Hershey for a day off and then a Saturday game against Albany. Then they are back on the bus for a trip to Bridgeport for a 3:00 matinee on Sunday.
As the team gets healthy and fresh bodies arrive from Russia there should be enough energy to get some quality performances this weekend.
Dmitri Orlov is expected to play this weekend, possibly on Saturday night against the Devils. He signed a PTO contract on Tuesday and has been practicing with the Bears. Due to not having a visa though he couldn't travel to Toronto with the team and is unlikely to join them in Cleveland.
He is looking to become the 2nd straight Bears rookie defenseman to win the World Juniors and a Calder Cup in the same year. John Carlson accomplished the feat last year when the USA took the Juniors crown while Russia won the tournament this year.
His play will likely speak for itself over time but the language barrier is a bigger problem for the immediate future. But unlike Semyon Varlamov who did not have anyone but his father in Hershey to help with the language Orlov has Dmitri Kugryshev. Obviously that won't help on the ice as they will have separate shifts but it should accelerate the learning curve a bit.
Any defensive depth is helpful for the Bears this season. After a very strong start the defense has succumb to numerous injuries of late. Both Lawrence Nycholat and Fahey have missed considerable time lately and Nycholat is not expected back anytime soon. Add to that Sheldon Souray's latest saga with the waivers and his injuries early this year.
With Patrick McNeill also missing time at the start of the season you start to wonder what this unit would look like if everyone was healthy and playing at the same time. Considering the Bears are still one of the best teams in the league in goals allowed per game (4th with 2.53), a full unit of defenseman could make this a unit that no team wants to face come playoff time.
Consider....
Fahey - Nycholat
McNeill - Orlov
Souray - Collins
Wellar - Miscovic
Who sits in that bunch? All are solid players that bring something to the table and have contributed this year.
Hopefully we will get to see it at some point but for at least the next 2 games Nycholat, Orlov, and Souray will remain on the sidelines watching.
Showing posts with label Toronto. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Toronto. Show all posts
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Bears playing well this weekend
2 down 1 to go for this 3 in 3 weekend. Personally I think the team has played very well this weekend. Obviously the 3-0 win in Syracuse last night shows that. But the 3-2 loss on Friday doesn't.
You know that feeling when you are trying to say something and you just can't figure out the word you are looking for. Or when you are watching a movie or tv show and an actor comes on and you know you have seen them before but you can't quite remember it. The answer is just at the tip of your tongue....
That's how the Bears played on Friday night. The plays were there, partially made. And then something would go wrong. Either an errant pass, an unlucky bounce, or just a good play from Toronto.
Things just didn't work out for 2.5 periods. You could feel the change though. Just before they scored I felt like bounces had started going their way, the Toronto goalie had started to give up some rebounds, and Hershey was making the passes.
Then the first goal...then the second goal.
And then...ouch. A play that goes fine 99 out of 100 times didn't work out. The bounce went Toronto's way. Sabourin played the puck behind the Hershey net but feeling pressure from behind he rushed the pass and it went directly to a Marlie who put it in the net before Sabs could get back in position.
But don't blame Dany for the loss. If anything you can celebrate him for keeping Hershey in the game. The first 2 goals would have been scored on damn near any goalie in hockey. Great plays by the Marlies and poor defensive positioning led to both.
Sabs kept Hershey in the game with 2 other great 1 on 1 saves in the 2nd and 3rd periods. Without those saves it would have 4-0 before Hershey got on the board.
If you want to blame someone for the loss...blame the defense. They didn't play with any consistency that game.
Or blame the centers...they were dominated in the faceoff circle for much of that game. Whether in the offensive or defensive zone it seemed that the Marlies won all the big faceoffs. Hershey has a 5 on 3 power play...can't win a draw to keep the puck in the zone. Hershey has a big draw when on the penalty kill...the Marlies win and keep possession.
In my opinion Hershey didn't play great on Friday but they did outplay the Marlies. Those games will even themselves out over the course of the season as Hershey will get all the bounces in some games.
