Change is in the air

Well the season is over and free agency begins in less than 2 weeks so it is already time to start discussing next season.

Who is under contract and who isn't for 2010-11? Well let me tell you:

First lets look at players who are unrestricted free agents...meaning they can sign anywhere they want on July 1:

• Alexandre Giroux
• Bryan Helmer
• Kyle Wilson
• Andrew Joudrey
• Boyd Kane
• Greg Amadio
• Jason Bacashihua
• Simon Ferguson
• Dylan Yeo
• Michael Dubuc

Not too bad a list but some big names. The two biggest (offensively speaking) are Wilson and Giroux.

First lets talk about Giroux...

I know I was saying this last year and he came back but I don't see Giroux in Hershey next season. Why? Because the Caps aren't interested anymore. He got to play 9 games for the Caps this season and they weren't very impressed. If he wants to play in the NHL I think it will have to be with someone else. He has said that if it was all about money he would already be in Europe so maybe he stays to win again.

Now to Wilson...

One of my favorite players honestly. A very good offensive player and has been in Hershey for parts of 4 seasons now. Unfortunately for Kyle he is now considered a Vet. He has played in 291 regular season games in professional leagues. AHL teams are only allowed to dress 6 players on any given night that have played 260+. But Hershey only has 1 under contract right now, Keith Aucoin, that is a vet so that doesn't hurt too much at this point but considering other free agents they want to sign who knows. The bigger issue is does Washington want to keep him around? He would have to clear waivers to go up and down and he plays center...a position of depth within the organization. He got to play in his first 2 NHL games this season and had 2 assists. I wouldn't be surprised to see him go either way.

Names most likely to see return next season from that list:

Helmer, Joudrey, and Kane. None will be 2 way deals but I think all 3 would be happy to return to Hershey. Kane and Helmer are both veterans which would hurt other veterans like Wilson and Amadio. Joudrey is just a great defensive forward who will add a goal from time to time. Constant hustle and great penalty killing likely get him another go in Hershey if he wants it.

The team would surely like to have Bacashihua back but he is looking to be a number 1 goalie somewhere and that won't happen in Hershey unless there are injuries.


Now lets look at the restricted free agents. If these players are offered qualifying offers by the 28th of June they can still sign with another team but the Caps have the right to match any offer and would receive compensation for them if they sign elsewhere. If they do NOT receive qualifying offers by the 28th they become unrestricted free agents:

• Chris Bourque
• Patrick McNeill
• Andrew Gordon
• Jay Beagle
• Zach Miscovic

I can all but guarantee that McNeill, Beagle, and Miscovic will be back. Neither Beagle or Miscovic would have to clear waivers so they can go up and down freely and McNeill showed a lot of growth this year and I don't think the Caps will let him get away.

The other two though are more interesting. I think Gordon gets an offer because he has a legitimate shot at making the Caps next season but he has to clear waivers to come to Hershey so don't be surprised if we don't see him in Hershey again.

Bourque is the most interesting case though. First of all he is a veteran, having played in 352 games so far in his career. Second he had an outstanding year in Hershey. The question is...do the Caps think he can play for them? If so then you can watch him play for the Caps but it isn't likely you will see him Hershey because he probably won't clear waivers. The other possibility with Bourque is trade-bait. His value will probably never be higher than it is right now so the Caps might sign him to trade him at the draft.


So who is left for the Bears next season?

These players are under contract with Hershey/Washington for 10-11:

• Braden Holtby
• Michael Neuvirth
• John Carlson
• Sean Collins
• Karl Alzner
• Keith Aucoin
• Steve Pinizzotto
• Francois Bouchard
• Mathieu Perreault
• Stefan Della Rovere
• Anton Gustafsson
• Trevor Bruess
• Josh Godfrey
• Joe Finley
• Dmitry Kugryshev
• Cody Eakin
• Dustin Stevenson
• Jake Hauswirth

Who is most likely to make the Caps from that list...Carlson, Alzner and Neuvirth are probably locks assuming the Caps don't sign a goalie. But after that Perreault or Coiner could get a shot but not likely both of them if either. Everyone else (except Eakin) will see time in Hershey next season. Eakin is not yet 20 which makes him ineligible to play in the AHL until after his junior season ends.

I will have much more on this list next week.


And finally here are the players under contract with Hershey next season...they are not 2 way deals with the Caps:

• Johann Kroll
• Ashton Rome
• Grant McNeill
• Patrick Wellar
• Nikita Kashirsky

Those players will likely spend time in Hershey next season. Kashirsky, for those of you that don't know (like me), is a forward that spent time in South Carolina last year and was loaned to Syracuse and Manitoba for parts of the season.


I will have much more about the players on Hershey's roster and potentially on Hershey's roster next week. It is a very intriguing offseason because the Caps actually have some spots open this season unlike last year.

In addition to that the Caps have alot of players becoming free agents after next season so that has to factor into their decision this year on players like Bourque, Gordon, Beagle, and Wilson. They might need a couple of them in 2011-12.

HISTORICAL SEASON

What a season! From the first drop of the puck back in October until the Cup was raised on Monday night the Bears completed what is arguably the greatest season ever for an AHL team!

I didn't get down to Giant Center last night for the celebration but I found the below picture to be quite amusing. The goalie just looks out of place! (I borrowed this picture from Pennlive.com and Patriot News photographer Chris Knight)

It was definitely a championship season to celebrate! Hershey was picked to win before the season started and managed to follow through on all the hype and all the potential.

All season long they broke records and separated themselves from the other teams in the league.

Overall the Bears broke 11 club records and 6 AHL records.

Here are the records that were set this season (records with * are also AHL Records):

• 60 Wins*
• 123 Points
• 34 Home Wins*
• 26 Road Wins
• 12 Consecutive Wins
• 24 Consecutive Home Wins*
• 2 100+ point scorers (Alexandre Giroux and Keith Aucoin)
• 8 Overtime Wins in the Playoffs*
• 3 Overtime games in one playoff series (Albany and Manchester)
• 8 Consecutive playoff series won*
• 380,791 Regular Season Attendance

And...

the 11th Calder Cup in Franchise History...still more than any other franchise in AHL History!!

They also became the first team in AHL history to lose their first 2 games of the Calder Cup finals at home and still win the Cup!

AND they are the first team to repeat as Calder Cup Champs under the current playoff format which requires a team to win 4 series and 16 games.

Can Hershey become the first team since the 59-62 Springfield Indians to win 3 straight Calder Cups???

Who knows but one thing is certain...we will all be around to see them try next season!!

LET'S GO BEARS!!!

**Check back later this week as I promise to get all (or some) of the pictures I took on Monday night up on the site.

**And definitely keep checking in as our focus turns to the 2010-2011 season and what that team might look like. Lots will be happening in the coming weeks so stay tuned.

That's 11!!!

YOUR 2010 CALDER CUP CHAMPION
HERSHEY BEARS!!!!!

Wow...what a game, what an atmosphere!!

11,002 fans in the building tonight and it sure sounded like it. I have never heard that building that loud and I have seen musical acts in there too!

Earlier today I was talking to my dad and I said it would be 3-0 after 1 period and I wasn't far off. In 05-06 and in 08-09 they jumped out to big leads and took much of the suspense away.

Thankfully they did that again tonight. Not sure how many of us would have liked seeing a close game. It was perfect just how it was.

4 goals...all by defensemen (Alzner, Carlson and 2 for McNeill)! Neuvirth was amazing yet again making 22 saves and earning his FIRST shutout of the postseason in the biggest game of the postseason!

Without question that was the most dominating performance of the postseason for the Bears. From the opening faceoff they controlled the play and honestly the outcome was rarely in question. In the first period alone Hershey outshot the Texas Stars 17-4!

This was the same team on the same ice that 9 days ago couldn't get 3 shots in the first period of game 1!!

I would challenge anyone to recall a game this entire SEASON where the Bears dominated like they did in period 1 tonight. And to do it in the biggest game, with all the emotion in the building and the expectations.....unreal!

Getting to see the Cup given to Helmer on home ice was special. Seeing all the players pass it around and spend time with their families...awesome!

This team just completed the unquestioned single greatest season in AHL history!!

