Nycholat's eligibilty

Got a question on yesterday's post about how Nycholat could be eligible for the postseason despite not showing up on Hershey's clear day list.

Since I am sure others have the same question I will answer it in this post. 

I am 99% sure I have this right but if I don't someone please correct me...

Lawrence Nycholat would be eligible to replace any player on Hershey's clear day list that is on recall and/or out with an injury.  You can view Hershey's clear day roster (and the rest of the AHL teams) here.

Some players on the list are nursing minor injuries...Zach Miscovic and Mathieu Perreault (not certain the severity there).  I am sure there are others nursing injuries as well.

But the name to keep in mind right now is Sean Collins.  Collins remains on recall to Washington and does not appear to be on his way back soon. 

So...Nycholat would replace Collins on the roster until he came back.  Once he comes back an injured player could be moved off the roster and Nycholat on.

All players are dealing with injuries at this point.  It just depends on the extent or severity of the injury.  And that is up to Hershey to decide.  Meaning that if a player who isn't playing, like David de Kastrozza, has a minor ankle injury when Collins returns...that might become a bit more severe and unplayable at that point.

Any way you look at it I expect Lawrence Nycholat to be in the lineup for some (not all) of the Bears games.  Hershey still has the veteran limit to consider for these games.  And it will be a tough call for which player sits.  Honestly...I think Nycholat sits most games but he would be there in case of injury to another veteran.

Hopefully that answers the question.

Hershey enters playoffs on losing streak

Well the games were meaningless so we can't really judge the effort in the 2 games but Hershey didn't really compete with Wilkes-Barre and/or Syracuse this weekend at Giant Center.  Losing 2 straight by a combined 8-3 can't be good going into the playoffs...can it?

Well...who knows.  I guess we will find out sometime over the next 2 months.  But I can say this...last years team lost their last game.  So did the 08-09 team.

Over their last 5 games Hershey went 3-2-0-0 this year.  Same as last year.  In 08-09 they went 2-2-1-0.  In 05-06 they went 2-2-1-0 to close the season.  Those were good seasons!

Over the past 6 years the only years Hershey went into the playoffs playing really good hockey (based on record anyway) would have been 06-07 when they were 5-1-0-0 over their last 6.  And again in 07-08 when they entered on a 3 game winning streak and a 4-0-1-0 in their last 5.

Those years didn't end that well.

Maybe there is something there....or maybe not.  Who knows.

This year's Bears team enters the playoffs healthy for the first time in months.  A couple players have minor injuries (Dmitry Orlov and Matheiu Perreault to name 2) but most of the team is healthy. 

That includes defenseman Lawrence Nycholat who played his first game since January 27th last night against Syracuse. 

Basically what I am saying is that Hershey finally has the lineup that they had for much of their dominant run in November through January.  Gordon, Aucoin, Souray, Nycholat, and Holtby are in Hershey and healthy (quick knock on wood) for the most important time of the year.

Will that translate into another run at the Calder Cup and playing hockey into June?

I think so. 

There will be much more in the coming days about the matchup with Charlotte.  The Checkers and Bears split the season series 4-4 with each team going 2-2 in the other teams building.

It should be a good series.

Taking a look around at other matchups sees that Norfolk won their last game of the season to move into 4th in the East Division.

Congratulations Norfolk...you earn a trip to the #1 overall seed in the AHL!! 

While Binghamton, who finished 5th in the East Division, makes the jump to the Atlantic Division to face 2nd seed Manchester Monarchs. 

If I had to choose...I would rather be in Binghamton's spot. 

And that is a team that I think could make some noise.  They are expecting plenty of talent back from Ottawa and now they get the equivalent of the #4 seed in the Eastern Conference in the first round instead of the #1 overall team. 

Not saying that Manchester isn't a good team but based on the statistics available (and general opinion) the Baby Pens were the class of the league this season. 

And yes...it sucks to say that!


As I mentioned before I will have plenty more on the Charlotte/Hershey series as we lead up to Game 1 on Thursday night in Hershey.  The entire series schedule is viewable on the right side of this page.  You can view schedules for all the first round matchups here.

Bears beat Pens...face Checkers in 1st round

In order to win the Calder Cup you need 16 wins in the playoffs.  Hershey now knows that they will need to get 4 of those wins against the Charlotte Checkers.

Charlotte beat Worcester last night to clinch the #3 seed in the East Division. 

The series starts Thursday in Hershey.

But first the Bears and the rest of the AHL need to finish the regular season slate which concludes tomorrow night. 

Last night Hershey traveled to Wilkes-Barre to face the Baby Pens for the 9th time this season.  Going into the game Hershey had gone 1-5-1-1 against their rivals with the one win coming at a neutral site just before New Years. 

They finished the game with a 2-5-1-1 record against the Pens after a 2-1 victory that was of the physical nature. 

Braden Holtby made 24 saves and Andrew Kozek scored both Hershey goals as the Bears reached the 100 point plateau for the third straight season....which is a team record.

The two teams play again tonight in Hershey to close out the season series.  The Pens have already clinched the #1 seed in the AHL and really don't have much else to play for.  Their opponent for the 1st round is not yet decided as Binghamton and Norfolk are battling for the 4th spot in the East.

Unfortunately the game was not injury free for the Bears as Mathieu Perreault exited with an apparent leg injury.  The severity of the injury is not yet known.

Brian Willsie did not play due to an "upper body" injury according to the team.  My guess...mostly just a maintenance day.  Willsie has played 76 of Hershey's 78 games and he could surely use a couple days of rest before the playoffs.  More than likely he would have played had the game been important.

With 2 games left this weekend (Syracuse visits Sunday) the Bears are looking to continue their current winning streak and avoid any more injuries heading into the postseason.

LET'S GO BEARS!!!!

Bears clinch 2nd; Gordon suspended; Scoreboard watching

Okay so a few things have happened this week and I haven't been around to post...sorry. 

First, the Bears clinched the #2 spot in the East Division thanks to Norfolk's win on Monday night over Charlotte.  So Hershey will have home ice for the first round of the playoffs.  Dates, and the opponent, have not yet been set.

Second, Andrew Gordon will not play tomorrow night.  Why?  Because he was suspended for a high sticking incident this past weekend.  Not exactly sure what happened or why he was suspended but I would simply ask this...

Chris Durno blindsided Keith Aucoin AWAY FROM THE PLAY and he got a whopping 3 game suspension and Andrew Gordon (accidentally I believe) hits someone with a high stick and he gets 1 game???  Something doesn't add up.  Even if Gordon's suspension is warranted, which I question, Durno should have gotten more for his non-hockey play that knocked Aucoin out for a few weeks.

Here is the AHL's announcement of Gordon's suspension.


Third, scoreboard watching is in full effect.  Not to see where Hershey finishes but to see who they will play.  Three teams (Charlotte, Norfolk, Binghamton) remain a possibility after Binghamton beat Norfolk last night.

To see the AHL standings follow this link.

Of the three, only Norfolk plays tonight as they visit the Syracuse Crunch.  They follow that up with another game in Syracuse on Saturday and a trip to Connecticut for Sunday.  Syracuse doesn't strike much fear in anyone at this stage of the season but they have been playing well of late, going 7-3-0-0 in their last 10.  And the game against the Whale could be for Connecticut's playoff lives as they currently hold the #3 spot in the Atlantic by 1 point over Worcester.

Charlotte, currently the Bears first round opponent, is in solid position to remain the #3 team in the East.  They are 2 points up on Norfolk and while the Admirals have a game in hand they can only catch the Checkers if Charlotte loses.  Win both their games and Charlotte will be Hershey's first round opponent.  They host Worcester for two games Friday and Saturday night.  Not easy games as the Sharks are still pushing for the playoffs and they have ground to make up.