The fact that Hershey overcame the tough luck and miscues to tie the game up with a legitimate chance to win says how good this team is.
They rebounded nicely on Saturday night as they out shot the Crunch 40 to 24 and outscored them 3-0. Sabourin made all the saves to pick up Hershey's first shutout of the season. Willsie and Gordon continued their good play picking up their 7th and 8th on the season respectively. And Ashton Rome scored his 4th after being a healthy scratch on Friday.
Tonight Hershey is back home at Giant Center serving host to the Binghamton Senators. In one game against Bingo this year, October 15th in Bingo, Hershey won 7-1 as 6 different Bears scored in that game.
Semyon Varlamov is expected to get the start for Hershey as he prepares to return to the Washington lineup. Varly hasn't played in Hershey since last February 28th in another conditioning assignment. And he hasn't played at all since October 21 when he got the start and the loss in a 4-1 loss in Boston. He has only appeared in 2 games for the Caps this year so rust could be an issue tonight.
Binghamton comes to town at the tail end of a 4 in 5 weekend. They beat Wilkes-Barre on Friday on the road before losing last night to Toronto at home. They haven't scored fewer than 3 goals in their last 5 games but have dropped 2 of those games.
Rookie Bobby Butler is leading the league in goals this season as he has 12 goals in 15 games. 7 of those have come in the last 5 games. And Corey Locke leads the league with 22 points this season as well.
Bingo currently resides in 5th place in the East division, one point behind the Bears. They are 3-2-0-1 on the road this year and 7-6-1-1 overall. Their power play on the road is 24th in the league while their penalty kill is #2 on the road. To compare, Hershey has the 10th best power play at home and the 16th ranked penalty kill at home.
Should be a good one at the GC tonight.
You know that feeling when you are trying to say something and you just can't figure out the word you are looking for. Or when you are watching a movie or tv show and an actor comes on and you know you have seen them before but you can't quite remember it. The answer is just at the tip of your tongue....
That's how the Bears played on Friday night. The plays were there, partially made. And then something would go wrong. Either an errant pass, an unlucky bounce, or just a good play from Toronto.
Things just didn't work out for 2.5 periods. You could feel the change though. Just before they scored I felt like bounces had started going their way, the Toronto goalie had started to give up some rebounds, and Hershey was making the passes.
Then the first goal...then the second goal.
And then...ouch. A play that goes fine 99 out of 100 times didn't work out. The bounce went Toronto's way. Sabourin played the puck behind the Hershey net but feeling pressure from behind he rushed the pass and it went directly to a Marlie who put it in the net before Sabs could get back in position.
But don't blame Dany for the loss. If anything you can celebrate him for keeping Hershey in the game. The first 2 goals would have been scored on damn near any goalie in hockey. Great plays by the Marlies and poor defensive positioning led to both.
Sabs kept Hershey in the game with 2 other great 1 on 1 saves in the 2nd and 3rd periods. Without those saves it would have 4-0 before Hershey got on the board.
If you want to blame someone for the loss...blame the defense. They didn't play with any consistency that game.
Or blame the centers...they were dominated in the faceoff circle for much of that game. Whether in the offensive or defensive zone it seemed that the Marlies won all the big faceoffs. Hershey has a 5 on 3 power play...can't win a draw to keep the puck in the zone. Hershey has a big draw when on the penalty kill...the Marlies win and keep possession.
In my opinion Hershey didn't play great on Friday but they did outplay the Marlies. Those games will even themselves out over the course of the season as Hershey will get all the bounces in some games.
The fact that Hershey overcame the tough luck and miscues to tie the game up with a legitimate chance to win says how good this team is.
They rebounded nicely on Saturday night as they out shot the Crunch 40 to 24 and outscored them 3-0. Sabourin made all the saves to pick up Hershey's first shutout of the season. Willsie and Gordon continued their good play picking up their 7th and 8th on the season respectively. And Ashton Rome scored his 4th after being a healthy scratch on Friday.