Let that sink in for a while.....

Congrats to the Bears!!! Enjoy the celebration!!!

LET'S GO BEARS!!!!

**I will have plenty more analysis, celebration, and pictures in the coming days...between my wife and I we took something like 500 pictures so there will be plenty to sort through**

Bears can clinch tonight!

Let's start this off right...



Does that get you pumped up?

No...then consider this...

the Calder Cup WILL BE IN THE BUILDING TONIGHT!!

11,000 fans...many of which wrote the Bears off after game 2...will fill the Giant Center!

Just stop and think about what it will be like in just over 9 hours tonight. Hell it will probably start around 5 this evening!!

Personally I am getting chills just thinking about the atmosphere. I will be in section 105 tonight and I hope I can't talk by the end of the game!

THIS could happen again tonight...except this time in front of 11,000 screaming Bears fans....



Tonight we chant....




Tonight the Bears complete the single greatest season in AHL history!!

LET'S GO BEARS!!!!

What a game!

Now that was playoff hockey! If you watched game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals and enjoyed the 6-5 game then you probably didn't like last night's game too much. But personally a great 1-1 game with back and forth action, big shots, big saves, and big hits is much more entertaining.

And that is what last night produced. Hershey trailed yet again in the first period 1-0 and while they were getting a good number of shots they couldn't seem to get anything by Matt Climie. Then in the 2nd coming out of a power play, Francois Bouchard beat Climie to tie the game up at 1.

From then on it was back and forth hockey. Both teams sustained pressure, both teams got some good chances, and both goalies came up huge on more than one occasion.

Hershey seemed to be getting more and many times better chances throughout the third period but couldn't quite get the winner.

The teams played into overtime for the first time this series where Hershey was actually out shot 9-6 but ended up getting the winner from Alexandre Giroux.

Honestly I thought Giroux was forcing things too much this series...trying to beat guys with skating and stick handling instead of getting shots or getting the puck deep. I think this explains why he has been held scoreless against a goaltender.

Until last night.

A puck bouncing around and knocked up in the air twice was corralled by the winger as he came in uncovered and put the puck through Climie's 5-hole for the game winner.

Awesome goal...Awesome game.

The Bears are now 8-1 in overtime games this postseason and their 8 game winning goals have been scored by 8 different players. Giroux, Andrew Joudrey, Chris Bourque, Kyle Wilson, Mathieu Perreault, Jay Beagle, and Francois Bouchard are the 8 guys with game winners in OT.

That is impressive.



Now the series shifts back to Hershey on Monday night with both teams trying to complete historic series wins.

If the Bears win the Cup they will be the 1st team in AHL history to lose the first 2 games of a Finals at home and still come back to win.

If the Stars are to win the Cup they will become only the 2nd team in AHL history to lose a game 5 when the series is tied 2-2 and still manage to win the Cup.

Who knows. Both teams have a shot. So far every game in the series has been won by the road team which favors Texas. Hershey is not your typical home team having only lost 3 times at Giant Center since November but Texas obviously isn't worried about that as they are responsible for 2 of those.

The Stars have been in this situation before. In the Western Conference Finals they were trailing 3 games to 2 when the series shifted to Hamilton for games 6 and 7. Well they obviously managed to win those 2 games because they are here now.

Can they do it again...this time for the Calder Cup? Or will Hershey win their 11th Cup?

All I know is that last Saturday's home game in Hershey was probably the quietest sold out crowd ever in that building.

Do you think it will be louder this Monday?

Hershey has a chance to do what they haven't done since 1980...win the Calder Cup on home ice in front of their home fans.

The past 4 games of the series have seen new records for attendance at each building. Last Saturday stands as the highest attendance in Giant Center and each of the 3 games in Texas was a new record.

I am pretty sure you can count on a new record on Monday. EVERYONE will be there.

LET'S GO BEARS!!!!

How important is game 5?

What makes a game big? Aren't they all big in the Finals? And what makes a game 'must win'?

Why are some games considered more important than others?

Obviously the current status of the series is a deciding factor. If a team is down 3-0 then game 4 is obviously must win.

But I think the main deciding factor has been the urgency of any particular game.


Coming into the series Hershey was confident. They had home ice and had only lost 1 time at home since 2009. They had just beaten a good Manchester team that gave them fits. And they surely read all the previews and paid attention to what was being said.

They thought they could win.

Texas came into the series knowing how good Hershey was. They knew Hershey was great at home. But they also knew that they had beaten 2 very good teams in Chicago and Hamilton.

So both teams wanted to win. Both teams knew it was a big game.

But the urgency level was higher for Texas. They knew that in order to win the series they are going to have to do what few other teams have done this season...win in Hershey.

Winning game 1 was vital to their success in the series. They did it too. And they looked damn good doing it, shutting down the Bears vaunted offense in Hershey.

So then we moved on to game 2. In this game the 'urgency' should have been higher for Hershey. No one wants to go down 0-2 in a series, especially when both those games are being played at your home arena.

But remembering back to the game I still think the Stars treated the game with more urgency. Hershey came into the game saying things like...we didn't win 60 games for nothing; if we play the way we need to we will be okay...and feeling confident because, like all the fans, they knew they hadn't lost 2 at home since November.

Texas though knew all that too and came out strong and won game 2.

So now the series was 2-0 and headed to Texas. There were plenty of Bears fans leaving Giant Center last Saturday saying goodbye to ushers and saying Hershey was done...by the way I hope none of you that were confident the series was over are coming to game 6 on Monday.

All of a sudden the 'urgency' was the feeling Hershey finally had. Last year they had this feeling in the Wilkes Barre series when they lost 3 straight and needed to win 2 games at home to advance. Up until they were down 2 games to none I don't think Hershey was playing with 'urgency'.

At the same time Texas was sitting comfortably. They were up 2-0 in the series and had the next 3 at home. The 'urgency' was gone.

Hershey won game 3.

And heading into game 4 the urgency was still there for Hershey as they couldn't go down 3-1.

So they won again.

But now the question is...who has more urgency to win game 5?

Hershey has some because they would love to put this series away as soon as possible but they also know that they have 2 games at home if needed.

Texas has a lot of confidence that they can win in Hershey but they have to be worried about having to win 2 there when facing elimination.

I would have to say that Texas definitely has more urgency tonight. If they lose this game then they have to win both games in Hershey. Not impossible but surely not optimum.

No matter what it will be an interesting game tonight. If Hershey can pull out the win, Giant Center will be rocking on Monday night in hopes of seeing the Bears win the Cup on home ice for the first time since 1980. If Texas wins there will be some worried fans in Hershey throughout the weekend and Monday.

One thing I do know...I won't use the word 'urgency' again in this post.

LET'S GO BEARS!!!

Bears win creates a best of 3

So basically what you are telling me is the first 4 games of this series have meant....nothing.

We are right back where we started. Series tied. Bears have home ice.

The only differences now are...it's a 3 game series and game 1 is in Texas. Oh and Texas is questioning their game a bit now while Hershey has found theirs.


Let's look back at last nights game for a second though...

First...the good:

French kept the lines the same and it worked again. Not quite as well as Monday night but 4 goals is still better than what they were doing. In addition to Bourque and Giroux still switched French also inserted Cody Eakin into the lineup. My only problems with that move were that it was for Ashton Rome and that Eakin disappeared from the ice after the 2nd period. But it worked out for the Bears.

The power play was great for the first time in a long time. 3 goals on 5 chances will stymie any defense and it definitely happened to the Stars last night. Texas is now the team taking questionable penalties and it cost them last night.

Much of last nights game was pretty even I thought. Hershey got on the board first, Texas answered with 2 goals before Beagle tied it up late in the second period. Then a too many men on the ice call gave Hershey a power play with less then 3 minutes to play in regulation. Hershey didn't squander the opportunity. John Carlson scored his first goal of the playoffs to give Hershey the win.

But not everything Hershey did was good...

Too many bad penalties still. What the hell was Amadio thinking on the interference call in front of Neuvy in the 2nd? I was watching on AHL Live and there wasn't a replay but Walton and Gregg Mace sure agreed with the call.