Binghamton has the longest odds and easiest road to move up in the standings.  Currently they sit in 5th (or 4th in the Atlantic if you would prefer) 3 points behind Charlotte with 2 games to play.  They need help just to get to 4th in the East without even considering 3rd.  They have the easiest road though with a trip to Rochester on Friday before a visit from the Phantoms on Saturday finishes their season.

Soon enough we will know Hershey's 1st round opponent.  My bet would be on Charlotte based on all the facts as of right now but that could change.  Pay attention to tonight's game because a Norfolk loss would all but clinch the 3rd spot for the Checkers.

As soon as dates are announced for the games I will surely have something posted here. 

Bears 1 point from clinching 2nd place

Wow.  I am thoroughly impressed after the last 2 nights.  First a 6-3 win and then a come from behind 5-4 win puts the Hershey Bears only 1 point from clinching the #2 seed in the East Division and having home ice advantage for the 1st round of the playoffs.

And we won't necessarily have to wait until next weekend to see it.  If Norfolk beats Charlotte tomorrow night (in regulation) it is over and Hershey gets home ice. 

The Checkers have to win all three of their remaining games and Hershey would have lose 3 straight in regulation for the Bears to drop to 3rd.  Tomorrow night the Checkers host Norfolk in a key game in the battle for 3rd in the East.

After watching the last 2 games I am definitely hoping to see Norfolk in the 1st round!

Last night was something.  I didn't get to see the whole thing but I will be honest...I didn't think they could come back.  Last year's team...absolutely.  I would have EXPECTED a comeback.

But the 2010-11 version?  I didn't think they had it in them. 

Down 3 after 1.  On the season Hershey was 3-15-1 when trailing after 1 period of play.  And that is just trailing by 1 or more. 

3?

Wow.  4 goals in the 2nd period and Hershey stole a victory from Norfolk.

And how about Braden Holtby?!?!   Gave up 4 goals on 9 shots in the 1st and looked very flustered by the end.  He comes back for the 2nd period and proceeds to shutout the Ads over the final 2 periods while facing 22 shots.

Probably his best performance in a Hershey uniform in quite some time.  He has played outstanding for the Caps but in Hershey he has struggled of late.  He has given up 3 or more goals in 7 of his last 8 games and 5 of those games have been 4+. 

And how about Coach French?!?!  What did he say to the team at the 1st intermission??   This team has folded numerous times this season when they get behind early.  But down 3 and French gets them to come out swinging for the fences in the 2nd.  Outstanding job!

And finally...how about Francois Bouchard!?!?   No one has been harder on him this season then me.  He entered the season with high expectations based on his progression the past 2 years but seemed to lack the killer instinct to take the next step in his development.  Well he has turned it on of late with goals in 3 straight games and a total of 3 goals and 2 assists in his last 8 games.  Not exactly MVP numbers but definitely an improvement considering he had 9 goals and 10 assists in his previous 63 games!

Last nights game was the first time in a while that they have truly played as a complete team and showed an absolute WILL TO WIN!  They have backed down and folded up multiple times this year but to come back from 3 down, on the road, against a team chasing you in the standings...tells you everything you need to know heading into the playoffs.


Now it is back to scoreboard watching.  The 3 teams "chasing" Hershey in the standings each played the past 2 nights and only 1 won...and they only one once.  Binghamton lost twice, as did Norfolk while Charlotte lost on Friday but won last night. 

More than likely Hershey's first round opponent is going to be Charlotte.  They have a 5 game lead over 3rd place Norfolk and despite the Admirals still holding 2 games in hand over the Ads and Bears it is unlikely they will be able to get enough points to unseat the Checkers.  Monday night is the test.  A Checkers win in regulation would put it almost out of mathematical reach.

Binghamton, fortunately for them, didn't lose any ground on Norfolk this weekend but considering that they played Syracuse and Bridgeport they can't be happy with 2 losses.  Tonight they get Albany before hosting Norfolk on Wednesday night with the #4 seed on the line. 

Hershey is in a good place right now.  Comfortably in 2nd with a week off and a possibility of 3 meaningless games next weekend. 

What a weekend in Norfolk.  I am definitely impressed.

Playoff thoughts as Bears visit Admirals

We all know that Hershey is in Norfolk for 2 critical games tonight and tomorrow.  But let's talk about that later.

First let's dive into the multiple playoff scenarios and figure out what we, as Bears fans, should want for our team. 

As it stands right now Hershey and Wilkes-Barre have clinched playoff spots.  But for the sake of argument we are going to assume that Norfolk, Charlotte, and Binghamton have also clinched.  While that isn't entirely true right now it is almost a certainty that all 3 will be playoff bound by the time next weekend rolls around.

Technically Charlotte needs 1 point to clinch, Norfolk needs 5, and Bingo needs 6.  But who's counting.

So who would Hershey rather see in the first round?

Obviously the answer is not Wilkes-Barre.  If Hershey were to fall to the 4th spot in the East I think we can all agree...that would not be good. 

That still leaves 3 teams Hershey could theoretically face in the 1st round.  **Technically there are still 5 teams as if Hershey were to fall to 5th they would face the Atlantic winner but we are going to assume that Hershey is not going to begin a standings free fall with only 10 days to go in the season.**

How has Hershey fared against the choices to date?

Team	Overall	Home	Road
Charlotte	4-4-0-0	2-2-0-0	2-2-0-0
Norfolk	4-1-0-1	3-0-0-1	1-1-0-0
Binghamton	5-3-0-0	3-1-0-0	2-2-0-0

Based on that you would say either Norfolk or Binghamton.  But Hershey hasn't seen Binghamton lately and Norfolk has beaten Hershey in 2 of the last 3 meetings.

Hershey hasn't seen Bingo since February 12, 2011 when they lost at home 4-3.  And I can promise you that this is a different Senators team then Hershey saw then.  Since that game they are 13-7-0-1 which includes a current 5 game winning streak during which they have scored 21 goals and allowed only 8.

It is a tough choice to be honest.  All of the teams are solid at home and on the road.  All are in the top 5 in goals scored per game (Hershey is 7th).  And all are average (13th, 15th, 17th) in goals allowed per game.

None of the teams truly stand out as easier than another.

Which is a scary thought when you think about it.  You have 5 teams in the East Division that are probably legitimate challengers for the Calder Cup.  5. 

And then you also have 3 teams that are as bad as any other in the league. 

But back to the task at hand...who would Hershey rather face.

Honestly I would have to say Norfolk but I would love to see the next 2 games before committing to that pick.  My reasons are this...

1.  Hershey has had more success against the Admirals this year then the others AND there is a decent possibility that Norfolk could lose a player to the Lightning come playoff time.
2.  Binghamton is hot right now and they will be getting 66 goals and 84 assists back come playoff time as 6 players will be returning from Ottawa once the NHL season ends...including Bobby Butler and Zack Smith.
3.  Charlotte has given Hershey the most trouble this year.  Although without Jerome Samson, who does not appear on their clear day list, they are likely more beatable.

In the end I would say (at this point) Hershey would be better off facing Norfolk with Charlotte my next choice IF the Ads should win the 2 games this weekend (which they won't) and then Binghamton as a last resort. 

Personally I would like to see Hershey face Norfolk, Charlotte fall to 5th and face the Atlantic champ with Binghamton facing off against Wilkes-Barre.  Because nothing would make me happier than a Bears first round victory and the Baby Pens being upset in their series.

But there are still 5 games to play and Hershey gets to decide their own destination.  Win and you get home ice...lose and all bets are off.

Bears hoping Pens win???

I can't believe I am about to type this but...

just for 1 more game!

Well Done Baby Pens!

Last night the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins beat the Norfolk Admirals 4-3 in Norfolk.  It was a huge outcome for Hershey. 