Tonight Hershey is back home at Giant Center serving host to the Binghamton Senators. In one game against Bingo this year, October 15th in Bingo, Hershey won 7-1 as 6 different Bears scored in that game.
Semyon Varlamov is expected to get the start for Hershey as he prepares to return to the Washington lineup. Varly hasn't played in Hershey since last February 28th in another conditioning assignment. And he hasn't played at all since October 21 when he got the start and the loss in a 4-1 loss in Boston. He has only appeared in 2 games for the Caps this year so rust could be an issue tonight.
Binghamton comes to town at the tail end of a 4 in 5 weekend. They beat Wilkes-Barre on Friday on the road before losing last night to Toronto at home. They haven't scored fewer than 3 goals in their last 5 games but have dropped 2 of those games.
Rookie Bobby Butler is leading the league in goals this season as he has 12 goals in 15 games. 7 of those have come in the last 5 games. And Corey Locke leads the league with 22 points this season as well.
Bingo currently resides in 5th place in the East division, one point behind the Bears. They are 3-2-0-1 on the road this year and 7-6-1-1 overall. Their power play on the road is 24th in the league while their penalty kill is #2 on the road. To compare, Hershey has the 10th best power play at home and the 16th ranked penalty kill at home.
Should be a good one at the GC tonight.
LET'S GO BEARS!!!
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Bears Penalty Kill Finishes Strong
After a poor start the Hershey Bears penalty kill unit came up huge at the end of the game last night. Going up against the 3rd best power play in the league, the Bears killed off a 5 on 3 and 5 on 4 to end the game last night in Hershey.
As I mentioned the penalty kill unit came up huge at the end but they started out terrible, allowing 2 power play goals on the first 3 chances. As for the Bears power play, they only got 3 chances but the did manage a goal. Not too bad but if the penalty kill unit is going to give up 2 a game in the postseason they better start scoring 2 per game themselves.
Either way the Bears spotted the Toronto Marlies a 2 goal lead 3-1 midway through the second but the Marlies, who are fighting for their playoff lives in the North division, couldn't hold the lead.
Michal Neuvirth made 29 saves and the Bears got goals from Alexander Giroux (51), Keith Aucoin (23), Andrew Joudrey (5), and Oskar Osala (23) as the Bears won 4-3 over the Marlies.
It was a very physical game as well. Kip Brennan was back in the lineup after a few weeks where he didn't dress at all and he made his presence known with multiple big hits and a solid fight against Jay Rosehill.
The hitting didn't stop with Brennan though as multiple Bears including Steve Pinizzotto got into the action. Early in the second period Pinner landed a big hit on Jiri Tlusty. Tlusty turned at the last minute which resulted in Pinner hitting him from behind into the wall and according to John Walton, Tlusty left a sizable amount of blood on the ice. I don't think Tlusty ever returned to action but I am not certain of that.
After that hit Bates Battaglia fought Pinner and for the rest of the night Pinner's head was on a swivel as the Marlies were gunning for him.
Honestly I can see why they were upset and I can see why the hit could be deemed questionable but personally I found the hit to be clean. Could Pinner have let up and not hit him? Sure. But isn't this hockey? Part of the game, and to be honest a HUGE part of Pinner's game, is hitting and hitting hard. It's a tough play to call, no penalty was assessed and I doubt you will see any league action on the matter.
But I will say this....those are the kinds of fights that I absolutely think need to remain in the game. Many people have talked about eliminating fighting and I think you saw right there exactly why they need to stay. Battaglia felt the hit was dirty so he did something about it. If you are going to hit guys like Pinner does then you have to accept the consequences, which he did.
My Three Stars of the Game:
Grading the Performance:
Oh and with the win Hershey retook first place in the division. With Bridgeport coming to town on Saturday (and being off Friday) the Bears could conceivably be up 5 points in the division by the time Wilkes-Barre/Scranton arrives Sunday evening.
