Greetings From the Dinger Family Zoo

This Week in Pictures 2/5/12

2012-02-07T16:48:00.000-05:00

The All Star break is over and the unofficial start of the second half of the season is under way! I probably shouldn't be so excited about it, I mean afterall, the Bears certainly weren't. Friday night the Bears played the best 40 minutes of the season at Mohegan Sun Arena. However, hockey games are 60 minutes. Saturday the Bears travelled home and played a pretty good 20 minutes. And yet again, I remind you that games are 60 minutes in duration. Finally they put it all together and played a decent 60 minutes plus. And while it wasn't the best 60 minutes we've seen from our hometown boys, it was good enough to garner two points and score a win in OUR barn against the Baby Pens.
Jeff picked the wrong game this week, coming in to see the Whale beat our tails, while I had coverage of the Bears first home win against WBS in 10 tries. Enjoy.

Photo courtesy of Jeff Stinson - The Sentinel

Bourque Bowl 2012 made it's first stop in Hershey as Ryan Bourque led the Whale into town. Connecticut looked pretty good and had a great defensive game that stymied the Bears when they put enough desire into their play.

Photo courtesy of Jeff Stinson - The Sentinel

All the blame cannot be put on Dany Sabourin as he was left all alone one too many times. Graham Mink was quoted as saying that when adversity strikes this team, instead of banding together, they set off on their own individual quest to win the hockey game. Hey guys there's no room in a team sport for individual games. Individual efforts, yes, but you need to come together and stick with the game plan that you've practiced.

Photo courtesy of Jeff Stinson - The Sentinel

This weekend saw the subtraction of Matt Ford and Danny Richmond and the additions of Mike Carman and Kevin Marshall. It's a good thing Jeff caught a picture of Marshall when he did. Shortly after this shot, Marshall blocked a shot - with his mouth. He lost a couple of teeth and was a bloody mess 'til Beaker got out there to his aid. However, true hockey player that he is, he suited up and played (with a mouth shield) Sunday afternoon.

Photo courtesy of Jeff Stinson - The Sentinel

One guy that won't be suiting up for a while is Francois Bouchard. Bouch was looking forward to his Hershey visit, but jammed his wrist during the first period, and finally threw in the towel at the beginning of the second. He tweeted Tuesday that he has a broken scaphoid. Click here for a diagram and a very lengthy description of where it's located. Simply put - ouch, sorry Bouch.

Photo courtesy of Jeff Stinson - The Sentinel

Needless to say, the Bears - current and former - came out of Saturday night's contest bumped and bruised. It was a disappointing loss and there was no time lay down and pout. The Baby Pens were coming for a visit on the afternoon of the Super Bowl.

The puck dropped for a rare 2:00 start and things got under way, but it was clear fairly early that the Bears meant business. Well that is until Brandon DeFazio's shorty just over three minutes into the first. Then Bears fans held their collective breaths to see how the team would respond. It would respond with a blue line bomb from Sean Collins just over a minute later.

While there was a little bit of a lull in intensity during the second, here's where the individual effort stepped in. Tomas Kundratek was mouthing off (specifically at Joey Mormina), and went out on the ice with a mission in mind. He did not alter his game plan, simply amped it up. With Frank smackin' people around, the rest of the team responded and the Bears resolve was set in stone.

We had to take it to overtime and then the shootout, but the Bears got it done. Yes, we gave the Baby Pens a point for going to extra innings. But I hope the fact that we eventually earned the win, will carry this team forward. It could be the most important point we gained all season.....GO BEARS!

The Curse is Over: Hershey 4, WBS 3 (Shootout)

2012-02-05T18:14:00.003-05:00

Okay, let's face it, last night was horrid. When Kris Newbury scored the power play goal in the second, the team forgot everything they learned and focused on their individual games. You could see the frustration on Coach French's face during his post game interview. You could sense the concern radiating from several player's tweets following the game. And an easy rebound was not in the cards as the Wilkes Barre Scranton Penguins were pulling into town for a Sunday afternoon show. The Pens have owned the Giant Center ice winning their last nine visits. So what would it be - team effort or individual defeat?

(First I gotta say a big thank you to my hubby for taking notes this afternoon. I was taking pictures and holding a sleepy three-year-old and that was certainly a big help - now I just gotta read his handwriting!)
Things didn't start out overly well for the Bears as a Chris Bourque turnover during a power play resulted in a Brandon DeFazio shorty at 3:43. The Bears would regroup at 4:57 when Sean Collins tee'd up at the blue line tying the game at one. Hershey then pulled ahead at 6:09 while Scott Munroe was down and Chris Bourque was all alone at the opposite side of the net! There was plenty of hitting going on all period from both sides and even though things got rather chippy at times, Chris Cozzan and Francis Charron let them play. At 12:46, Cody Wild sent a shot in on net that was tipped by Bryan Lerg and stopped by Braden Holtby. The puck dropped directly below him and tricked over the goal line tying the game at two. That's where the period would end.

The Bears didn't look quite as crisp in the second and were called on three consecutive penalties. The later two resulted in Wilkes Barre having 1:41 of 5-on-3 time. The first penalty kill unit of Boyd Kane, Sean Collins, and I believe Ryan Potulny were outstanding stopping and clearing all attempts. Unfortunately as they exited the ice and the second unit came on, Geoff Walker slipped one past Holtby. There was :01 left in the 5-on-3. This would be the test of our home team. I'll admit I was a little concerned as the aggressiveness of play seemed to subside. I did notice toward the end of the period Tomas Kundratek and Joey Mormina yapping at each other from the benches. On Kundratek's last shift he started slamming Penguins around and was called for roughing at the 20:00 mark, but not before taking DeFazio to the box with him. The teams would start the third with some 4-on-4 action.