Norfolk remains 6 points back with only 7 games left including 2 against the Bears this weekend.  If Hershey even gets a split of the 2 games they are in excellent position heading towards the final weekend of play in the AHL regular season.

So thank you Wilkes-Barre and dare I say...

Good Luck Friday Night!! 

Friday night sees the Penguins host the Charlotte Checkers up I-81.  Which is another game Hershey would love to see the Pens win.

That is just weird to even type.  Kind of makes my skin crawl a bit.

But that is the position we Hershey fans (and the team) find ourselves in...rooting for the Pens for a few games to help the Bears get the #2 seed in the East Division and home ice for the first round.

Friday will be the final time this season...and hopefully ever...that Hershey fans and players will have to root for a Baby Pens victory.

How big is the Pens game (and Hershey game) on Friday night?

If both the Pens and Bears win in regulation Hershey would be 5 points in front of Charlotte with 4 games to play for each team and 8 points in front of Norfolk.  And Charlotte and Norfolk play each other Monday night!

Currently Hershey needs a combination of 8 points to keep Charlotte 3rd or worse.  And they need 9 points for Norfolk.  And 6 for Bingo.

Yeah...confusing stuff.  I think those numbers are right.

LET'S GO BEARS!!!!!

AND PENS!!!!  (it just feels wrong)

Bears pick up 3 points this weekend

Hershey managed to get 3 points in 3 games this past weekend.  Not exactly what they were hoping for but it is definitely not the worst thing that could have happened either.

Friday night was probably the most disappointing.  Despite taking 34 shots the Bears could only beat Adirondack goaltender 1 time as Hershey lost 2-1 against the 8th place (also known as last) team in the East Division.

That result was even more disappointing when you remember Hershey had just lost to the then 7th place team in the Division, Syracuse.

But Hershey would redeem themselves...kind of.

The now 7th place Albany Devils came to town Saturday night and despite their inability to score goals this season, 2.69 per game (23rd in the league), and Hershey's ability to keep teams off the scoreboard, 2.64 goals allowed per game (8th in the league), the Devils managed to score 4 goals and leave this game in question until midway through the 3rd period.

If you remember, which I am sure everyone who was there does, this game was marred by an ice problem in the Albany crease during the 3rd period.  Multiple attempts to correct the problem (some might call it a "phantom" problem) proved mostly ineffective as Albany goalie Jeff Frazee did not want to finish the game.  To the officials credit they told him too bad and the game resumed. 

You could just tell that he was uncomfortable in the crease throughout the 3rd period.  Once the game got going Hershey showered him with shots and ended up getting the game winning goal with a little under 9 minutes to go before adding an insurance marker and empty netter latter in the game.
Then came Sunday and a showdown with the league leading Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.  This season has not been kind to the Bears in this rivalry as Hershey has beaten the Baby Pens once.  And that game was played in Pittsburgh just before the new year.

As we all know by now the Pens won....in overtime...on a short handed goal. 

It was a very unexpected and unsatisfying way to lose a game.  Hershey had just killed off a penalty of their own and were just starting the power play when Wilkes-Barre scored on an odd man rush.

But let's be honest about one thing...Hershey lost that game prior to overtime.  The Bears registered a whopping 4 shots on goal during the 2nd period.  And many of the shots they did take, in all 4 periods, were under-whelming.  They had little to no traffic in front of Pens goalie John Curry and didn't seem interested in getting in there. 

For much of the game the Bears seemed almost reluctant to shoot.  And that is fine to a point.  You can't just shoot each time you have the puck as many times there aren't open lanes or you don't have the time.  But Hershey seemed to be waiting for the perfect shot instead of getting pucks on net.  Neither of Hershey's goals were because of "perfect shots" and not many goals from here out will be.  The key is to get players to the net and then get pucks on net.  Goalies at this level...no matter how good they are...will leave rebounds from time to time.

So after the weekend Hershey remains entrenched in 2nd place in the East Division.  But they are perilously close to falling to 3rd, 4th or even 5th in the race for the playoffs.  And I am sincerely hoping for a 2nd, 3rd or 5th place finish.  Because I would rather see Hershey play the Atlantic Division champ than the East Division champ considering the recent history.

Below you will see a chart that shows the current standings with games left and possible points.  Should Hershey win their remaining games they would clinch the 2nd spot in the East.  But considering the 2 games against Norfolk and Norfolk's 3 games in hand things could get ugly quick this weekend.

Team	Games Left	Current Pts	Possible Pts
Penguins	7	105	119
Bears	5	94	104
Charlotte	5	91	101
Norfolk	8	88	104
Binghamton	6	87	99

Bears getting closer to full health

A few players remain out of the Hershey lineup as of tonight...and that list will not include Keith Aucoin.

The former league MVP is scheduled to return from a suspected concussion tonight in Adirondack as the Bears look to maintain their edge on 3rd place Norfolk. 

Coiner hasn't played since taking a cheap shot to the head on March 5 against Norfolk.  Norfolk captain Chris Durno was suspended 3 games for the shot which happened well behind the play and could not have even been mistaken for game action.

Hershey, much like they were when Gordon was out, has been average since Coiner left the lineup.  The Bears have gone 3-3-1-2 and have scored 22 to the opponents 26 in those 9 games since March 5. 

Not exactly setting the world on fire.

You honestly have to go back to the end of December and first half of January to find a period where Hershey was "dominating" their competition.  From November 26 (the day after Thanksgiving) until February 4 (the game before Gordon got hurt) the Bears went 20-5-1-1 while outscoring their opponents 134-55.  Not too bad. 

Coincidentally that time period also had the Bears playing at (almost) full strength.  Gordon, Aucoin, Fahey, and surely some others played some games in Washington and Lawrence Ncyholat and Sheldon Souray surely missed some games but overall Hershey was healthy during that span.

They are almost healthy again.  Nycholat and Souray are really the only "regulars" still missing from the lineup.  Other players, like Trevor Bruess, David de Kastrozza, and Johan Kroll, are still out but they weren't every night players when they were healthy so their loss is less impactful.

This is not to say that Hershey will return to their dominant play during that period but getting a healthy team (and keeping the goalies in Hershey and healthy) will definitely get them closer to that level.

Getting Coiner back with games to play in the regular season definitely helps because that first round series is going to be a difficult one.  At this point in time the Bears will be facing off against Durno and the Norfolk Admirals to kick off the Calder Cup playoffs.  Whether or not Hershey will have home ice will likely come down to the 2 games in Norfolk next weekend.

There won't be a "rollover" first round opponent this year like the last 2 years.  Norfolk is a very good team and that series could legitimately go 7 games. 

But getting your injured players back in time for a few "warmup" games during the regular season is definitely a plus.  Coiner returns to tonight while Souray could be back in the lineup next weekend sometime.  Nycholat is still probably a little further but he is skating which is definitely a good sign. 

They haven't shown it over the past month plus but this team is as talented as any in the league and will compete for the Cup in the playoffs. 

As long as they are healthy.

Hershey Bears
record ~ 42-23-2-5 | 91 points
standings ~ 2nd in East Division
most recent game ~ 5-2 Loss vs Syracuse, 3/20
last 5 games ~ 2-1-1-1
road record ~ 22-11-1-2
goals for ~ 229
goals against ~ 189
road power play ~ 16.1% (18th)
road penalty kill ~ 82.5% (17th)

Adirondack Phantoms
record ~ 24-35-4-6 | 58 points
standings ~ Last in East Division
most recent game ~ 2-1 Loss @ Norfolk, 3/23
last 5 games ~ 3-2-0-0
home record ~ 13-15-3-3
goals for ~162
goals against ~221
road power play ~13.7% (25th)
home penalty kill ~ 78.9% (27th)

last time teams met - This is the 8th and final meeting between the Bears and Phantoms for 2010-11.  Hershey has gone 6-1-0-0 against the Phantoms.