The too many men on the ice call almost cost them dearly but they overcame that thanks to bad Texas penalties. Pinizzotto took another useless penalty early in the game as well.

Overall it was better but still not perfect. If the Bears could manage to not take one bad penalty in a game they would likely win 4-1 against Texas. But that seems to be to difficult at this point.

The only other thing that seems to be hurting the Bears is the defensemen jumping up too much. This has been less of a problem in the last 2 games but guys are still getting caught. Last night I saw Amadio, Helmer, McNeill, and Carlson all get caught up ice at least once. Carlson does it multiple times a game and it cost him in game 3 but usually he can get back.

I like their aggressiveness and many of the goals are the result of guys keeping the puck in the zone but if you are going to make the play you better not miss. And Hershey blueliners miss a little too much.

It is like a good cornerback in the NFL...if he goes for the pick when the receiver runs the 10 yard out pattern he better at least get part of the ball. Because if he doesn't....the other team is dancing in the endzone.

Calculated risks. It is good to take them some times but you have to be careful. Now that we are down to a first team to 2 wins series a play like that can cost you the Cup.


Now a brief not about game 5. Hershey's fans are expecting a win. The Giant Center sold out of tickets for game 6 in less than 5 hours!! Why...because people are hoping (expecting) to see the Bears clinch the Cup on Monday night.

But don't count your chickens before they hatch. Hershey is back in control of this series and Texas has found themselves again backed into a corner. This has to be considered a must win for the Stars. Sure they won the first 2 in Hershey but the odds of them winning games 6 and 7 in Hershey are slim.

So Texas will give Hershey everything they have in game 5. And let's be honest...the last 2 games weren't nearly as important for them. Texas didn't HAVE to have those wins....Hershey did. But now Hershey doesn't HAVE to have game 5...Texas does.

Hershey needs to be ready for everything in game 5. Texas is going to push for some goals which could turn into some odd man rushes for the Bears but I have seen possible odd man rushes turn into defensive zone turnovers by Hershey this series...too many of those will see Hershey returning home having to win 2 for the cup.

The Bears have to be on their best behavior (Pinner that is for you) and they have to be cautious with their passes. Not to the point that they don't push the limit but make sure you are ready if it doesn't work.

I think they will be okay!

LET'S GO BEARS!!!!

Is French serious or is this playoff posturing?

Just got done reading the article from the Patriot News' Bob Flounders who is in Austin covering the Bears for the paper. He talks about how the line changes on Monday night seemed to have a real effect on the team.

And then he interviews Coach Mark French who said this...

"There's in game adjustments that you make, and they're more situation driven than anything else. We'll look at our line combinations and see what we want to do. I don't know if it did anything particular other than at times, it shakes things up."

So basically French is saying that maybe he will go back to the first period lines from Monday night for tonight's game 4.

HUGE MISTAKE

Hopefully this is just the traditional playoff posturing that goes on in all sports. He is just trying to keep the Stars from making changes to combat the line adjustments.

We will find out in 10 hours.

Personally I think the changes had more than just a 'shake up' effect. It actually evened out the lines by giving the top two lines a playmaker, a grinder, and a scorer. That gives you the balance for these lines to compete no matter what the defense does.

In addition to that the move of Ashton Rome to the third line in place of Boyd Kane was great. Rome is a good hard player who brings some offensive skill. Mostly though he is more likely to keep up with Bouchard and Wilson than Kane was.

I can't help but feel that if he does go back to the original lines the Bears are likely to regress back to their old tricks and try to beat the Stars with cute passes and stick handling. Maybe I am wrong but personally I would rather not find out.


Tonight's game is a must win for the Bears. Technically they are still alive with a loss but that would mean they would have to win 3 straight to win the Cup. Not impossible but definitely not optimum.

If they win tonight however they regain home ice and only have to win a best of 3. Two of those games would be in Hershey...which aren't guaranteed wins anymore but I am pretty sure Hershey would come out swinging in those games.

Right now I would say that Texas is still the favorite to win the series but if Hershey wins tonight I can guarantee you that Hershey would become the favorite.

Remaining patient, staying out of the box, and playing a slow but effective game of dump and chase will result in a Hershey win.

It really is that simple.

LET'S GO BEARS!!!

Some other news that came out yesterday:

• Giant Center will be open this Friday night for a free admission, free parking viewing party for game 5. Do you think we can get more fans to watch on the big board then the Stars building can even hold (6,700)???
• Development camp dates were announced. July 12-17 at Kettler Capitals Iceplex with the camp scrimmage on July 17. This event is open to the public.
• Rookie camp will begin Sept 11 and run until the 18th before the veterans report for training camp.
• The AHL has announced that its six most senior cities will kick off the 2010-11 75th Anniversary season against each other. Hershey will play Rochester, Springfield vs Providence, and Syracuse vs Lake Erie (Cleveland). Throwback uniforms will be worn by the teams as well.

Relax...Bears aren't out of woods yet

I just read Tim Leone's write up in the Patriot News from last nights game and he seems to think that Hershey will win the next 3 games and end this series in 6 games. It surely is possible but I would say that is a long way off.

Remember...this series can still end in Texas this week.

Yes the Bears won 6-3 after trailing 3-1 after one period. Yes they dominated the last 3o minutes of the game. Yes Hershey seems to have found their legs and scoring ability.

But there are still 2 games in Texas and Hershey is still down 2 games to 1. Texas still dominated the first 30 minutes last night. And Hershey still has players who insist on taking bad penalties.

Things aren't that much different as they were after game 2 in my opinion. I didn't think Hershey was that far from winning games 1 and 2. But last night had to affect both teams confidence levels.


Ask any hockey person and they will tell you that the worst lead in hockey is a 2 goal lead.

Why? Because the team in the lead relaxes just a bit and the team trailing throws caution to the wind and goes for broke.

That could have been part of things last night. Texas was up 3-1 after the first period and you know their confidence level was through the roof at that point. And Hershey was down 3-1 and on the verge of going down 3-0 in the series so you know they were putting it all on the line.

Was that the only reason Hershey won? Absolutely not. The Bears have more talent and offensive ability than any other team in the league, no one can argue that. The biggest problem Hershey faced in games 1 and 2, as well as the first period of game 3, was their own stubborness. They insisted on doing things their way instead of doing things the BEST way.

They seem to have figured that out.


I never stopped believing after game 2 so I still believe Hershey can (and will) win the series but I also think it is a mistake to think Hershey has definitely turned the corner. My main fear now is that their confidence grew so much in the last 2 periods that they will lighten up going into game 4 and give Texas hope.

Sure they made the necessary line changes...Bourque to the top line and Giroux down to the 2nd and Rome to the 3rd line...but Texas will be ready to go Wednesday night. Hershey has to stick with what is working....get the puck in deep and get it to the middle.

Leone did make one excellent point in his piece this morning...Texas has to get tired at some point. They are coming off of two 7 game series and are in a physical battle with Hershey. Are they at that point like Leone suggested? I am not convinced but they are surely approaching it. Once they hit that point Hershey should have full control of the series. Was that last night? We will see on Wednesday.

Hershey still needs to work hard and be more disciplined. No more bad penalties. Amadio was taking them last night as was Helmer and Pinner. It is time to stop. You can't win this series if you are sitting in the penalty box.

The line changes made after the first period last night MUST REMAIN. You can't put them back unless there is an injury. Bourque adds a level of energy to the top line that they didn't have before and Giroux adds a scoring element that didn't exist on the second line before.

Sure Gordon and Perreault capitalized last night and they weren't part of the changes. So you might think that it had nothing to do with the line changes. And if you think that, you haven't been paying attention.

Goals scored with original lines = 5 in 7 periods
Goals scored with new lines = 5 in 2 periods

The energy and styles of both lines changed when French switched Bourque and Giroux. By far the best (and probably toughest) decision he has made this season.


Game 4 is still a must win for the Bears though. They win that and they regain home ice advantage as the series turns into a best of 3 with 2 games in Hershey.

Tim Leone thinks Hershey could actually win both remaining games in Texas and I agree. But they better play like they did in the 3rd period of last nights game...no silly penalties and no frills hockey.

LET'S GO BEARS!!!!