The Bears really concerned me with the 4-on-4 play, but the battled on and soon the hits started coming. There was no mercy from our boys as the forwards were hitting while our defenders were leading the rush (who would have ever thought you'd see Pat Wellar leading a rush.....twice!). Finally their persistence paid off as newbie Mike Carman scored his first as a Bear on a nice feed from Graham Mink! We are tied at 7:20!!! There were a couple of scary moments for the home team, but Braden Holtby stood strong and Cody Eakin made a great play on a Penguins breakaway to send this baby into.....

.....overtime. There was no scoring in overtime - and the credit for that goes to Tomas Kundratek. In a moment of Penguins pressure, Holtby got pulled out from his crease as the puck sailed by. Kundratek got behind Holts and pushed the puck to the far corner! But of course, no score means....
....the shootout. Wilkes Barre went first and in the third round Geoff Walker got one past our netminder. But Cody Eakin answered right back in a wonderful faker-oo. Then in the next round Ryan Potulny also befuddled Scott Munroe. Holtby staved off the final attempt by Ben Street and the Bears have finally beaten the Wilkes Barre Scranton Penguins in our own barn!!!!!!!!
Items of Note: the Bears scratched Rechlicz, Pope, Oreskovic, and Miskovic....WBS was 1-4 on the power play, while the Bears went 0-3....Eh, that's about it, Super Bowl kickoff is in less than half an hour.
Tweet of the Night: @timleone: Bourque breaks tie with Christian Matte on Hershey's all-time goal list with that score.
Refs: Chris Cozzan and Francis Charron tag teamed the event, but their linesmen need help learning what an offside is.
Goalies: Braden Holtby earned the shootout win, while Scott Munroe earned the loss.
Shots on Goal: Bears 28, WBS 27
Stars of the Night: as chosen by the media: 1. Ryan Potulny (GWG, 1A), 2. Bryan Lerg (1G, 1A), 3. Sean Collins (1G +2)
Morgan: Eakin, Potulny, Carroll
Zack: Potulny, Holtby, Eakin
Joel: The 4th line - most definitely so.
Me: Tomas Kundratek for his aggressive play, excellent defense, and pretty good offensive pressure too.

The Bears managed to salvage two points this weekend, but I think this win might be bigger than that. The WBS curse has been broken at home and hopefully the team has learned not to give up and stick with their game plan. That's all until Friday when the team heads to Syracuse to say hi to Andrew Gordon and company. Let's keep this thing going......GO BEARS!

Where's Our Bears: Hershey 1, Connecticut 4

2012-02-04T22:46:00.000-05:00

The Bears came back from their All Star break looking great - for 40 minutes. After building a 3-0 lead against the Baby Pens Friday night in Wilkes Barre, the team crumbled and allowed the Pens four unanswered goals in the third period. French's only published tweet reflected his frustration simply saying that they had signed up to play 60 minutes. So how would the Chocolate and White respond Saturday as the Whale floated into town?

Photo courtesy of Jeff Stinson - The Sentinel

The Bears actually looked pretty good in the first period of Saturday's contest. There was a jump to their step, although there was something noticeably missing from their play - aggression. No one from the home squad was hitting or even charging after the puck. The team held their own, however, until the 16:00 mark when Tommy Grant sent a wrister in from the left circle to give the Whale the lead. Hershey would respond at 17:19 when Cody Eakin tipped a Tomas Kundratek blue line shot. It was tied at one after one.

Photo courtesy of Jeff Stinson - The Sentinel

But that that pretty much all she wrote for Hershey. Although not looking terrible through the first half of the second, shots were getting swallowed up before getting to the net. Those that did make it were easily taken care of by goalie Chad Johnson. Connecticut's Kris Newbury squeaked the puck between Dany Sabourin and the goal post at 12:10 to give the Whale a 2-1 lead during a power play. Just a minute and a half later the Whale charged down the ice and while everyone was watching Jonathan Audy-Marchessault skate down the right side, no one - including Sabourin - noticed Andre Deveaux coming down the left. Audy-Marchessault passed the puck cross ice for the easy tap in for Deveaux. Things got a little chippy toward the end of the second, but not enough to fire up the Bears. Whale lead 3-1 at the end of two, but Hershey had 1:18 of power play time to start the third.

Photo courtesy of Jeff Stinson - The Sentinel

Not that that did any good. Hershey actually had two power play chances early in the period, but between the two got one shot on net. You know, it's kinda hard to score goals when you don't put the puck on net!!!!! Tommy Grant sealed the Whale victory at 13:50 with his second goal of the night. Bears had a power play with 2:45 left in the game and even pulled Sabourin for an extra attacker, but to no avail. Bears sucked, and dropped their third straight home game.
Items of Note: Bears scratched Aucoin (DC), King, Pope, Oreskovic, and Wellar - all healthy....Kevin Marshall dropped to the ice at 13:56 in the second to block a Connecticut shot. He accomplished his mission with his face. He left the ice in a bloody mess and was reported to have lost teeth. He did not return to play....Francois Bouchard, in his Hershey return, injured his wrist in the first period. He tried to continue play, but left the game for good in the second. He will have his wrist x-rayed in Hartford tomorrow, but believes it may be broken.....Joel Rechlicz was returned from DC and played in tonight's contest.
Tweet of the Night: @timleone: Hershey has been outscored 8-1 last 4 periods.
Ref: Chris Ciamaga
Goalies: Dany Sabourin for Hershey, Chad Johnson for the Whale
Shots on Goal: Hershey 40, Connecticut 21
Stars of the Night: as chosen by the media: 1. Tommy Grant (2G), 2. Chad Johnson (39 saves), 3. Kris Newbury (GWG)
Morgan: Garrett Mitchell and Cody Eakin
Zack: Bouchard, MicFlikier, & Chad Johnson
Joel: Honorable mention to Johnson, star of the night honors to Cody Eakin
Me: An honorable nod to Zach Miskovic, but my star of the night was Graham Mink.
Jeff: Player of game: Cody Eakin- Back checking, creating scoring plays (obviously none converted), and the took his frustration out with finishing checks... Props to Boyd Kane and Tomas Kundratek, both were playing hard all 3 periods