  

Players to watch:

Hershey:

C Keith Aucoin (11) - leads the Bears in assists with 48 and remains in 2nd in points despite playing in 25 fewer games than points leader Brian Willsie.  Coiner is expected to return to the lineup tonight.
RW Andrew Gordon (10) - obviously one of Hershey's premier scorers, he made his return from a concussion last weekend and has 1 goal and 2 assists in 3 games so far.  Should be reunited with linemate Aucoin this weekend.
C Mathieu Perreault (24) - he can stick handle in a phone booth but he hasn't been producing as much as his talent dictates.  My argument is that his linemates are dropping the ball but with Aucoin's return this weekend he should gain some more talented scorers as linemates.

Phantoms:

LW Eric Wellwood (22) - the #3 prospect in the Flyers organization has 15 goals and 12 assists on the year. 

D Erik Gustafsson (36) - the #4 prospect for the Flyers, he leads the team in assists with 32 and is second in points with 37.
LW Denis Hamel (17) - the veteran is leading the team in goals with 21 and in points with 40.

  

LET'S GO BEARS!!!

Bears lose twice at home

That was not a good weekend.  It started out well with a convincing win against Springfield on Friday night and expectations were that the run would continue with players like Andrew Gordon, Steve Pinizzotto, and Braden Holtby returning to the lineup.

Well if you expected a good showing this weekend then you left disappointed.

Saturday night's game I already discussed briefly over here.  Portland is a good team so I wasn't sure what to expect there.  I thought with Holtby the Bears would continue with their recent play and they did for much of the game but still dropped the decision in overtime.

Sunday night I definitely expected more.  Hershey was welcoming the Syracuse Crunch to Hershey.  A team that resides in the bottom of the East Division and a team that Hershey had already beaten 3 times, in 4 games, this season.

What happened?

Let's start with the controversy.  Late in the 2nd period with the Bears on a power play Syracuse forward, Nick Bonino, took a pass, out waited Holtby, and roofed the puck.  The puck (it is believed) bounced off the water bottle and back out of the goal instantly.  Referee Francis Charron immediately signaled goal despite the red light never turning on and the call stood.  He saw the water bottle pop a few inches in the air and called it right away.

My seats are in section 103 so I had a solid look at it.  And I think it was a goal.  Some people would argue that the water bottle was resting on the crossbar and the puck hit the bar and that caused the bottle to jump.  I don't think that is possible.  It would take quite a shot to cause that kind of movement to the bottle through the crossbar and it wasn't that hard a shot.

The other theory, comes straight from Braden Holtby:

My stick hits the net and bounces the water bottle in the air, and the ref thinks the puck hits it.

Maybe that is what happened.  I didn't see it.  Holtby was down and beaten when the shot went off and I don't think he got near it or the bottle.  Maybe I am wrong...I didn't see a replay other than one's shown at the arena.

So I think it was a goal.

And honestly what difference did it make???  Sure, if they don't score there it is a whole different game but the Hershey defense was a joke most of the night anyhow.

Here is my bigger issue with that goal....WHERE WERE THE 5 SKATERS?????

It was a power play, a Crunch player stole the puck and Brian Willsie chased him to the corner.  Good play so far.  1 Bear accounted for.

Then 2 more Bears (Patrick McNeill and I think Kyle Greentree) come into the zone and to the corner....leaving Bonino WIDE FREAKING OPEN in the middle of the ice. 

How does that happen?

And it didn't get better.  Syracuse responded in the 3rd period with goals on defensive letdowns by the Bears. 

In Hershey's defense the offense was good but the Syracuse goalie, Levasseur, was better.  He made some incredible saves early on as Hershey outshot the Crunch 26-11 in the first 2 periods to keep Syracuse in the game. 

Overall for Hershey the offense was good.  Maybe not productive but I thought they made good passes, good shots and challenged Levasseur but he got the best of them.  Add to that the fact that Syracuse blocked a ton of shots and I think any team would have struggled to score.

But the real problem for Hershey was at the defensive end.  Guys standing around, chasing too much, and failing to pick up the open players. 

For a team that has prided itself on defense much of the season it was an ugly performance against one of the worst offenses in the league. 

Hershey has a few more days to work on their problems before a trip to Glens Falls on Friday to face the Phantoms.  Then they return home to Hershey to play Albany and Wilkes-Barre.  Hopefully those home games turn out a little better than the past 2.

And don't think for a second that these games aren't important...Norfolk is only 7 points behind Hershey with 4 games in hand.  In theory if Norfolk were to win all those games they would be 1 point IN FRONT of Hershey. 

So while the odds of making the playoffs are still very good (6 points from clinching) the race for the #2 spot is just heating up.

They got a point...it's better than nothing, right?

Hershey entered play last night with a record of 29-0-0-3 when leading after 2 periods.  After 2 periods last night Hershey led the Portland Pirates 3-2. 

They are now 29-0-1-3 when leading after 2.  An overtime goal by Mark Parrish ended the game with about 2 minutes to go in the extra frame.

It surely wasn't the outcome that the Bears and the fans were hoping for as Hershey fielded its most complete lineup in a couple of months. 

Braden Holtby returned from Washington early in the day and made 27 saves in the loss.  Andrew Gordon skated on Giant Center ice for the first time since February 5 and picked up his 23rd goal of the season.  Steve Pinizzotto played for the first time since March 2 and he accrued 14 penalty minutes.

But in the end it wasn't enough.  Portland is a good team and when you fail to convert on a 5 on 3 that lasted almost 2 minutes and a 5 minute major then you are probably not going to win the game.

The loss was Hershey's 2nd to Portland in extra time in the last 2 weeks.  On March 8 the Bears lost in a shootout up in Maine. 

Hershey played a solid game but it wasn't enough.  And it surely wasn't their best effort. 

Here is an interesting thought....Holtby has played 4 games with the Bears since February 19.  And he has played 5 games with the Capitals in that span.

In the Hershey games he has allowed 15 goals on 120 shots.  A save percentage of 87.5.

In the Caps games he has allowed 6 goals on 140 shots.  A save percentage of 97.1.

At first thought maybe you would say that he is playing harder with the Caps than he is in Hershey.  Maybe but I doubt it.

The 2nd thought would be maybe the speed of the game is that much different and making the change from fast to middle of the pack is throwing off his timing.  Probably a little but not that much.

Or maybe the defenses in front of him are playing at a different level when he is in the game. 

When a backup goalie has to make a few starts you can usually see a difference in the effort level of a defense.  They are more eager to block shots, they position better, and they flat out play better.  They know that the goalie behind them is maybe not as good as their #1 and they need to do more to get a win.

When the #1 goalie comes back then it would make sense that the absolute is at least a little true.  The defense trusts the goalie more so they will take more chances then usual.  They jump up more or chase to the corner more because they feel confident that the #1 will bail them out if necessary.

Obviously that is hard to statistically prove but one example might be this...we already mentioned that Braden has faced 120 shots in his last 4 games.  Nolan Schaefer has faced only 107 in his last 4. 

Is that just because of the competition?  Or is it because the defense plays better and blocks more shots? 

There really isn't any way to figure that out definitively.  But I think there could be something there.


Hopefully the defense plays better tonight so Hershey can get the win against Syracuse.  The Crunch come to town for the 3rd game of their 3 in 3.  So far they have 2 wins at home during the stretch including a 6-1 win over Charlotte last night.

The Crunch and Bears have played 4 times this season with Hershey winning 3 of them.  They haven't played since New Year's Eve when the Crunch came to Hershey and won 4-2. 

Syracuse isn't what you would call an offense juggernaut.  They rank 28th in the AHL with only 2.44 goals per game.  And they aren't that much better defensively as they give up 3.10 goals per game which is good for 22nd in the league.