As I mentioned the penalty kill unit came up huge at the end but they started out terrible, allowing 2 power play goals on the first 3 chances. As for the Bears power play, they only got 3 chances but the did manage a goal. Not too bad but if the penalty kill unit is going to give up 2 a game in the postseason they better start scoring 2 per game themselves.
Either way the Bears spotted the Toronto Marlies a 2 goal lead 3-1 midway through the second but the Marlies, who are fighting for their playoff lives in the North division, couldn't hold the lead.
Michal Neuvirth made 29 saves and the Bears got goals from Alexander Giroux (51), Keith Aucoin (23), Andrew Joudrey (5), and Oskar Osala (23) as the Bears won 4-3 over the Marlies.
It was a very physical game as well. Kip Brennan was back in the lineup after a few weeks where he didn't dress at all and he made his presence known with multiple big hits and a solid fight against Jay Rosehill.
The hitting didn't stop with Brennan though as multiple Bears including Steve Pinizzotto got into the action. Early in the second period Pinner landed a big hit on Jiri Tlusty. Tlusty turned at the last minute which resulted in Pinner hitting him from behind into the wall and according to John Walton, Tlusty left a sizable amount of blood on the ice. I don't think Tlusty ever returned to action but I am not certain of that.
After that hit Bates Battaglia fought Pinner and for the rest of the night Pinner's head was on a swivel as the Marlies were gunning for him.
Honestly I can see why they were upset and I can see why the hit could be deemed questionable but personally I found the hit to be clean. Could Pinner have let up and not hit him? Sure. But isn't this hockey? Part of the game, and to be honest a HUGE part of Pinner's game, is hitting and hitting hard. It's a tough play to call, no penalty was assessed and I doubt you will see any league action on the matter.
But I will say this....those are the kinds of fights that I absolutely think need to remain in the game. Many people have talked about eliminating fighting and I think you saw right there exactly why they need to stay. Battaglia felt the hit was dirty so he did something about it. If you are going to hit guys like Pinner does then you have to accept the consequences, which he did.
My Three Stars of the Game:
- Chris Bourque - 2 assists in his first game back after a brief callup...played a very solid all around game
- Andre Deveaux - 2 goals for the Marlies and he almost had more
- Jay Beagle - the assist on Joudrey's goal was spectacular and being part of the penalty kill at the end was the difference in the game
Grading the Performance:
- Offense - B+ - Really there isn't much more they could have done. They finished with 4 goals on 30 shots and they played very well. My only complaint would be on Mathieu Perrault.....SHOOT!!! He came down with someone (might have been Gordon) and he tried to make a really tough pass at the end instead of just shooting. Shoot....it's okay. Other than that the only complaint would maybe be a lack of consistent pressure in the early part of the game but they made up for it late.
- Defense - B - Not too bad. Some minor struggles like in every game but all in all it was solid. Kronwall is starting to jump into the offensive zone a little more than I think is necessary but with Deano back there he knows there will be someone back.
- Goaltending - B - The first goal definitely should have been stopped in my opinion. It was a perfect shot but you have to make those in the postseason. BUT I will say this too.....I am confident that the Bears can win the Cup with Neuvirth in the net for the playoffs.
- Power Play - B+ - As I said before they scored once on three chances but they were consistently in the zone. I think they can do better but overall it was a good performance.
- Penalty Kill - B - If you had asked me midway through the second I would have said F but the performance at the end made up for it. The end is always harder anyhow and to kill off a 5 on 3 was very good.
- Overall - B+ - A good game from the Bears. I didn't think they had near as much urgency as the Marlies did but they still came away with the win which was important. This weekend I hope to see more jump in their step EARLIER. Late in games they are always ready to go but the first period and the first half of the second has been lackluster of late.
Oh and with the win Hershey retook first place in the division. With Bridgeport coming to town on Saturday (and being off Friday) the Bears could conceivably be up 5 points in the division by the time Wilkes-Barre/Scranton arrives Sunday evening.
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Bears Trail Bridgeport by 1 with Toronto Visiting Tonight
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!!!
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!!!
Sunday, March 8, 2009
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!!!
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