I was hoping that the All Star break would refresh these guys and get 'em going in the right direction. And for 40 minutes last night it looked like it had. Then it all fell apart. Frenchie said that they signed up to play 60 minutes of hockey, but I believe he meant every night, not 60 minutes total between two contests! It's very disappointing to see so much potential not even be able to complete simple passes. The Bears have one more chance to redeem themselves and try to salvage something from this weekend. Unfortunately for us, that chance comes tomorrow afternoon against the WBS Penguins. We'll see.....GO BEARS!

January Review: A Bit of a Downer

2012-02-03T09:42:00.000-05:00

You get to the mountain top one step at a time.

You can take a break, but you must keep moving forward.

--Unknown

When you go 10-2-0-1 in December, it's only natural that you're going to come back to reality at some point in time. And it's better to hit the adversity in January than in April, May, or June. While this past month saw the numbers go down, February shows some promise already of an uphill swing.

Photo courtesy of Jeff Stinson - The Sentinel

Record through January 31, 2012: 25-12-4-3

Points: 57

Standings: Second in the East Division behind Wilkes-Barre(58 points)

The Good

I'm going to start the good with two stats that have risen during the month of January. The first stat would belong to Braden Holtby. Holtby's save percentage inched up to .906 despite the team's record of 6-4-1-0 during the month. I personally hold Braden responsible for keeping the Bears in the mix during the last four games he played during the month. It seems our young goaltender has hit upon his own reality - he's here to stay in Hershey and is more than making the best of it at times.....While Keith Aucoin and Chris Bourque continue to sit atop the AHL leader board in points, Jacob MicFlikier keeps pounding away and now sits fifth in the league for total points. He's also tied with Graham Mink for power play goals scored with 11....Our power play still ranks first in the league, although dipping slightly in it's efficiency. Our team scores during the man advantage an average of 29.6% of the time.....And our pk continues to impress, keeping our opponents off the board 86.0% of the time.

The Bad

Well, let's start with that four-game skid the Bears hit on at the end of the month. Those two games at home against Manchester were absolutely ghastly. We've had problems with the Monarchs defensive-style in the past, but the team will need to learn adaptability if they expect to beat them in a rematch later this month....Speaking of ghastly - what happened to our defense? What looked so good through December and the beginning of January completely fell by the wayside as they started making plans for the All Star break. We need to be defensively responsible before the blueliners jump in on the play....And our penalties are still taking their toll on this group of guys. The Bears have now amassed 1015 penalties which average out to 23.1 minutes per game. This is one stat I'd love to see on a downward spiral.

The Surprises

Just last month I was commenting on how great Tomas Kundratek was playing. Apparently someone in DC reads my blog, because he was called up to the big club shortly after I published my thoughts. He has since been returned and I'm looking for continued good play from the young Checz.....And I guess one of the bigger surprises came at the very end of the month when the Caps signed and recalled Joel Rechlicz. Great opportunity for Recker - he may not be playing a lot of minutes per game, but his mere presence alone is keeping things in order. I mean, really, Steve Downie was even cordial to Mathieu Perreault when he accidentally high sticked him in Recker's first game.

Things have already gotten off with a bang and our first February contest isn't even until tonight! In case you haven't heard - Cody Eakin has been reassigned to the Bears and Keith Aucoin has earned his first NHL recall of the season. Matt Ford has been traded to the Flyers organization for defenseman Kevin Marshall. Just what we need, another d-man right? Don't worry, the Caps also swung a deal that sends Danny Richmond to Colorado for center Mike Carman. The deal works well for both teams as Richie will be going to a young club with no veteran issues. This also frees up the Bears so they aren't on the veteran-merry-go-round every game. Both former Bears are to report to their AHL affiliates while our newbies are expected to make the trip to WBS tonight.

February hits a serious stretch of away games. It will be interesting to see how things shake out - not only with a tougher schedule, but with the NHL trade deadline approaching at the end of the month. This could be just the beginning of what is to come....GO BEARS!

Special Thanks

2012-01-27T08:33:00.000-05:00

Tuesdays are pretty hectic days for me. Getting the kids to school, working, and rushing home to get Morgan from school can wear you down enough, but after dinner, I rush right back out the door for some volunteer time. Needless to say Tuesdays are completely booked from the time I pry my eyes open, until they slam shut at night.

So when we received a reminder that Morgan's elementary school was hosting a family fun and fitness night this past Tuesday, I almost tossed it without reading it. However, something at the bottom of the sheet caught my eye - "special appearance by Hershey Bears players." While there was no way I could attend, my daughter surely had to go. It took a little convincing my shy eight-year-old. She turtles in social situations faster than Louis Robitaille. She finally agreed to go and had a great time.