Their leading goal scorer, Patrick Maroon, has only 19 goals and they only have 5 active players with double digit goals.

Hershey's has 4 players with more than 20 goals and 7 players with double digit goals.

Should be...I stress SHOULD BE...a win for the Bears tonight.  If Hershey wants the #2 seed in the East Division they better beat the 7th place team on home ice!


Hershey Bears
record ~ 42-22-2-5 | 91 points
standings ~ 2nd in East Division
most recent game ~ 4-3 OT Loss vs Portland, 3/19
last 5 games ~ 3-0-1-1
home record ~ 20-11-1-3
goals for ~ 227
goals against ~ 184
road power play ~ 22.2% (3rd)
home penalty kill ~ 85.1% (10th)

Syracuse Crunch
record ~ 26-35-3-4 | 59 points
standings ~ 7th in East Division
most recent game ~ 6-1 Win vs Charlotte, 3/19
last 5 games ~ 3-2-0-0
road record ~ 11-20-1-2
goals for ~166
goals against ~211
road power play ~16.8% (17th)
home penalty kill ~ 81.0% (21st)

last time teams met - This will be the 5th meeting of the season between the Crunch and Bears.  So far Hershey has gone 3-1-0-0 against Syracuse outscoring the Crunch 14-8.

  

LET'S GO BEARS!!!

Braden headed back to Hershey

Two pieces of news today...

1.  Braden Holtby was reassigned by the Washington Capitals today and will report to Hershey.  No word on whether he will play tonight or not but at the very least I would expect him to be in goal tomorrow evening.

2.  Garrett Mitchell was signed to an entry level contract with the Caps starting next season.  After his regular season finale tonight he will report to Hershey on an amateur tryout contract. 

Mitchell projects for more of a 3rd line player in the NHL but does bring some offensive punch to his game.  He has 18g and 32a in 69 WHL games this season.

Follow this link to read HockeysFuture.com's take on Mitchell.  Definitely sounds promising!

Hershey wins in Springfield, 5-1...welcomes back Gordon

Welcome back Andrew Gordon!  Gordon played in his first game since February 5th last night...21 games he missed total.  

In that span Hershey scored more than 4 goals twice.  Once in the first game he was out (against Manitoba) and once against AHL bottom dwelling Bridgeport.  2 games.

In fact Hershey only scored more than 3 a total of 4 times over that span.  

Gordon's first game back....5 goals for the Bears.

Was it a coincidence...maybe.  Gordon didn't score at all.  Aucoin and Perreault didn't play.  So maybe it was just Hershey's night.

Or maybe just having Gordon in the lineup gives the team more confidence and makes the other team have to play differently.

Time will tell which it is but last night the Bears rolled to a 5-1 win over the Springfield Falcons in their first game of a 3 in 3.  

The goals were picked up by Brian Willsie (27 and 28 on the year), Andrew Kozek (8 and 9, 1st 2 as a Bear), and Kyle Greentree (26).

Gordon picked up one assist as he joined Willsie and Greentree on the top line while Willsie also picked up an assist on the Greentree goal.

Nolan Schaefer made 29 saves as Hershey picked up the win and held their ground in the East Division.

Tonight Hershey returns to Giant Center to take on one of the #2 team in the Atlantic Division...the Portland Pirates.

Last week Hershey visited the Pirates and left Maine with a 3-2 shootout loss.  The Bears will surely be looking for a different outcome tonight.  

Getting a more complete lineup on the ice should surely help.  Gordon wasn't the only player to return to the lineup last night.  Steve Pinizzotto also played for the first time since March 2.  


That was all for player returns last night but more could be on the way.


There is still an outside chance that Keith Aucoin plays this weekend.  I doubt it happens as it doesn't make sense to rush him since it was some sort of head/neck injury.  But they say it could happen.


Mathieu Perreault missed last nights game due to illness so he should (in theory) be back sometime this weekend.


And while there has been no official word (that I have seen anyway) I would think Braden Holtby might return sooner than later.  Semyon Varlamov was healthy enough to serve as the backup to Michal Neuvirth last night.  So if Varly is ready to come back the general thinking would be that Braden would make his return to the Bears.


But again...nothing is certain.  


Until that happens though this team is surely better with Gordon on the ice.  Whether or not he scores he has an influence.


We saw it last night.  It's good to have him back!

 

Hershey Bears
record ~ 42-22-1-5 90 points
standings ~ 2nd in East Division
most recent game ~ 5-1 Win @ Springfield, 3/18
last 5 games ~ 3-1-0-1
home record ~ 20-11-0-3
goals for ~ 224
goals against ~ 180
road power play ~ 21.7% (5th)
home penalty kill ~ 86.1% (6th)

Portland Pirates
record ~ 41-18-5-2 89 points
standings ~ 2nd in Atlantic Division
most recent game ~ 3-2 Win @ Binghamton, 3/18
last 5 games ~ 4-1-0-0
road record ~ 18-13-1-1
goals for ~238
goals against ~ 191
road power play ~13.6% (26th)
home penalty kill ~ 82.7% (17th)

last time teams met - 2nd and final meeting between the teams during the regular season.  Portland won 3-2 in a shootout on March 8 in Portland.

Players to watch:

Hershey:

RW Andrew Gordon (10) - returned to the lineup last night for the first time since Feb 5.  Had an assist in that game and still sits 3rd on the team in goals (22) and 4th in points (47) despite only playing in 41 games.
LW Andrew Kozek (21) - I wasn't convinced that he would help much offensively when Yingst made the move but so far I have been wrong.  He has 2 goals and 2 assists in 4 games with the Bears so far and you can see the energy he plays with.  Why do I ever doubt Yingst??
C Brian Willsie (18) - Leads the team in goals (28) and 2nd in points (62) and has played in just about every role on the team this season.  Easily the team MVP at this point.  He had 2 more goals and an assist last night.

Pirates:
C Mark Voakes (27) - Has 4 goals and 2 assists in his 6 games with Portland this season.  All those games have come in March including 1 goal against Hershey last week. 
C Luke Adam (39) - Didn't have to face the Pirates leading active scorer last week as he was on recall.  He has 25 goals on the season (7 behind team leader Mark Mancari who is on recall still).  He has 8 goals and 7 assists in his last 8 games.
D Marc-Andre Gragnani (17) - Leads the team in assists with 43, current leader in points with 54 (10 behind Mancari), and he has 11 goals this season.  2 goals and 12 assists in 8 March games so far.

  

LET'S GO BEARS!!!

Gordon and Pinner practice

Generally news about a player practicing or not practicing wouldn't make it up here but this is pretty big.  Andrew Gordon hasn't played a game in about 6 weeks but he practiced today! 

He is probably Hershey's most dynamic goal scorer.  Sure Kyle Greentree and Brian Willsie are having great years but Gordo is a notch above them in my opinion.

Getting him back with a few weeks left in the regular season will give him the chance to both get back into game shape and redevelop some chemistry with his line mates. 

Unfortunately Keith Aucoin didn't practice so getting the chemistry back might have to wait another week or so.  Coiner is expected to skate tomorrow and could (doubtful) play this Sunday.  I don't see any reason they would rush him back this weekend.  My guess is next Friday at the absolute earliest.  If it was a concussion you would be better off letting him rest for a couple weeks then rush him back and risk another right away.

Steve Pinizzotto also practiced today and is, like Gordon, expected to play sometime this weekend.  Pinner has been out since the beginning of the month.  Not as long as Gordo but still enough time to have an affect.

There is a chance that Gordo and Pinner don't play this weekend but based on what is being said they will definitely play in at least a couple games this weekend.