Hawks did it...How About Hershey?

Read yesterday's post by clicking here before reading this.

Last night I watched the Flyers/Hawks game and couldn't help but think...that is EXACTLY what the Bears need to do.

The Hawks were struggling in Philly to get much offense going until the 3rd period of game 4 when they adjusted all their lines.

They decided that they didn't want to have their Stanley Cup dreams end without trying everything. So they took their top line and broke them up. And they didn't just switch a player here or there...they took Byfuglien, Kane, and Toews and put them on 3 separate lines.

And guess what....IT WORKED!

The other strategy they employed was what the Hershey players can't seem to execute...getting the puck in deep. When you cross the red line fire it in around the boards and go get it.

That does 2 things. 1, it gives you the chance to get the puck deep in the zone and create. And 2, it pulls the Stars out of the middle of the ice which opens up passing and shooting lanes.

Chicago used those approaches perfectly last night in their 7-4 win in game 5. They had the advantage of actually winning their home games before being dominated in 2 games on the road.

But Hershey was not dominated by any stretch. They were in both games until the end and honestly had chances to win the games.

Will line changes work for the Bears? Who knows. Will keeping the lines the same work? Maybe.

The benefit of switching the lines is, because of lack of playing time as a unit, you force them to go back to basics. Get the puck in deep, shoot more, crash the net.

Right now Hershey's problem is that guys like Aucoin and Giroux have been playing together for so long (2 seasons) that they know what each one does well. The problem....Texas knows that too and they are built to stop it.

Hershey is up against it now. They have to win at least 2 in Texas over the next 5 days or they will be golfing by the weekend.

No team in AHL history has a team lost games 1 and 2 at home in the Calder Cup Finals and still won the cup. None.

Hershey has been rewriting the record books all season. Whose ready for one more?

LET'S GO BEARS!!!

Fool me once, shame on you...Fool me twice....

It is truly this simple....

Hershey can not defeat the Texas Stars playing their game.

That's it.

They need to adapt their style to combat the team they are up against and to date they have been unwilling to do so. If you want to know the style they need to play look no further than Andrew Gordon's goal last night. They got the puck in deep, cycled it around, got it to the point for a shot on goal, and got the rebound.

Simple. But boring and not a lot of fun. And surely not what Hershey has been doing for the past 7 months.

Hershey CAN still win this series. They only have to win 4 out of 5. Not an impossible task, they did it against both Albany and Bridgeport earlier this spring. But it will be difficult.

There has to be a change in philosophy by the entire team. Only one line has produced consistent pressure and that is the Chris Bourque, Mathieu Perreault, and Jay Beagle line. You know why? Because they get the puck in deep and cycle.

Why does that work? Because it pulls defenders away from the middle of the ice which opens up passing and shooting lanes. Now that line hasn't executed perfectly either. They hesitate to shoot because there isn't a true shooter/scorer on the line but they have had opportunities.

The Kyle Wilson, Boyd Kane, and Francois Bouchard line has done a solid job but let's be honest...Kane is out of his element. He isn't going to produce goals or assists. Wilson is a former 30 goal scorer for the Bears who isn't getting anything going on this line. He needs another element here...some energy.

The biggest problem right now is the top line. They still insist on doing the things they did all season. It is straight stubbornness right now. Alexandre Giroux thinks he can beat any defenseman one on one but in this series he continues to turn the puck over shortly after entering the offensive zone. Keith Aucoin continues to try to make cute passes to set up Giroux and Andrew Gordon instead of just shooting the puck and getting rebounds. Gordon is playing okay but he is still getting his legs back.

So it's time for some changes and they need to be drastic. Certain players need benched and lines need broken up.

First let's go over the lineup changes, who dresses and who doesn't.

I like Greg Amadio. He is a tough and physical defenseman but he is hindrance on this blue line. Sean Collins played like crap in game 1 too. Bench both players and start Zach Miscovic instead. You need defenseman who will get shots to the net and create opportunities. Give another guy a shot.

Sit Kane. I know he scored the winning goal against Manchester and he is a hero from 05-06 but this is 09-10. Put Cody Eakin back in with Joudrey and Ashton Rome on the 4th line. This will help the energy level and these guys might even produce a goal or two.

Sit Steve Pinizzotto down and tell him to stop being stupid and start playing hockey. No more dumb penalties. And then put him on the third line with Wilson and Bouchard. He will be the energy and grinder to help those two scorers get opportunities.

Now for the biggest change.

Break up the top line. I know it is late in the season to mess with chemistry but this line will NOT PRODUCE against Texas doing what they do.

Drop Giroux to the 2nd line and move Bourque up. This is a huge risk but I think it has to be done NOW.

Bourque will dig pucks out of the corner and get it to Aucoin to make plays. Giroux is not as good at that skill as Bourque is and neither is Gordon. Currently the top line has 2 scorers and a playmaker. What they need is a grinder which Bourque has been for much of the playoffs.

That move also helps the 2nd line. Now you have a scorer to help Perry. Perry IS the best stick handler on the team but without a scorer on his line he has limited ways to produce. Beagle will play the grinder role, digging pucks out of the corners and getting the rebounds.

Something has to be done and personally I think this needs to be done soon.

Hershey can still win this series. They have been making history all season...this is just one more opportunity.

But things have to change and they have to change now.

LET'S GO BEARS!!!

Bears lose game 1

Well that didn't go according to plan. Hershey managed just 2 shots in the first period, struggled for much of the game offensively, and lost 2-1 to the Texas Stars.

And if it wasn't for Michal Neuvirth making some big saves the game likely would have been much more lopsided.

Overall I would say that Hershey underestimated the Stars a bit. They came out slow in the first period and continued the unsuccessful attempts at cross ice passes for the entire game. The Stars defense is very good positionally and at blocking shots but the shots that were getting through were creating rebounds. Yet Hershey didn't try to shoot when they had open looks...they waited until a Stars player was standing in front of them.

I understand the idea of getting a screen in front of the goalie. And that did work for parts of the game but for the first 30-40 minutes Matt Climie looked very uncomfortable in net. He wasn't seeing the puck well and was giving up rebound after rebound. Unfortunately Hershey couldn't get the puck past him.

And then the physicality started. And it started with Climie. In the 2nd period there was a minor collision with the Stars goalie who took the contact personally. Can't remember who exactly was involved but I am pretty sure Alexandre Giroux had a part in it. Either way Climie was a better goalie after that happened.

Then the 3rd period came and emotions picked up more. Andrew Gordon threw what looked to me anyways to be a fairly questionable hit on Stars defenseman Andrew Hutchinson at the Stars bench. Hutchinson had his back to Gordon and was slightly bent over when Gordon plowed into him sending the Stars defenseman into the boards awkwardly.

No penalty was called on Gordon for the play which did not sit well with the Stars. And I can't blame them one bit, that hit occurs on John Carlson or Karl Alzner and fans might have rushed the ice in Hershey...it was a little dirty.

Matt Stephenson tried to take matters into his own hands. He almost immediately left the bench (not sure if there was a legal change or not) and him, along with the other Stars on the ice, were making a beeline for Gordo. And the Bears knew it was coming too. All the Hershey players on the ice formed a wall between the Stars and Gordon which caused a 10 player scrum for a few minutes.

It doesn't seem to take long for bad blood to surface during a Calder Cup Finals series and it surely didn't take long last night. Even though these teams have never faced off against each other there is plenty of animosity to go around.

Now let's get back to what Hershey did wrong...

Too much passing and stick handling. Every time down the ice they wanted to make the perfect pass instead of shooting. I am not one to yell shoot at the players but last night it would have made sense. And the stick handling complaint goes mainly to one player but plenty had a problem with it. Chris Bourque played phenomenally at both ends of the ice for much of the game but on MORE THAN ONE OCCASION he passed up a shot and tried to make a move around a guy only to get the puck poke checked away. The other players would have been Giroux, Mathieu Perreault, Karl Alzner, and John Carlson.