Morgan & Andrew Carroll

I just wanted to give a big shout out of thanks to Pistol and Recker for making my kids smile for two days. Morgan came out of her shell enough to even ask Andrew Carroll if she could get her picture taken with him - color me jealous!

Zack and Joel Rechlicz

And Zack showed off his goalie skills when it was his turn to play floor hockey with two guys from his favorite team. (For the record after he demonstrated his ability to cover the five-hole, both players informed my hubby that we are in trouble....sorry guys, we already figured that one out!)

I just wanted to take a quick moment to recognize Andrew Carroll and Joel Rechlicz for giving up their free time to come out and spend some time with the kids in Middletown. I know it's something my two will remember for a life time....GO BEARS!

This Week in Pictures 1/22/12

2012-01-25T05:31:00.000-05:00

It certainly wasn't the weekend the Bears had hoped for. With the recent winning streak of the Chocolate and White and the seven-game skid the Manchester Monarchs were experiencing, maybe we went in a little cocky. Manchester proved they weren't ready to give up and their defensive style put our guys in a tailspin. The three-loss weekend, sent us from a comfortable lead in the East Division, to a tie with the WB and Norfolk only two points behind.

Jeff wasn't around to watch the beat down - lucky him. So I brought out my camera to catch some of the action. Enjoy.

Dany Sabourin drew the start in Saturday's contest and many times was left as the only defender of the net. Manchester clogged up the shooting zone causing rebounds to become turnovers. The Monarchs would then sail right down the middle of the ice all alone. It wasn't all Sabu's fault as the team could just not adjust their play and hang on to the lead when they got it.

Saturday's game was pretty hard hitting seeing one and a half fights (sorry, cannot justify the Oreskovic-Johnson wrestling match as a fight) and a few scrambles along the boards.

We were able to get people in front of the net on occasion, but the rebounds were popping out by the hashmarks. With the forwards in and around the net and the defensemen pinching in from the sides, there were only purple people ready to grab the puck and skate down ice.

Despite the two home-losses, Andrew Carroll had a heckuva homestand. Two fights and some outstanding work on the penalty kill make him a star in my eyes if not on the scoresheet.

Chalk this weekend up as lesson learned. It's time to regroup - and fast - as they head south for two games against division rival Norfolk Friday and Saturday. And after the All Star break, there's a few Penguins on my game schedule staring right at them....GO BEARS!

Same Story, Different Night: Bears 2, Manchester 4

2012-01-22T20:57:00.000-05:00

Jacob MicFlikier summed up the Bears Saturday night loss perfectly in an interview with Tim Leone in The Patriot. Said MicFlik "We sat back on our goals after the next shift, and they capitalized. It hurt us. We need to step on the gas after we get those goals and change the momentum and keep on them." Patrick McNeill was also on the money when he stated "They have a unique style" referring to Manchesters collapsing defense that causes turnovers that take advantage of their opponents not being in a defensive stance. So now that we know what's wrong, can we correct it? Time will tell.

Well, if the early going was any indication, we didn't learn all our lessons! Dwight King (DJ's brother) outmuscled Julien Brouillette at the corner of the net to intercept and redirect a Justin Johnson pass to give the Monarchs an early lead. The Bears would not be able to score on two power play chances before Brouillette would wind up and fire from the blue line to tie the game. A late Monarchs penalty looked to be the chance the Bears would need, but Chris Bourque turned the puck over in the offensive zone, and Patrick McNeill bobbled it at the defensive blue line. This led to Stefan Legein's first goal of the night - a shorty at 19:11.

The Bears still had :34 of power play time to start the second, but it didn't do any good. Andrew Carroll attempted to jump start the Bears with an early period fight against Jordan Nolan, but unlike last night, it didn't provide the needed spark. At 5:21, Matt Pope went to the box for tripping and Manchester went to work. After a pretty passing presentation, Legein got his second of the night into the net and Manchester is leading 3-1. About half way through the period, the Bears started to pick up the pace, but there was a noticeable lack of hitting from the home team. Hershey would take an advantage of a Thomas Hickey penalty later in the period. Jacob MicFlikier skated through the zone, but fell and the puck popped out to center where Keith Aucoin fired straight into the back of the net. Bears pulled within one heading into intermission.

The third period was pretty quiet, but the Bears were sending shots toward the goal. One thing I noticed is that normally, having a forward in front of the net is the perfect place to be. With Manchester's defense swarming around the net, an attacker needed to be standing around the hashmarks to catch the rebounds. Since the Bears didn't notice what I did, pucks weren't getting through. Frenchie pulled Holtby with 1:30 left in the game, but even with the extra attacker the Bears couldn't tie the game. Justin Azevedo added an empty netter to give the Monarchs the win and give the Bears their first 3-in-3 loss of the season.
Items of Note: Bears scratched Mink, Wellar, and Greentree....With Keith Aucoin's goal in the second, he extended his points streak to 16 games....Bears were 1-7 on the power play, Manchester was 1-4.....Braden Holtby almost scored on his own net, when a clearing attempt went off his own post! Meanwhile Aucoin made a great diving save on the empty net at the end of the game.
Tweet of the Night: @timeleone: Holtby: "You've got to give credit to Zatkoff and their defense. They blocked a ton of shots and cleared a ton of rebounds."
Refs: Keith Kaval and David Banfield. You know Banfield isn't such a butt when he has help.....
Goalies: Braden Holtby for the Bears didn't look so hot, while Jeff Zatkoff and his team of defenders stole the show.
Shots on Goal: Bears 31, Manchester 19
Stars of the Night: as chosen by the media: 1. Stefan Legein (2G), 2. Marc-Andre Cliche (2A), 3. Jeff Zatkoff (29 saves)
Morgan: Keith Aucoin & Julien Brouillette
Zack: the other team's goalie
Joel: Matt Ford
Me: Christian Hanson. Especially in third period he showed hustle and determination.