Bears welcome lighter schedule

That was quite a week the Bears just finished.  7 games over 9 days in 5 different cities.  In total Hershey spent 21 hours and almost 1200 miles just getting to and from each city.  That is a long time to spend on the road.

But they came out of it with 8 of a possible 14 points.  So it wasn't that bad.  They went 3-2-0-2 over the 7 games which is technically a losing record but thanks to the overtime/shootout they come out getting better than 50% of the available points.

Most importantly they remain in 2nd place in the East Division.  They sit 7 points ahead of 3rd place Norfolk and 5points behind first place Wilkes-Barre.

The last game of the trip was definitely a tough one for the team.  It wasn't what I would call a 'boring' game but it wasn't exciting either. 

The Admirals and Bears combined for a total of 10 shots in the first period.  They equaled that number in penalties in the 1st period alone!

It wasn't entirely unexpected though.  I think if you knew the schedule they were finishing up you probably weren't surprised by their effort on Sunday. 

And don't get me wrong...they played well on Sunday.  Not great but good enough to get a point and with the exception of a couple costly defensive letdowns they probably should have won that game.

But they didn't so now they move on.

These are strange times we are entering.  For the last 6 weeks Hershey has played at least 1 weekday game and in 5 of the 6 weeks they played 4 (or more) games.  But for the remainder of the season they play 0 weekday games. 

It is the perfect time for a rest too.  Players are starting to get healthy (more on that below) while others surely need a little break to refuel and heal up. 

Hershey played 29 games over the last 50 days.  Now they will play 11 games over the final 37.  Shouldn't be too bad.

6 of those 11 are at home with 5 on the road.  They play in Hershey twice every weekend except for the 2nd to last weekend of the season when they play twice in Norfolk.

Definitely a favorable schedule moving towards the end of the season.


INJURY UPDATES:

This is some good stuff here!

Andrew Gordon is hoping to begin practicing this week!  That would be huge heading into the playoffs.

Keith Aucoin is also hoping to begin practicing but that is less certain.

Steve Pinizzotto will possibly be able to play on Friday.

Semyon Varlamov is hoping to return for the Caps soon too.  While that obviously doesn't help the Bears directly it means that Braden Holtby would be returning to Hershey.

Now for the bad news...

Jason Arnott is hurt for the Caps.  While there has been no recall as yet there is a possibility that Mathieu Perreault would be recalled to Washington.  Stay tuned.

Bears looking to complete weekend sweep

Tonight wraps up the toughest travel stretch of the year for the Bears.  After playing 6 games in 5 different cities over the last 8 games the Bears return to Hershey to bring the trip full circle and face off against the team that started this stretch, the Norfolk Admirals.

But plenty happened the last couple of days so let's start there.

French gets win #100 (and 101 the next night)

Coach Mark French became the fastest in AHL history to reach 100 wins in his career.  He did it in only 147 games and has an overall winning percentage of .707.

He is the 10th Hershey coach to reach the milestone and with a win tonight would tie Bruce Boudreau for 9th on the Hershey list with 102 wins.

Congrats Coach French!!

Greentree and Willsie step up


On Friday in my players to watch section I basically said the whole team needed to step up.  But I specifically mentioned Brian Willsie and Kyle Greentree.  The duo had not been scoring of late and it was hurting the Bears as they really are the only true goal-scorers active right now.


On Friday night they both scored and Saturday Greentree added his 24th of the year in overtime to lift Hershey over Adirondack.  


While the two weren't stuck in a long scoring drought it is (was) becoming apparent that when one or both of them fail to score Hershey really struggles to get wins.  When your team is missing 3 players that has scored 15+ goals you are bound to struggle a bit.  Willsie and Greentree, fair or not, are the players that need to pick up the slack and carry the team.


I think they can do it.


Bears comfortably in 2nd place

Hershey has found a cozy little for themselves in the East Division right now.  They remain in 2nd place and are 6 points behind Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and 7 points ahead of 3rd place Charlotte.  

While that can obviously change over the course of 2/3 games it is nice to have a bit of a place at this point in the season.

The Baby Pens have not been playing that well of late, picking up their first shootout loss of the season last night in Abbotsford.  They have only won 4 of their last 8 games which has allowed the Bears to remain within range of them for 1st in the division. 

Charlotte has been even worse.  Since their 5-0 maiming of the Bears back on the 20th of February they have played 9 games and have won only 4.  During those 9 games they have scored only 20 goals (that includes 5 in one game).  Do you think they miss Jerome Samson???

Either way Hershey begins the final stretch (12 games - 7 home, 5 road) in very good position.  They have a cushion to 3rd place and are a full 15 points from missing the playoffs.  Definite wiggle room.

----------------------------

Now onto tonight's game.  The last time they met, last Saturday in Hershey, there was a little bit of controversy. 

To refresh your memory:

• Odd goal call at the end of the 2nd
• Cheap shot on Aucoin in the 3rd
• Questionable officiating for much of the game.

Hershey won the game 3-2 on Mathieu Perreault's goal late in the 3rd period but the loss of Aucoin to what is believed to be a concussion definitely stands as the defining moment of the game.

Norfolk captain Chris Durno was suspended for 3 games for the hit.  Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on which side you are on) he will miss tonight's game as he serves the 3rd and final game of the penalty. 

Obviously Hershey fans and likely some of the players were looking for a little retribution against the Admirals captain.  But that will have to wait.  (Hershey visits Norfolk on April 2 and 3).

Still there was plenty of other activities that will surely be fresh in the minds of the Bears players when they take the ice tonight. 

This game will likely have a distinct playoff feel to it with plenty of physicality. 

The way hockey should be played.


Hershey Bears
record ~ 41-22-1-4 | 87 points
standings ~ 2nd in East Division
most recent game ~ 3-2 OT Win @ Adirondack, 3/12
last 5 games ~ 2-2-0-1
home record ~ 20-11-0-2
goals for ~ 217
goals against ~ 176
home power play ~ 21.9% (4th)
home penalty kill ~ 86.7% (3rd)

Norfolk Admirals
record ~ 33-19-8-5 | 79 points
standings ~ 4th in East Division
most recent game ~ 8-3 Win vs Binghamton, 3/11
last 5 games ~ 3-2-0-0
road record ~ 17-12-3-1
goals for ~218
goals against ~ 175
road power play ~18.8% (10th)
road penalty kill ~ 83.0% (16th)

  
last time teams met - 6th meeting between the teams this season with Hershey leading the season series 4-1-0-0.  This is Norfolk's final regular season game in Hershey.  The Bears visits Norfolk twice more this season in April.

Players to watch:

Hershey:

C Mathieu Perreault (24) - Not exactly producing at the same rate prior to his Washington call-up but he did score the game winner against the Admirals last Saturday and added another goal and an assist since then.
LW Boyd Kane (12) - You know that Boyd is going to be focused tonight as he will want to make the Admirals pay for the Aucoin hit.  He has only scored 1 goal (and no assists) in his 8 games so hopefully he can help out on the scoreboard tonight.
LW Andrew Kozek (21) - The newest Bear has played 2 games and already has an assists for Hershey.  He will likely get more opportunities than he had in Chicago and hopefully he can capitalize and help Hershey win again.

Norfolk:
C Marc-Antoine Pouliot (78) - Leads the team in assists (36) and points (51) while also sitting tied for third in goals with 20.  He has 2 goals and 2 assists in the 3 games since they played Hershey.
LW Johan Harju (90) - The team leader in goals with 21 he also sits second on the team in points with 45.  In the 3 games since Hershey he has 2 goals and 3 assists.
RW Matt Fornataro (39) - One of 10 Admirals with double digit goals (16) he scored against Hershey last time they met and has 5 assists in the 3 games since then.

  

LET'S GO BEARS!!!

Bears head to Connecticut to face the Whale

After a day off Hershey begins a traveling weekend tonight in Connecticut.  The Bears have 3 games over the next 3 days in 3 different cities and 3 different states.  They will be busy.