Defensemen getting greedy. More so than at any other time during the playoffs I thought the Hershey defensemen jumped into the offensive zone too much. Texas is an opportunistic team with good speed and excellent positioning. When a player like Carlson or Patty McNeill jump into the play and turn the puck over it leads to an odd man rush. The game winning goal was scored because Sean Collins tried to jump up into the play but missed the puck and it was a turnover going the other way. Stay back and stay in position, keep pucks in the zone, and take shots at the net when you receive passes at the point.

Trying to skate puck into the zone. One of the most frustrating offensive styles to watch is the dump and chase method but it can be effective. Hershey last night tried almost every time to skate the puck through the neutral zone and get it deep while in possession of the puck. The problem was that Texas either stood them up at the blue line or poke checked the puck away as they were skating to the dots. The times when Hershey actually played dump and chase they seemed to be successful. In the Manchester series this style didn't work because Jonathon Bernier was an excellent puck handling goalie but Climie does not seem to be as talented. Get the puck deep, start cycling, get shots from the point and be ready for the rebounds.

Honestly I thought Texas played outstanding hockey last night. But they aren't Manchester. I know the Stars fans and Tim Leone think they are similar and probably better than Manchester on defense but I disagree. Manchester gave up few odd man rushes through the entire series while Texas gave up multiple last night. Manchester always had 2 guys back and all 5 players would bunch up in front of Bernier when the puck was in the zone. The Stars defense jumped into the play often and they played more traditionally in the defensive zone. What Texas does so well is block passing lanes. If Hershey shoots instead of passes on half of those attempts they end up with 40+ shots in the game. You won't beat the Stars by passing it from one side of the ice to the other.

Game 2 becomes a must win for the Bears in my opinion. With 3 games in Austin coming next week being down 2-0 would be tough to overcome.

The goaltending was phenomenal for the Bears last night. Now the offensive and defensive games have to catch up.

LET'S GO BEARS!!!!

Bears/Stars Series Preview

We are about 57 hours away from the opening faceoff for game 1 of the Calder Cup Finals. Hershey is playing in their 4th Calder Cup Finals in the last 5 years and their 22nd overall. The Texas Stars are playing in their first.

How Did Both Teams Get Here?

Hershey:

Hershey was the #1 overall seed in the AHL this season after accumulating 123 points during the regular season. They scored 342 goals and allowed only 198 while winning 60 games. They finished 29 points ahead of second place Albany in the East division.

During the playoffs Hershey is 12-3 with 55 goals for and 39 goals against. They have gone 8-0 at home and 4-3 on the road. And they are 7-1 in overtime games during the 2010 playoffs. They have come from behind in the third period to win in 9 of their 12 victories.

In the playoffs Hershey needed 5 games to eliminate the Bridgeport Sound Tigers in the first round and only 4 games to eliminate Albany in the East division finals.

Then in the Eastern Conference Finals they faced the Manchester Monarchs in what ended up being an epic 6 game series that saw 4 overtime games and only one game decided by more than 1 goal. Hershey won 3 of those overtime games.

Texas:

Texas finished 2nd in the West division, 6 points behind the division champ Chicago Wolves. They scored 238 goals and allowed 198 while going 46-27-3-4.

Overall the Stars are 12-6 during the playoffs. They have scored 56 goals and have allowed 47. They are 5-2 in overtime games, 6-2 at home, and 6-4 on the road.

In the playoffs they started it off with a 4 game sweep and beating of Rockford in the first round as they outscored the Ice Hogs 15-5 in the series.

Then they faced off against the AHL's #3 seed, the Chicago Wolves, in the West division finals. That series ended up going 7 games with 3 overtime games. Early in the 2nd period of game 7 Texas was down 4-2 on the road before scoring 4 goals to Chicago's 1 which resulted in a 6-5 overtime win.

Which got them a date with the AHL's #2 overall seed, the Hamilton Bulldogs. Another 2-3-2 series format kicked off with Hamilton winning the first 2 and Texas taking the next 2 before game 5 and the final game in Texas for the series. I thought Texas had to win that game to win the series. They lose game 5 and they have to win 2 straight in Hamilton.

Well they lost game 5 in Texas but won games 6 and 7 in Hamilton to end the Bulldogs season. In fact they needed more dramatics in game 7. Yet again they were down 2 early in the 2nd period before storming back with 4 goals. This time they were all unanswered goals and no overtime was required and Texas was headed to Hershey.


Goaltending

Hershey:

Michal Neuvirth is the man in Hershey again. Overall he is 10-2 with a 2.17 goals against average and a .917 save percentage. In the Manchester series he went 4-2 with a 1.85 goals against average and a .936 save percentage. He always seems to step up in big games and is as clutch as any goaltender in the league.

Texas:

Brent Krahn started 10 games early in the playoffs before suffering an injury and giving way to Matt Climie. Climie started one game against Chicago (filled in for 2 other games too) and in all 7 games against Hamilton. Overall he is 5-3 with a 2.62 goals against average and a .922 save percentage in the playoffs.

Defense

Hershey:

Incredibly deep unit with guys like Amadio and Miscokic not even dressing for some games. Karl Alzner and John Carlson lead the blue line and are as good as any pairing in the league. Next season they will likely be blue line mates in Washington.

Bryan Helmer leads the team with a +11 rating while Alzner leads the defensemen in scoring with 2 goals and 4 assists in his 14 playoff games. But Patrick McNeill was the hero late in the Manchester series with an assist, goal, and huge save in the clinching game 6.

Overall they are as good a unit as their is in the league. There are guys who can jump up on the rush and become wingers, Carlson and McNeill, and guys who are as sound positionally as anyone, Alzner and Helmer. Add in players like Ammo, Wellar, Sean Collins and Miscovic and they truly go 8 deep.

Texas:

Defensive numbers are hard to quantify. Especially when you don't see a team play. Texas has 4 defensemen in the top 9 playoff scorers. Leading the way and 2nd on the team in points is Andrew Hutchinson who has 4 goals and 1o assists in 18 games. Dan Jancevski, who has 1 goal and 9 assists, is the team leader in plus minus with a +12.

Offensively they have 4 defensemen with 7 or more points which is 4 more than the Bears have. But again that doesn't say too much considering I have yet to see Texas play.

Offensive

Hershey:

Is there a better offense in the league? No. You don't score 342 goals during the regular season unless you are the best. They have since added 55 more in 15 playoff games. And they will be fully healthy for game 1 with Andrew Gordon coming back and Mathieu Perreault getting over his injuries as well.

For much of the Manchester series the Bears depth advantage was non-existent due to Gordon being out and the lines getting shuffled around. There were a couple games, when Hershey dressed Della Rovere and/or 7 defensemen, that they Hershey 4th line barely saw any ice time. While that is common place in the AHL it has been extremely rare for the Bears who have have run 4 lines each and every game for the last 2 postseasons.

It is a distinct advantage for a team if they continue to do that. Obviously it has helped the Bears late in the 3rd periods as even when they are trailing they are still likely to win it seems.

While Texas has the overall scoring leader in the playoffs Hershey boasts 3 of the top 10 goal scorers in the playoffs, Bouque, Giroux and Gordon. Add assists to the topic along with Aucoin and Hershey has 4 of the top 7 in points during the playoffs.

Basically it comes down to this....Hershey's top line is an all-star line. Gordon has 10 goals, Giroux 12, and Aucoin has 18 assists during the playoffs. Then you look at the 2nd line and see Bourque who actually leads the team in points with 23 (7g, 16a) along with Perreault who has 5 goals and 8 assists.

You still have Wilson (4 and 6), Pinner (4/2), and Bouch (2/4) in their spots. Guys like Beagle and Kane are skating on the 3rd/4th lines for Hershey that would spend time on many teams 1st/2nd lines. The depth is unbelievable and it will be a difference maker again.

Texas:

Texas does have one thing Hershey doesn't...the AHL goal and point scoring leader. Jamie Benn, the NHLer I might add, has 14 goals and 10 assists to lead all players. He played in all 82 games for the Dallas Stars this season totaling 22 goals and 19 assists this season.

There is apparently some rule that allowed Benn to play in the AHL playoffs even though he did not spend a minute there during the regular season. Not sure what it is but I am pretty sure it would have to do with junior eligibility but whatever.