Well, that was a let down. The way the team's been playing of late, we're not used to three losses in a row. But no season is without a little adversity and I for one would like to see all the let downs happen now than in April, May, and/or June. We'll take it and build on it for next time. That next time is Friday night against division rival Norfolk in Hampton Roads. Then most of team gets the weekend off while Chris Bourque, Keith Aucoin, and Boyd Kane participate in the All Star Classic. Maybe a little rest will recharge the team as they head into the second half of the season.......GO BEARS!

No Urgency: Bears 4, Manchester 5

2012-01-21T22:59:00.000-05:00

Well, hello Bears fans! The Bears set out two weeks ago on a brief road trip that saw them win both games in Charlotte and score a huge come back win in Binghamton last Saturday night. The team then had the week off before driving back to Binghamton last night where they almost recorded another comeback, but fell short to the Senators. The away games are over and the boys are back in town with a division leading 55 points. They are looking to avenge Friday night's loss by taking on the Manchester Monarchs.

The first period got under way with Keith Aucoin's tenth goal of the season at 3:26 when he sent a wrister between goalie Martin Jones and the post. Justin Azevedo answered back immediately when :10 later he caught a bounce off the wall and outsnookered Dany Sabourin to tie the game at one. Neither team scored again even though Manchester had two power plays. The final one would carry over into the second period by :24.

Manchester got a flukey goal at 1:05 when the puck dropped on an offensive zone faceoff and caromed off of Danny Richmond's skate and past Sabourin. The Bears tried to shake it off, but were having a hard time getting the puck on net with Manchester's collapsing defense. Phil Oreskovic and Justin Johnson dropped the gloves at 6:27, but it wasn't really much of anything. At 7:03, Andrew Carroll and Nick Deslauriers had a spirited battle behind the Manchester goal. This seemed to spark the Bears who started skating with a little more intensity. At 8:03, Jacob MicFlikier sent a shot from the left circle that eluded Jones and Boyd Kane gave the hometown boys the lead at 8:27 when he collected Chris Bourque's garbage at the side of the net. But with all that adrenalin flowing, the team forgot to cover Jordan Nolan as he collected a Dany Sabourin rebound at 9:13. The period ended three all.

Manchester's Cam Paddock would draw first blood in the third at 2:06. But even though the Bears were down a point, they didn't skate with any urgency allowing quite a few odd man rushes and breakaways for the Monarchs. Finally at 14:23, Jacob MicFlikier scored a power play goal to again tie the game. Marc-Andre Cliche would then break the tie at 17:56 when he skated in alone and popped the puck up and over the shoulder of Sabourin. The Bears pulled Sabu in the final minute of play, but I'm pretty sure they didn't get a shot on goal. They were too busy skating around trying to set up for the pretty pass. There was no sense of urgency to the way they played and the clock expired on the evening breaking the Monarchs seven game losing streak.
Items of Note: Bears scratched DJ King, Graham Mink, & Pat Wellar.....Wellar has started skating again this week; the first since suffering a high-ankle sprain in the first period of the Outdoor Classic.....The Bears were 1-3 on the power play, while Manchester was 0-3......Although registering three assists tonight, I personally thought Chris Bourque had a tough game. There were many times I caught him standing still watching the play instead of trying to break it up or drive the net. Bourquie committed several turnovers leading to the multiple odd man rushes. Here's hoping he has a better game tomorrow.
Tweet of the Night: @sk84fun_dc: Listening to @scottstuccio talking to @timleone during #hbh 1st intermission; likely DJ King will play tomorrow vs Manch (& his brother)
Ref: Graham Skilliter - um, that purple team makes mistakes too.
Goalies: Dany Sabourin faced too many Monarchs on his own, while Martin Jones had a lot of help in front of his net.
Shots on Goal: Bears 35, Manchester 38
Stars of the Night: as chosen by the media: 1. Marc-Andre Cliche (GWG), 2. Cam Paddock (1G, 1A, +2), 3. Jacob MicFlikier (2G on 6 shots)
Morgan: Phil Oreskovic and Dany Sabourin - not all those goals were his fault
Zack: Jacob MicFlikier and that's all I got
Joel: Danny Richmond
Me: Honorable mention to Matt Pope for his hustle tonight, star of the night goes to Pistol Pete. Yeah, that's right, Andrew Carroll had a great fight and was so much fun to watch on the penalty kill.

I was shocked at how the team was standing still instead of driving the net and looking for rebounds. The defensive style that Manchester employs is rather difficult, but judging by their seven game losing streak, beatable. One key to victory would be moving your feet. When the team started using the body, good things happened - two quick goals in the second for example. These are some good building blocks to use for tomorrow night's contest as Manchester will again invade our barn. Hopefully it will be a much better result.....GO BEARS!

This Week in PIctures 1/8/12

2012-01-11T05:36:00.000-05:00

The Bears played a very unusual three-in-three this past weekend. An outdoor classic loss, a full bench brawl of a win, and a shoot 'em up victory. The five points collected vaulted the team to the top of the Eastern Conference!

I had the pleasure of attending the outdoor game, and with horror watched the Phantoms come to town for a grudge match. Jeff returned just in time to welcome Paul Szezchura and the Rochester Americans to town. Here's what we saw this weekend.