Tonight that kicks off with a matchup against the Connecticut Whale.  Hershey faced the same team back in November (the Sunday before Thanksgiving) when they were still known as the Hartford Wolkpack. 

You know you are in the minor leagues when a team changes its name in the middle of the season.

The Whale has been playing extremely well of late.  They currently sit in 3rd place over in the Atlantic division with 72 points.  They are only 2 points ahead of 4th place Worcester after Hershey gave the Sharks 2 points on Wednesday night.

Connecticut has won 8 of their last 11 games going 8-2-0-1 over that stretch.  Scoring 32 goals in those 8 wins while giving up only 12 in those 8 wins.

So the bad news for Hershey is the Whale has been playing very well of late.

The good news for Hershey is that 7 of those 8 wins came on the road.  And Connecticut is a much better road team than a home team.

On the season the Whale is 13-13-2-2 at home and 19-11-0-4 on the road.

In fact in their last 11 home games they have won only 3 times. 

So Hershey again catches a break.  First it was the recalls on Tuesday...didn't capitalize.  Then it was the injuries on Wednesday...didn't capitalize.  Now it is getting a hot team on the road at home...

Will they capitalize?


Hershey Bears
record ~ 39-22-1-4 83 points
standings ~ 2nd in East Division
most recent game ~ 3-2 Loss @ Worcester, 3/9
last 5 games ~ 1-3-0-1 (lost 4 straight)
road record ~ 19-11-1-2
goals for ~ 212
goals against ~ 173
road power play ~ 16.5% (18th)
home penalty kill ~ 81.4% (19th)

Connecticut Whale
record ~ 32-24-2-6 72 points
standings ~ 3rd in Atlantic Division
most recent game ~ 5-2 Win @ Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, 3/8
last 5 games ~ 4-1-0-0 (won 4 straight)
home record ~ 13-13-2-2
goals for ~177
goals against ~ 175
home power play ~20.2% (9th)
home penalty kill ~ 79.7% (24th)

last time teams met - 2nd and final meeting between the teams during the regular season.  Hershey beat the Wolfpack (as they were known then) 4-3 at Giant Center on November 21.

Players to watch:

Hershey:

Everyone - we all know this team is struggling to score.  Willsie and Greentree haven't produced much and 3 of the top 6 scorers remain sidelined.  Anyone can step up at any time...it would be nice to actually see someone do that sooner than later.

Whale:
C Kris Newbury (11) - Team leader in assists (36) and points (48).  He has 3 goals and 3 assists in his last 3 games. 
C Chad Kolarik (42) - 2nd on the team in goals (20) and 3rd in points (39).  He has 3 goals and 2 assists in his last 5 games.
LW Brodie Dupont (9) - Tied with Kolarik for 3rd in points with 39 this season.  Also has 13 goals this year.  He has 7 assists in his last 4 games including 4 assists against Worcester last weekend.
RW Dale Weise (23) - Leads the team with .94 points per game.  He has 13 goals and 16 assists in 37 games for the Whale this season.  He has 2 goals and 5 assists in his last 4 games.  That includes 3 assists Tuesday night against the Baby Pens.

  

LET'S GO BEARS!!!

Bears get 0 points in Worcester

Well before we get into the bad news let's celebrate a "current" Bear.



Braden Holtby has been playing very well in Washington the last couple of games.  He entered the game Monday night against Tampa Bay in relief of Michal Neuvirth and proceeded to shut down the Lightning through the final 2 periods, overtime and the shootout.

Bruce Boudreau likes to ride the hot hand in goal so Braden got the start last night against league bottom dwelling Edmonton.  While it wasn't the toughest game Braden will play this season he still finished the game making 22 stops and picking up his first career NHL shutout.

Over his last 5 NHL games Braden is 4-0-1 with a .980 save percentage and a 0.58 goals against average.  Currently Braden has a 105 minute shutout streak going and has made 43 saves in that time period.

That's not too bad...for a guy that Hockeys Future said this about on Monday:

He projects to be a potential starter in the NHL, but is probably better slotted as a back-up.

Braden's sample size is still small but considering he is only 21 years old I would say he has a very bright future. 

Getting to see current and/or former Bears getting a shot in the NHL is great.  Getting to see them thrive is awesome. 

-----------------------

Unfortunately Braden wasn't in Worcester last night where the Bears were hoping to get back to their winning ways against the Sharks.

It didn't happen.

Despite again scoring the first goal the Bears lost 3-2. 

The offense has not produced much the past few games.  1 goal Sunday, 2 on Tuesday, and 2 last night.  And none of those came from the main "goal-scorers" that are active right now, Brian Willsie and Kyle Greentree.  Boyd Kane scored the lone goal on Sunday and Mathieu Perreault scored on Tuesday but I don't think either are considered "goal-scorers".

Don't get me wrong, Kane is having another great season with 22 goals.  His best offensive years have always come in Hershey, his 3 seasons with Bears are his only seasons with 20+ goals, and that is not to be taken lightly.  But once the team is healthy you are likely to see Kane drop to the 3rd line and play a less offensive role.

Getting goals on a regular basis from the non scorers is definitely good.  Patrick McNeill scored Tuesday, Dmitry Orlov got his first career goal last night, and Maxime Lacroix added his 4th last night as well. 

But none of the regular scorers helped out on the scoresheet.  That makes it awfully hard for the team to keep up in games.

5 goals in 3 games.  All losses. 

Until the scorers start scoring (or the goalies start producing shutouts) the Bears are going to continue their slide.

And right now they are in danger of sliding to the 3 seed in the East.  Charlotte won last night and is now only 3 points behind the Bears for 2nd.  There isn't a huge difference between the 2nd and 3rd seed as they would still play each other but that one home game difference could loom large.

The Bears are actually closer to falling to 4th in the East (and having to play the Pens in the 1st round) then they are to catching the Penguins for the division lead.

Time to stop looking up at the Pens and start paying attention to the teams below.

Hershey now travels down to Connecticut to face the Whale on Friday evening.  And no I did not forget the 's' there.  They aren't the Whales they are simply the Whale.

But we will have more on that tomorrow.

In the meantime the Bears need to buckle down, change the lines to get some production, and be ready to face quite possibly the hottest team in the league right now.

Bears get a point in Portland and head to Worcester

It wasn't a win but it was a point earned in possibly the hardest place to get one this season.  The injury depleted Bears lost in a shootout to the recall depleted Pirates last night in Portland.

Hershey was (and will remain) without 4 of their top 7 scorers due to injuries.  Keith Aucoin, Andrew Gordon, Steve Pinizzotto, and Lawrence Nycholat.

Portland played without 3 of their top 7 scorers including Mark Mancari who sits at #2 in the AHL in goals scored this season.  Also missing were Luke Adam and Mark Parrish. 

The Bears jumped out to a 1-goal lead in the first period thank to a Matthieu Perreault unassisted goal 5 minutes into the first period.

They held that lead through the first period and through the 2nd period before relinquishing the lead and falling behind on 2 goals in the 3rd period.

Fortunately a 4 on 3 power play with less than 2 minutes to go in the game allowed Hershey to tie the game on a Patrick McNeill goal with 1:32 left to play.

4 on 3 power plays have to be the hardest thing to defend.  If I had enough free time I would look through the Bears games as I would contend they score on at least 50% of those power plays.  The reason?  Because teams don't spend much time preparing for them.  They practice 5 on 4 and they practice 5 on 3 but 4 on 3...there isn't enough time for it.

It really isn't that much different than a 5 on 4 except that defensively it is generally played more like a 5 on 3.  The penalty killers stay in their triangle and protect the net.  This allows the offense to move the puck freely with all the open ice and they generally get the shot they want.