After Benn there are a bunch of role players it seems. Like the defensive analysis it is kind of tough to really give proper analysis when you have never seen a team play.

As mentioned in my post last week, Travis Morin, the former Bear and Stingray, is in the top 5 in points for the team with 3 goals and 1o assists. Add to him and Benn other players (mainly centers) like Perttu Lindgren (6/8), Aaron Gagnon (6/3), and Warren Peters (4/3) and you see that while they don't have a dominating top line they do have depth.

The PICK:

Before the Manchester series I offered up a Bears in 7 prediction. It ended up close to that as Hershey won in 6 but it was definitely a closer series than many people thought it would be. But that was close because Manchester had the league's best goalie and a defense that blocked as many shots as anyone.

Does Texas have that? Not sure about the defense but considering they have allowed 47 playoff goals I would say they aren't. And they definitely don't have Bernier in goal.

Hershey has been here before, they are rested and healthy, and they are ready. Texas is talented don't get me wrong but they have already played two 7 game series against the #2 and #3 team in the AHL. They are not as rested and let's be honest...not as talented as the Bears.

Now if it all came down to paper we would all be getting rich betting on sports. They play the games for a reason. I haven't seen Texas play...ever...so this is kind of a tough pick to make. The Stars are obviously resilient having one 2 straight 7 game series on the road. But if the NHL is any indication their road ends here.

Montreal won 2 game 7s on the road in the NHL this season and I heard this stat. Every team that had done that before failed to win the following series.

Hopefully that translates to the AHL.

I think it will. While I would love to see Hershey win the game in 6 on home ice I am not certain it will get that far.

My pick...Hershey in 5.

LET'S GO BEARS!!!

Who are the Texas Stars?

The Texas Stars are in the inaugural AHL season and are the first AHL team since 01-02 to make the Calder Cup Finals in their first season.

They finished the regular season in 2nd place in the West Division behind Chicago. After sweeping Rockford in the first round of the playoffs they have since gone to 2 game 7s in beating the league's #3 team in Chicago and the league's #2 team in Hamilton.

And now they get the league's #1 team in Hershey.

If they do end up winning the cup at least you know they earned every bit of it by playing the top 3 teams in the league in the playoffs.

During the regular season they scored 238 goals (Hershey had 342) and allowed 198 goals (same as Hershey). Not exactly an offensive juggernaut but definitely played well at the defensive end.

In the playoffs to date they have scored 56 goals (Hershey has 55) and have allowed 47 (Hershey 39). They have also played 3 more games than the Bears this postseason.

Their regular season scoring leaders were:

• C Aaron Gagnon with 27 goals and 31 assists for 58 points
• C Travis Morin with 21 goals and 31 assists for 52 points
• C Perttu Lindgren with 14 goals and 33 assists for 47 points

Overall they had 9 players with double digit goals and 6 players with 40+ points. Like I said...not an offensive juggernaut but they got the job done.

The postseason has been a bit different though:

• F Jamie Benn has 14 goals and 10 assists as he leads the Stars and the AHL in goals and points in the postseason.
• D Andrew Hutchinson is 2nd on the team in points with 15 (4g and 11a).
• C Perttu Lindgren is 3rd with 6 goals and 8 assists.
• C Travis Morin is 4th with 3 goals and 10 assists.

You might recognize one name on that list. Travis Morin is a former South Carolina Stingray who played 5 games for Hershey over the previous two seasons. He was picked up by the Stars this past summer and played well for them all season. I always wanted Travis to get his shot in Hershey but unfortunately the center depth in the organization worked against him.

Another former part-time Bear is RW Mathieu Beaudoin who played 7 games during the 07-08 regular season and added a playoff game that year as well.

And former Bear forward Paul Jerrard who played parts of 3 seasons for the Bears from 94-97 and was on the 96-97 Calder Cup winning team. He is currently the assistant coach for the Stars.

Here are a few other players you might recognize from Calder Cup Finals past...

• D Maxime Fortunos played for the Manitoba Moose last season and faced the Bears in the Calder Cup Finals. He will surely be called upon over the next week to help dissect exactly what the Bears do.
• RW Raymond Sawada also played against the Bears during last seasons Calder Cup Finals as a member of the Manitoba Moose. He scored 1 goal in the series.
• C Greg Rallo was yet another of the 08-09 Manitoba Moose. He played in 4 games against the Bears in the finals but did not record a point.
• D Dan Jancevski was a member of the 06-07 Hamilton Bulldogs team that beat Hershey in 5 games.

That is who the Stars are.

So how will the series go? How do the Bears match up?

Check back early next week and I will have a good series preview ready to go. I will say this...I want Hershey to win in 6 because I want to see a clinching game on home ice.

Bears will play Texas Starts in finals

In what can only be described as at least a slight surprise the Texas Stars managed to beat the Hamilton Bulldogs twice at Copps Coliseum to win the Western Conference Championship. Now they get the other top team in the league, the Hershey Bears.

The series schedule looks like this...

Thursday, June 3 - Hershey - 7:00
Saturday, June 5 - Hershey - 7:00
Monday, June 7 - Texas - 8:30
Wednesday, June 9 - Texas - 8:30
Friday, June 11 - Texas - 8:30 (if necessary)
Monday, June 14 - Hershey - 7:00 (if necessary)
Wednesday, June 16 - Hershey - 7:00 (if necessary)

Fair schedule. Only one two day break after the start and considering the travel that is pretty good.

It will be 12 days between games for the Bears which in this situation might be okay because that was a physical Manchester series that left multiple Bears nursing injuries. Most notably right wing Andrew Gordon who will likely be back for the the finals.

I will have plenty more about this unknown team in the coming days so check back often.

Suspense, Record, McNeill, Kane, and the Calder Cup Finals!!!

WOW! What a game!

Hershey got timely goaltending, solid defense, and just enough offense to finish off the series with the Manchester Monarchs and now await the Western Conference winner in the Calder Cup Finals!!!

It didn't start out so good though. Manchester took a 1-0 lead into the first period thanks to a mistake by Bears goalie Michal Neuvirth and some miscommunication between the rest of the team. An icing call was upcoming until Neuvy left his crease as he debated playing the puck. Whether or not he played it or not doesn't matter, the linesman waived off the icing (with plenty of time left for Hershey to know it) but the Bears didn't see that and played the puck like they would a touch up.

But Manchester didn't stop and converted the mistake into a 1-0 lead. With less than 20 seconds to go in the period, that is a tough goal to take.

It seemed to effect Hershey in the second as well as they seemed a little slow and unfocused while the Monarchs came to play. There were numerous close calls in the 2nd including a Monarch missing a wide open net and Patty McNeill doing his best Neuvy impersonation with what was probably the save of the night. The puck was about to cross the goal line after getting by Neuvy but McNeill swept it away to keep the Bears within striking distance.

Overall the Monarchs outplayed the Bears for much of the game. But in the third Hershey came to play. They doubled their shot total from the first two periods with 13 in the third period alone and scored twice.

Really the difference seemed to be that Manchester didn't block as many shots. The Giroux goal came on a rebound and the McNeill goal was really just a weak wrister that didn't get knocked down and Bernier likely never saw.

Not sure if it was the depth or just more determination from Hershey but they owned the third period and overtime.

And Boyd Kane was the hero in overtime. After a McNeill shot went wide, Kyle Wilson picked it up, went around the back of the net and fed the puck to Kane's stick where he put it behind Bernier and ended the Monarchs season.

Much of this week I bashed Kane's offensive prowess as he was playing on the top line but he managed to be the offensive hero last night. Playing on the third line for the last 2 games seemed to fit him better and the entire team seemed to benefit from it.

The other player that really seemed to key some offensive play was Cody Eakin. He played on the 4th line with Joudrey and Rome and for the first two periods that line was probably Hershey's best.

Getting a little more offense on the 4th line was key to keeping them on the ice more. During games 4 and 5 it seemed like the 4th line was barely used. Thanks to the Gordon injury the depth that carried the Bears for much of the season seemed to diminish due to players having to move up onto other lines. So bringing Eakin back from summer vacation seemed like a good move and it proved to be just that last night.