The Outdoor Classic was in one word awesome. From the players coming out onto the ice, to the ceremonial puck drop, to LAUREN HART SINGING THE NATIONAL ANTHEM, and the fireworks exploding from the roof over our heads - I was awestruck. I cannot begin to thank my mom enough for getting us tickets for Christmas. It was a once in a lifetime experience!

The Bears put their best on the ice to start the game and it paid off in dividends as they scored just seconds into the contest. But as exciting as it was, Bears fans know never to get too comfortable with a quick start.

Braden Holtby was stellar in net Friday net. He wasn't show-offy, but played a solid game in front of over 45,000 spectators. It was a shame to see him collect the overtime loss. I haven't often touted the kid this season, but his NHL experience (as well as Michael Leighton's might I add) added to the team's confidence that chilly January night.

But unfortunately for the Bears, their dreams of winning the Outdoor Classic came shattering down around them, when with :20 to go, the Phantoms tied the game sending it to overtime. Then, just a minute into the extra frame, Shane Harper had a career moment with the game winning overtime goal. While disappointing for Bears fans, it was the second most remarkable hockey moment in my life. Of course, the first was when we won the Calder Cup at home two seasons ago.

The Bears and Phantoms loaded their respective buses and arrived in Hershey in the wee hours of Saturday morning (I can attest to that). Saturday they clogged the ice and started jabbing at each other. Spotted up in Loser Lounge this weekend was former Bear Steve Pinizzotto. Pinner was keeping Pat Wellar and his crutches company!

The game started and you could tell that while everyone was on their best behavior during Firday's nationally televised contest, Saturday was a whole other tale. It started during pregame when Joel Rechlicz was mouthing Tom Sestito about a supposed slash on Sabu during the Outdoor Classic pregame. It escalated into something I'd rather forget - a bench brawl.

The Bears won the rematch convincingly and collected two points. Joel Rechlicz collected enough misconducts to earn a one-game suspension. The AHL announced Tuesday evening that he also would sit one more game for the bench altercation with Sestito. Sestito and Oliver Lauridsen were handed a one-game suspension each for their involvement in the fight from the bench. Click here for the AHL announcement of the suspensions, and you can read my recap of the events right here. Of course, Sestito claims he was completly innocent, had no idea what Recker was referring to and that Joel threw the first punch from the ice, so of course he was going to defend himself. Me personally, I think you should read Recker's version and Sestito's version, then go right down the middle. They both had a hand in it. However, Sestito was the weenie that skated away from Recker's hit, and the replay I saw showed him throwing the first fist.

Photo courtesy of Jeff Stinson - The Sentinel

Sunday night, Hershey welcomed old friends back to town. Former Bear Joe Finley and former Hershey JR Bear Marcus Foligno not only are playing regular ice time with the Amerks this season, but had also earned their first NHL recalls to the Buffalo Sabres. Another familiar face was that of Jeff's buddy Paul Szezchura. Maybe some day I can convince him to tell that story.....

Photo courtesy of Jeff Stinson - The Sentinel

The Americans were on the sixth game of their road trip when they stopped in town. They had won four of five and were looking for another two points. Hershey was a gracious host allowing them to take a single point home with them when Rochester came back from a deficit twice.

Photo courtesy of Jeff Stinson - The Sentinel

The Bears had a good weekend points wise - five out of six. However, Friday and Sunday they allowed their opponents to come back and tie the game with late goals. Friday resulted in an overtime loss, while Sunday gave Braden Holtby his second consecutive shootout win. But let's take a moment and give a round of applause to the dfz's player of the weekend. David Leggio of the Americans deserves some recognition for his amazing game on Sunday night. Stopping nearly 50 shots on goal in the loss, he was the only thing that kept Rochester's hopes alive.

Photo courtesy of Jeff Stinson - The Sentinel

And since I'm running so far behind this week, I am finishing just in time to post this picture of the newest Washington Capitals callup - Tomas Kundratek. I said in my December review that this boy is good, and with Mike Green on the shelf - yet again - Kundy has his chance to show what he's got. Go get 'em boy!....GO BEARS!

What A Scare: Bears4, Rochester 3 (Shootout)

2012-01-08T21:45:00.000-05:00

The dust settled on the fracas on Hersheypark Drive late last night as the bus for Adirondack pulled out. But it wasn't long before our next competitor graced the entrance bringing baggage of a six-game road trip and four out of five wins. The Bears would be without the services of resident tough guy Joel Rechlicz having registered three game misconducts, which bears the punishment of a one-game suspension. The 10,001 faithful in attendance Sunday night were happy to see that defenseman Danny Richmond was no worse for the wear after getting beaten down by the Phantoms bench. And they even had smiles on their faces as former Bear Joe Finley laced up next to former Hershey resident Marcus Foligno. Puck dropped at center as the Bears looked to collect two more points in their quest for Calder Cup #12.

Photo courtesy of Jeff Stinson - The Sentinel

The first period featured a quick pace and a fair amount of end-to-end action. However, the Bears were the dominant team registering 15 shots on goal during the first 20 minutes of play. The Bears had several good chances including a couple from Boyd Kane and a rush led by Zach Miskovic. But no one tickled the twine before the intermission horn would sound.