If you see a 4 on 3 power play you can also expect to see a goal or some great saves by a goalie.

Overall it wasn't a bad game for Hershey.  Sure they would have liked to have the win but a point is better than nothing and when that point comes against a team as good at home as Portland you have to be pleased.

It was an odd game though.  Entering the contest Hershey had gone 33-5-1-3 when scoring the first goal and 27-0-0-2 when leading after 2 periods.  They achieved both of those items and still ended with a shootout loss. 

No big deal though.  1 point achieved...8 more available this week.

-----------------------------

Next up is a game tonight against the Worcester Sharks.

Worcester is currently the first team out of the playoffs in the Eastern Conference.  They trail Connecticut by 4 points in the Atlantic Division and Binghamton by 5 points in the East Division. 

While they aren't as good as Portland, Hershey might be catching the Sharks at the right time.  Even though I listed McGinn and Cheechoo in my 'Players to Watch' section I have discovered that they have each missed time recently with injuries (at least I think they are injuries).  Cheechoo has missed the last 4 while McGinn has missed the last 3. 

Add to that the fact that Trevelyan has only recorded an assist in those 4 games and you can see why they are struggling of late.

In their last 4 games they have scored a combined 8 goals and have allowed 16.  2 goals scored per game (literally 2 in each of the the last 4 games) while giving up 4 per game.  That is not a recipe for success.  And the Sharks have not had much either.

Hershey needs 2 points tonight.  This is the 2nd game in 2 nights with 3 more coming over the next 4 days so getting 2 against one of the weaker teams of the docket would surely be a step in the right direction.


Hershey Bears
record ~ 39-21-1-4 83 points
standings ~ 2nd in East Division
most recent game ~ 3-2 SO Loss @ Portland, 3/8
last 5 games ~ 2-2-0-1
road record ~ 19-10-1-2
goals for ~ 210
goals against ~ 170
road power play ~ 17.2% (17th)
home penalty kill ~ 81.4% (19th)

Worcester Sharks
record ~ 28-23-4-8 68 points
standings ~ 4th in Atlantic Division
most recent game ~ 7-2 Loss vs Connecticut, 3/6
last 5 games ~ 2-2-1-0
home record ~ 16-10-2-4
goals for ~169
goals against ~ 192
home power play ~18.1% (16th)
home penalty kill ~ 81.0% (23rd)

last time teams met - 2nd and final meeting between the teams during the regular season.  Worcester beat Hershey 3-2 on their visit to Giant Center the night before Thanksgiving.

Players to watch:

Hershey:

C Mathieu Perreault (24) - He is Hershey's top center while Keith Aucoin is out.  He has scored 2 goals in the last 3 games which brings his season total to 10.  Also has 17 assists on the year.
RW Brian Willsie (18) - He scored 2 in Saturday's win but has been held without a point in the 2 losses this week. 
LW Boyd Kane (12) - He has 22 goals on the season and had 9 goals and 8 assists in the first 14 games of February but in his last 5 games he has only 1 goal and 0 assists.
Worcester:
RW Jonathon Cheechoo (14) - Leads the team in goals (18), assists (29) and points (47).  He has 1 goal and 2 assists in his last 3 games but has not played in the Sharks' last 4 games.
LW T.J. Trevelyan (24) - He is third on the team with 14 goals and is tied for 2nd in points with 22.  He has 2 goals and 3 assists in his last 7 games.
LW Jamie McGinn (44) - He has only played in 14 games with Worcester this season but he has 7 goals and 5 assists in those games.  He has 3 goals and an assist in his last 3 games.

  

LET'S GO BEARS!!!

Roster notes while Hershey heads to Portland

The clear day rosters were announced today.  For anyone not sure what that means it is as simple as this...only players listed on the rosters are eligible to play for the duration of the season and in the playoffs.

Now, like everything else in hockey (and the world to be honest) there are loopholes.  I have no idea what they are but Tim Leone says they are related to injuries and recalls.

My guess, maybe someone reading this can confirm or deny my thoughts, would be that players listed as in-house (see the list below) would be eligible to step in and play if a player on the clear day list is recalled to Washington or is out with an injury.

Players would have had to be 'on the roster' last Monday to be included on the lists.  That means that Jay Beagle is not eligible, which was stressed by Walton and Leone last week.

Here is a link to the clear day rosters to see Hershey's and to look at other teams. 

Here are the players shown on the in-house roster that would be able to step in:

G Dany Sabourin
G Todd Ford
D Lawrence Nycholat
D Johann Kroll
D Dylan Yeo
D Phil Oreskovic
LW Joel Rechlicz
C Trevor Bruess
C Andrew Carroll

Here are my thoughts on both lists and the players not mentioned on either...

1.  Players like Orlov (pro tryout contract) or any junior eligible player (Cody Eakin, Stan Galiev) do not have to appear on either list to be eligible to play.  So an extra space can be used for someone else.

2.  Nycholat, Sabourin, Bruess, and the other 'regulars' on the above list means that Yingst and Co. are not convinced they will be back for the regular season and/or the playoffs.  We all know there will be injuries and/or recalls to Washington so some of these guys are likely to play. 

3.  Gordon being shown on the clear day list is not necessarily a sign that he is close to returning.  While that is possible it is also possible that they just didn't want to risk not having him.  If (by some miracle) there are no injuries or recalls then the players shown on the in-house roster would not be eligible to play so Gordon could conceivably be left out of the playoffs. And that would not be good.

Other than that there really weren't any surprises.  I think Schaefer's strong performances this past weekend made the decision to leave Sabourin off the clear day list a lot easier. 

One name on the clear day list that we will have to get to know is Andrew Kozek.  Yesterday the Caps/Bears loaned Josh Godfrey to Chicago/Atlanta in exchange for LW Kozek.  Both players will remain the property of their original teams (Godfrey-Wash, Kozek, Atl) but will play for their new teams for the remainder of the season.

Obviously we will have to wait to pass final judgement on Kozek but more than likely he was brought in for depth more than anything else. 

He has only 7 goals and 5 assists in 57 games this season so he isn't being brought in to provide a lot of offense.  Now some of that could be because of the logjam at forward in Chicago but last year he scored only 12 goals and 11 assists so it wasn't much more. 

Hockeysfuture.com had this to say last June about Kozek:

Kozek has some talent, but his game is very uneven. He has good velocity on his shot, but doesn’t protect the puck well and isn’t fast. Of the three second rounders the Thrashers had in 2005 (including Pavelec and Denny), Kozek is the furthest behind in development. His skating is suspect at the pro level and he doesn't produce scoring opportunities as consistently as his raw skills suggest he should.

We will just wait and see.

----------------

Tonight marks the first of 5 games over the next 7 days...in 5 different cities. 

The Bears visit Portland tonight for what is a very tough game.  The Pirates are the #2 team in winning percentage, #4 in points, and are the best home team in the league winning 78.3% of their home games.

Needless to say...this will not be an easy task.

First...the good news.  It might be the right time to get them though.  3 of the Pirates top 7 scorers are on recall to Buffalo with the Sabres playing the Pittsburgh Penguins tonight.

Mike Mancari, team leader in goals, assists, and points (2nd in AHL in goals, 3rd in points); Luke Adam, third on the team in goals and points; and Mark Parrish, tied for third on the team in points.  Those players (as of now, 12:20pm) will not be in the lineup tonight for Portland.

Now for the bad news.  Braden Holtby remains in Washington, Steve Pinizzotto didn't make the trip, neither did Keith Aucoin or Andrew Gordon. 

So Hershey is without 4 of their top 7 scorers (Nycholat being the 4th) for tonight's game and likely the weeks games.

But that's okay.  It was enough to beat Norfolk on Saturday night and it will be enough to win tonight! 

LET'S GO BEARS!!!!