The return of McNeill to the lineup was also huge. Sure he made it back in game 4 but that was the game with 7 defensemen and I am not sure how much he actually played. He took the place of Greg Amadio last night and he provided a much needed offensive spark from the blue line. Prior to last night John Carlson was really the only d-man pushing the puck and jumping into the play. Which for many teams, like Manchester, that wouldn't change much. But Hershey, like Washington, relies on their defense to pinch in, keep pucks in the zone, and jump up on the rush.

So not having that for a few games was part of the offensive struggles. Last night McNeill added that element to a 2nd line. And it paid huge dividends.


Now comes the waiting part. Hamilton took a 3-2 series lead last night in Texas. The series now heads back to Hamilton for games 6 and, if necessary, 7. Obviously Texas is up against it here and odds are Hamilton will face Hershey in the Calder Cup Finals.

Seems familiar doesn't it?? 3 years ago Hershey beat Manchester to advance to their second straight Calder Cup Finals where they ran into the Hamilton Bulldogs and lost in 5 games.

This is a different, more talented Bears team and a different outcome is expected.

For those of you at the game last night you might have heard the public address announcer make the announcement that games 1 and 2 will be in Hershey. Which is how it should be. But because of the circus coming to town from the 26-31 that isn't necessarily how it will be.

It was reported in Hamilton a few days ago that if Hershey and Hamilton were to square off in the finals that the series would go 2-3-1-1. Meaning games 1,2 in Hamilton followed by 3 straight in Hershey, game 6 in Hamilton, and back to Hershey for game 7.

So Hershey COULD actually be the top seed and start a series on the road. It wouldn't be exactly optimum but if they were able to split those 2 games it surely would make things extremely difficult for the Bulldogs.

But that is a discussion for another time. Congrats to the Bears for winning their 4th Eastern Conference title in the past 5 seasons. What a stretch of hockey it has been!!

LET'S GO BEARS!!!!!

Bears can win series tonight!

What a game on Thursday night! 0-0 through 2 periods, 3-2 Bears victory in overtime. I really though Bernier was going to steal his first game of the series but Francois Bouchard, and before that Chris Bourque, managed to keep that from happening.

Down 1 with a minute to go Hershey pulled Neuvirth and thanks to some very good passing and puck control Chris Bourque scored the tying goal with 50 seconds to go.

Hershey was extremely close to heading back home down 3 games to 2. But instead they are up 3 to 2 and Manchester will have to do what no combination of AHL teams have done in 2010...win 2 games in Hershey!

At the beginning of the series I thought that Jonathon Bernier was probably the reason that Manchester was doing as well as they were. But the more I see of them I would say that isn't entirely accurate. In the last 2 games I can't remember a single time where Hershey had an odd man rush.

When Hershey brings the puck through the neutral zone there are always 2 Monarchs in their own zone. And once Hershey gets possession in the zone the Monarchs have all 5 players deep and in passing lanes. Which allows them to block shot after shot from anywhere outside the faceoff circles.

I think that while Bernier is definitely very good his numbers this postseason have more to do with the playing style than his exceptional play.

In fact it reminds me of another team in this years hockey playoffs that has done the unthinkable...the Montreal Canadiens. They have been playing excellent defensive hockey and it has them in the Eastern Conference Championship.

Don't get me wrong...both Bernier and Halak are playing great hockey. But when your defense is always in position and you block lot of shots a goalie doesn't have to be 'perfect'.


After game 1 the Monarchs mentioned that the large, loud crowd kind of rattled them a bit. Well I can guarantee that tonight's crowd will be larger and louder than that one was. And having played the last 3 games in their building with a grand total of 7,761 fans they will surely need to readjust to a building with 10,500+ fans!!

Fortunately for the Monarchs it is looking questionable if Andrew Gordon will be able to return this series. It was looking like he might make it back for tonight's game but in the paper yesterday it mentioned that he is doubtful for the game and the series.

Hopefully he can return if Hershey makes the finals.

Another sign that he won't be there is the return of Cody Eakin. They had sent the junior eligible winger home for the summer earlier this week but changed their mind recently and called him back.

The kid can flat out score goals. In 4 games for Hershey this season he scored 2 goals and in his junior season he scored 47 goals in 70 games!! And he added another 44 assists in those games.

While Jay Beagle was definitely an upgrade over Boyd Kane on the top line a kid like Cody Eakin could make some noise there or maybe on the third line. More than likely he was brought back for depth purposes only but I would like to see him get a shot.

Personally though...I would rather just see Andrew Gordon on the right side of Giroux and Aucoin.

LET'S GO BEARS!!!!

Bears can't beat Bernier, drop game 4

Well at least we get to see the Bears play in Hershey again this weekend!! See there is a bright side to everything.

Last night Manchester controlled play from the opening faceoff and finished the night with a 1-0 victory to tie the Eastern Conference Finals at 2 games a piece. And it wasn't that difficult either as the Bears managed a whopping 18 shots on the night and had no more than 7 in any period.

Now Hershey needs to figure out how to regain momentum and create some offensive pressure, which has mysteriously disappeared in the last 2 games.

Can all of that be attributed to Andrew Gordon missing from the lineup? Or is this just Hershey getting complacent after going up 2 games to none?

I think it is probably a little bit of both. Hershey won game 2 and was up 2-0 in game 3 without Gordon so it isn't all that. But they would be better equipped to weather this storm if he was there.

No, I think this is more a little complacency from the defending Calder Cup Champs. They won the first 2 games and then were up 2-0 in the 3rd period of game 3 before letting Manchester back in the series. Now Manchester has all the momentum and Hershey is questioning their play.

Not good.

So how do they fix it? Well...dressing 7 defensemen is not the answer. If you are struggling offensively I don't see how that makes any sense. And dressing a kid making his AHL debut who isn't known for his offensive output is also questionable. Della Rovere is going to be a solid player but he is not going to score a lot of goals.

In my opinion one of the big problems the Caps had and now the Bears are having is teams are able to shut down 2 good players on one line but they can't stop 3. That explains why, with Gordo in the lineup, the Bears are much better because if you are the opposition, who do you stop on that line?

But when you put Boyd Kane on that line he is no threat so you focus on Giroux and Aucoin and let Kaner run around wild.

Washington had the same problem in the playoffs. No offense to Mike Knuble but the Canadiens were not afraid of him. So they shut down Ovi and Nicky and let Knuble run wild. They were able to do that to every line on the Caps team.

Right now the Monarchs can do that to Hershey. Except the second line has been impressive the past 2 games. Bourque, Perreault, and either Bouchard or Beagle have been very good in both ends I thought. But it obviously isn't enough.

So what would I like to see tomorrow night? Well if he is available get Gordon into the lineup but if he needs another day don't rush him.

After that do 2 things...shuffle the lines and dress Michael Dubuc. Dubuc can score and play offense. Playing defense is generally considered his weakness.

The lines:

Giroux - Aucoin - Bourque
Dubuc - Perreault - Bouchard
Beagle - Wilson - Pinner
Rome - Joudrey - Kane

That will help the offensive game. I know Bourque is a left wing and Beagle would rather play center but something needs to change. Without Gordon, Hershey is weak on the right side so you have to move someone over for a game.

I am sure Bourque can handle right wing for a game or two.

Now if you are the Monarchs...who do you stop on the top two lines? You can't possibly shut down everyone on the top line and if they let Dubuc alone he can surely score. And the third line is good too with Wilson getting some offensive help.

Any way you look at it Hershey HAS TO PLAY BETTER UP FRONT. If they don't get more shots and more goals soon this is going to be a bad way to end the season. Sure much of the problem has been the Monarchs ability to block shots but with 3 scorers on the top 2 lines you will have more options and more open lanes.


I watched the game on AHL Live last night and followed along with some of the chatter that was going on in the chat window.

Why does everyone seem surprised that Manchester is a good team? They had won 16 of 20 games coming into the series and had only allowed more than 3 goals twice in that time. Sure they didn't win the division but in 05-06 neither did the Bears!

And remember that while Hershey was decidedly better record wise in the regular season they also achieved those numbers against a weaker than usual East division. While Manchester played in the much more demanding Atlantic division and still managed to get to 95 points which would have been good enough for 2nd in the East division.