Photo courtesy of Jeff Stinson - The Sentinel

The Bears came out with the same intensity in the second, but this time were able to conquer David Leggio in goal. First strike came at 5:56 during a power play, when Patrick McNeill tipped a bullet fired by Chris Bouque. The second strike came at 11:32 on a shorty by Christian Hanson. Hanson grabbed a turnover and skated alone in on Leggio. He fired once, caught the rebound, fired again, caught the rebound, and, well three times the charm as Leggio was unable to stop the third attempt. The Bears were riding high on a two goal lead and a glance at the scoreboard showed they were also ahead in shots 36-9 - no, that's not a typo. However, Rochester would start the third on a power play.

Photo courtesy of Jeff Stinson - The Sentinel

It was that darned Keith Aucoin penalty that would start the ball rolling for Rochester. Yes, it was a necessary penalty, but a man was in the box when Zach Kassian grabbed his own rebound just :15 into the third. Rochester would then tie the game during another power play at 4:26 on a goal by TJ Brennan. The Bears were reeling and Coach French called a timeout. It seemed to work as the team buckled down and started hitting again. Patrick McNeill would hit the cross bar just before the 13:00 minute mark, but he grabbed the rebound, repositioned, and fired again this time only hitting the back of the net! Bears are up 3-2. But at 18:59, with their goalie pulled, Zach Kassian again finds the back of the net when he was left all alone beside Holtby. A game that looked to pretty much be a lock at the end of the second has now become....

Photo courtesy of Jeff Stinson - The Sentinel

....overtime. You can't say that refs David Banfield and Jamie Koharski didn't try to give us the victory. For that matter, there were a couple of ex-Caps that tried too. Just :07 into the OT, Joe Finley hooked Jacob MicFlikier heading to the net. MicFlik was awarded a penalty shot, but was unable to convert. Then at 3:52, Shaone Morrisonn was called for tripping. Again, the Bears were unable to score, forcing yet another game to go to the....
....blessed shootout. Zach Kassian scored for Rochester (thus giving him the technical hat trick), but Keith Aucoin AND Cody Eakin scored on David Leggio giving the Bears the victory and sole possession of the Eastern Conference lead!
Items of Note: Bears scratched DJ King, Joel Rechlicz (suspended), Graham Mink (vet), and Patrick Wellar (injured)......Tomas Kundratek took a hit in the third period and went to the dressing room for several shifts for repairs. He did come back out a few minutes later and skated the rest of the game....Rochester was 2-4 on the power play, while the Bears were 1-5.....The Bears managed to be in the penalty box for 8 minutes tonight - that's probably a game record this season.
Tweet of the Night: @timleone: Ran into 6-8 260 Finley in hallway, got cartoon handshake. You know, the one where you're lifted up and down by the guy shaking your hand.
Refs: David Banfield and Jamie Koharski - very limited calls, but the game didn't get out of hand (like last night)
Goalies: Braden Holtby gets his second straight shootout victory, while David Leggio was unbelievable for Rochester.
Shots on Goal: Bears 53, Rochester 31
Stars of the Night: as chosen by the media: 1. Patrick McNeill (2G), 2. Cody Eakin (game winning shoot out goal), 3. David Leggio (holy crap what a game)
Morgan: Leggio, Eakin, Aucoin
Zack: Aucoin, Holtby, MicFlikier
Joel: Christian Hanson - hustled all night long and had a great game (1G, 1A, +2 to be statistically accurate)
Me: Honorable mention to Zach Kassian (2G, shootout goal) on a great night, however my star of the night is awarded to Zach Miskovic. Misky looked great tonight playing defensively sound and having a couple of excellent scoring chances. Not bad for a guy who played all three games this weekend after only playing one game in the month of December.

The boys really gave us a scare. It looked like they got a little over-confident with a two goal lead and such a huge shot advantage. But Rochester got momentum on their side with that early third period goal and things spiralled after that. The boys really need to work on those late game goals as they have made a difference in two of the three games they played this weekend. This week they board a plane and head to Charlotte for a two game matchup before heading to Binghamton on Saturday night. We won't see a home game until January 21st! We are in the lead in the East, let's keep this rolling.....GO BEARS!

What a Mess: Bears 5, Phantoms 2

2012-01-07T23:34:00.000-05:00

Friday night at the Winter Classic Outdoor event, everyone was on their best behavior. With the tv cameras rolling and President Dave Andrews in attendance, both teams kept their emotions in check and the rough stuff to a minimum. Saturday the teams met up in Hershey for a "normal" night of hockey. Game on.

The way things ended Friday night, a Bears fan like me might have expected the home team to come out with an attitude. In fact, during pregame warmups, Joel Rechlicz was jawing with Tom Sestito giving the fans the impression that the Bears were going to whomp 'em good. However, when the puck dropped the home team didn't really have too much jump to their step. At 8:17, Andrew Rowe sent the puck from behind the net where it bounced off Danny Richmond's skate and past Dany Sabourin giving the Phantoms the early lead. The rough stuff started at 11:12 when Andrew Carroll and Kevin Marshall tangled behind Michael Leighton each earning a fighting major (and Joel Rechlicz a 10 minute misconduct, which earned ref Ryan Hersey a BS chant). The Phantoms were controlling play and the Bears were letting their emotions control them as they kept ending up in the penalty box. With less than a minute to play, Chris Bourque caught a Phantoms turnover and skated shorthanded in on Leighton. Leighton couldn't protect the five-hole and the Bears end the period tied at one.

The Bears killed off the remainder of Adirondack's power play and then pulled ahead on the scoresheet at 2:29 when Boyd Kane tipped a Patrick McNeill wrister. Unfortunately the Phantoms answered right back on a pretty play resulting in Tyler Brown's third of the season. The period turned UGLY when the Bears were unable to control play even allowing a two minute stretch when they could not get the puck out of their zone - and it was even strength play people. Luckily Sabourin was the star of the period keeping it tied as we headed for the third.