Manchester did not sneak into this round like Providence did last year. This team is for real.

I am as surprised as anyone about how the Bears have been playing the past 2 games but remember that I did say this series would go 7. So at some point Hershey was going to lose some games. Honestly I thought it would be more of a result of Bernier playing out of his mind while in reality it has been Hershey's lack of offensive push causing the problems.

Tomorrow nights game 5 is obviously big for both teams. If Hershey wins the Monarchs would then have to beat Hershey twice at home. Not hard...it has only been about 6 months since Hershey's lost 2 at home but still it is possible. But if Manchester wins they would only need to win one game in Hershey which while still difficult (only one other team has won a game in Hershey since November) is definitely easier to accomplish.

But in the end I only know this....

I still believe and I will be there on Saturday to root for the Hershey Bears on their quest for Calder Cup number 11!!

LET'S GO BEARS!!!!

Bears fall apart in 3rd, drop game 3

Well that was surprising. Hershey controlled the play for much of the first 2 periods and for the first 5 minutes of the third. Then Manchester took over and out Beared the Bears scoring twice in the third to tie it and then scoring the game winner 3 minutes into overtime.

Hershey started out great, getting a late first period goal from Alexandre Giroux and an early third period tally from Mathieu Perreault. Manchester had shown little in the way of actual offense up to that point.

But it was funny. As soon as Hershey went up 2-0 people started getting confident. John Walton made a reference to Hershey being up 3-0 and the chat room on AHLLive seemed like the game was over.

Got to wonder if the Bears players started to feel that way too? It sure seemed like it.

From that point on Manchester controlled the play. With the exception of a late Bears power play in the third Hershey lacked any sort of real offense.

Although truthfully that seemed to be a problem all game as Hershey finished with just 25 shots. Manchester supposedly had 40 but most of those were poor shots from the outside and didn't cause much trouble.

I mentioned this Sunday and I will mention it again....what is Boyd Kane doing on the top line? That line was a non-factor last night and I personally believe it had more to do with the personnel than Manchester's D.

The newspaper mentioned something about putting some grit on the top line in place of Andrew Gordon. That's fine but is Boyd Kane truly the best option? I still think Pinizzotto would be the right fit as he is still contributing offensively this season. Kane has scored only 5 goals since the beginning of February while Pinner has 2 this series.

I don't know. I am not at practice or in the meetings so who knows how everyone feels about it. I also understand the desire to keep the remaining lines intact if possible but the top line is the most important offensively. Adding a guy like Kyle Wilson would be okay but he probably isn't going to go to the front of the net. Jay Beagle would be good but he is playing center elsewhere. Personally I would rather see Ashton Rome on the top line than Boyd Kane.

Don't get me wrong, Kane is a very good player. He had a tremendous season but right now Hershey NEEDS offense. You can't expect to beat Bernier and the Monarchs by scoring 2 goals, not with the way Neuvirth is playing in the third period so far.

Kane had 1 shot last night. 1. If you are playing on a line with Aucoin and Giroux you better produce more offense than that.


Everyone knew Manchester was going to come hungry to win last night. We knew that Hershey would have to give their best to go up 3-0. Unfortunately Hershey didn't give their best and Manchester came to win and they did.

Now the series is 2-1 and everything is different. Manchester now has some momentum. They have 2 more games in their building. Don't think for a second that they aren't good enough to be in this series. Don't think for a second that the Monarchs can't win the next 2 at home.

Hershey needs to show up more determined then ever tonight. Play like its game 7 of the Calder Cup Finals. Throw everything you have at the Monarchs and knock them down early. Because if this series goes to 2-2 tonight....all bets are off.

LET'S GO BEARS!!!!

Bears take 2-0 series lead in overtime

Let's clear this up now...was it a goal?

Yes it was. I unfortunately was unable to attend the game last night but managed to see the end of the game online and the one replay was perfect. That puck was absolutely across the line prior to the net coming off. But just barely. Remember it isn't when the puck hits the net but rather when it crosses the goal line.

Here you be the judge....



And according to the AHL rule book it honestly wouldn't have mattered. The referee is permitted to allow the goal even if the goal is off.

For the 7th time in 11 postseason games the Hershey Bears came from behind in the third period to win the game. Last night Manchester played very good hockey. Some timely saves by Neuvirth helped the Bears stay in the game and eventually win.

I didn't think Hershey did as good a job last night as they did Wednesday as far as getting in Bernier's way and crease.

That might have had something to do with Andrew Gordon leaving due to injury in the 1st period but still there are other players who can do that.

Obviously I am not a coach so I don't know what happens in practice BUT out of all the players on Hershey's roster, WHY would Boyd Kane be selected to take Gordo's spot on the top line?

Nothing against Kane, great player, great leader, and definitely talented. But let's be honest, he isn't fast and he isn't a prominent goal scorer. Obviously you don't break up the Perry, Bouch, and Bourque line so that eliminates 3 guys. And while Andrew Joudrey is an amazing player he is even less of a scorer so he is out. But that leaves 4 other players that I would rather see on the first line...Beagle, Wilson, Rome, or (my personal favorite) Pinner.

Steve Pinizzotto has come to play in this series. He has 2 goals, a fight, and loads of hustle. He is a better offensive weapon than many people realize and he would be PERFECT for the top line if Gordo can't go. He is a pest who can score. You put him on the first line and let him play his game and the Monarchs will pay more attention to him allowing for more open ice for Giroux and Coiner.

That being said, making a change mid game due to injury I can see Kane getting the spot due to him being there before and being able to play multiple styles. But heading into Monday's game, if Gordo can't go (listed at day to day which can mean anything in the playoffs) then I hope to see Pinner take his spot.

Hershey has placed the Monarchs squarely on the chopping block now. The next 3 games come in New Hampshire which is surely a benefit for the Monarchs but Hershey is guaranteed another home game. Whether it is this series or the next Hershey will play in the GC again this spring.

Game 2 tonight

Hershey showed everyone on Wednesday night that they are the team to beat no matter what the circumstances, long layoff, hot goaltender, anything. But there is still plenty of work to do.

Tonight's game isn't quite as big as game 1 for Hershey but it is huge for the Monarchs. If the Bears can win tonight they would be up 2-0 in the series as they head for Manchester and would at least guarantee that they wouldn't lose the series without coming home first.

But if the Monarchs can somehow beat the Bears at Giant Center, which is extremely rare (more on that in a second) then they could conceivably win the series without returning to Hershey.

I know, I know...Hershey looked really good on Wednesday night. All the fears and concerns I expressed on here leading into game 1 were found to be unwarranted. Surely all you Bears fans are now confident that Hershey can win this series in 4 games and be well rested for the Calder Cup Finals.

I will admit that I am definitely more confident in Hershey's chances but remember this...(if you read my game review write up you saw this already) Jonathon Bernier and the Monarchs gave up 4 goals in a game 1 loss to Worcester in the last round. Do you know how many goals he gave up in the next 5 games?

6.

6 goals in 5 games and the Sharks were heading to the golf course. Don't be fooled by Bernier's 'perceived' troubles on Wednesday night. He is very very good and he can win games for the Monarchs.

Now, that being said I really think Hershey is positioned well to win this series. Maybe in as few games as 5. But in order to do that they would have to win tonight. They win tonight and I think this series could be over before next weekend. They lose tonight and I would say the series will return to Hershey next Saturday night.

But can the Monarchs win in Hershey? Can anyone beat the Bears in Hershey???

In the playoffs Hershey is 6-0 and has outscored the opponent 25-14 at Giant Center. Impressive. Now check this out...

Through the first 10 home games (up until Nov 28) Hershey went 5-5 at home. Since then they have gone an astounding 29-1 and have not scored less than 3 goals at home in any game.
Want more?

• scored more than 3 goals 27 times
• are 27-0 when they score 4 or more
• scored more than 4 goals 20 times during the regular season stretch

Combine the regular season and postseason and this is what you get...

• 35-1 since Nov 28
• scored 3 goals (no fewer) in every game
• scored 4 goals or more in 32 games
• have a 32-0 record when they score 4+ goals

RIDICULOUS!

LET'S GO BEARS!!!!