Cullen Eddy started the third with a tripping penalty. On the faceoff Chris Bourque sent the puck on net that deflected off a Phantoms player. Jacob MicFlikier caught the rebound and stuffed it past Leighton giving the Bears the lead. At 8:02, Cody Eakin sent the puck over/around a discarded stick to a charging Julien Brouillette who cashed in as well putting the Bears up 4-2. At 9:54, Keith Aucoin skated into the zone, but when he could not get a shot off because of a Kevin Marshall block, he passed to Patrick McNeill who sealed the victory for the home team. Then all hell broke loose. With about four minutes left in the period, Coach French decided to let Recker off the bench for a shift. As my hubby described it, Recker was just like a little puppy who had been penned up all day and had plenty of energy. He hit everything in sight - cleanly might I add. He levelled Tom Sestito, who put his tail between his legs and skated for the bench. Tyler Brown was man enough to skate in on Recker for the hit, but Andrew Carroll intercepted him and the two of them had a tangle. Meanwhile, Cullen Eddy grabbed poor Zach Miskovic and began pounding on him. Suddenly, as Joel Rechlicz skated past the bench, Sestito found his cahones and punched Recker who of course tried to jump on the Phantoms bench to take up the challenge. This was when it all exploded. The linesmen had taken Carroll to the penalty box and were in the process of breaking up the Misko bout. One linesman grabbed Recker, but there was no linesmen left to help Danny Richmond who had skated in to defend Rechlicz. Four or so Phantoms grabbed Richmond and held him down and started pounding on him (and yes, the brave souls were all standing on the bench!). Richmond was finally assisted to the dressing room in much distress and things quieted down on the ice. Here's a link to the box score to read the exact penalties, but suffice it to say it was BS. Recker got more minutes than the gutless wonder, but both will probably come up for review with the league for possible suspension. But SUCK IT Phantoms, Bears win!
Items of Note:   Bears scratched King, Mink, Wellar, and Mitchell.....Patrick Wellar was hurt during the first period of the Outdoor Classic Friday night. Frenchie said after the game that he will not play this weekend and probably will not make the trip to Charlotte midweek. Wellar was spotted in Loser Lounge walking with the aid of crutches......Wellsie was kept company up there with former Bear Steve Pinizzotto!.....The teams combined for 166 penalty minutes (Rechlicz owned 45 of his own)....The Bears went 1-5 on the power play, but killed off all Phantoms advantages.
Tweet of the Night: @timleone: With his assist on PMAC goal, Aucoin takes sole possession of #6 in all-time AHL assists (545) passing Jody Gage (544) - Congrats Coiner!
Ref: #46 Ryan Hersey - I can say with some certainty that he will not be welcome in Hershey any time soon.
Goalies: Dany Sabourin for the Bears, Michael Leighton for Adirondack
Shots on Goal:   Bears 29, Phantoms 30
Stars of the Night: as chosen by the media: 1. Keith Aucoin (3A), 2. Patrick McNeill (1G, 1A +3), 3. Chris Bourque (1G, 1A)
Morgan: Miskovic and Richmond
Zack: Jacob MicFlikier, Aucoin, and Bourque
Joel: Patrick McNeill had a great game.
Me:   Dany Sabourin gets my honorable mention. Especially for a while in the 2nd, he was the only thing keeping the Bears alive. My star of the night goes to Boyd Kane - he hit everything in site, his mouth and his legs never stopped moving, and he also chipped in with a goal. Great job el capitan!

While everyone was on their best behavior in Philly, tonight it was a complete throw down. I wasn't happy with the cheap shots the Phantoms were throwing - like Ben Holmstrom pushing Keith Aucoin around even though he's almost a foot taller and wearing a full face cage. Don't worry, Coiner TOOK HIM DOWN! Ref Hersey lost control and there was no way he could save face by the time the Phantoms were pounding Richmond's. I hope everyone's okay. We'll be on the lookout for Stingrays callups to bolster the defense because Rochester rolls into town tomorrow night......GO BEARS!

Outdoor Impressions

2012-01-07T13:59:00.000-05:00

Sorry for the delay! Not only did I get back home in the wee hours of Saturday morning, but after a quick coupla winks headed out the door for Morgan's soccer game (she took two hits, scored two goals, and had an assist to help her team remain undefeated in case you're interested). If you're looking for a recap of the game, I suggest clicking on Tim Leone's or Sweetest Hockey's links over on the right of the page. I just wanted to post a couple of pictures and let you in on my impressions of the Winter Classic.

Joel and I opted to travel by bus with the Hershey Bears Booster Club. We weren't sure of Joel's work schedule, so it was by far easier to let someone else do the driving. Our seats ended up being in section 428, but after running up the stairs, we decided to catch our breath at the tables located right behind the 300 level seats. And, well, we never left - great view hunh?

We were running a little behind schedule, so it wasn't long after our arrival that opening ceremonies started complete with fireworks and The Star Spangled Banner sung by the fantastic Lauren Hart (I was stoked! Words cannot describe how good she is!)

Then the game was under way and the Bears took the puck right into the Phantoms zone and scored just :28 in! It was truly a magical atmosphere listening to Bears fans chant amongst the Phantoms and Flyers faithful.

There's a few things I'd like to forget about our trip - the three hour bus ride down, the half hour to find a parking spot, Beverly Hills Chihuahua 2, and yes, the overtime loss. But I hope I don't forget the opportunity I had to see our hometown boys take to an outdoor rink in front of an AHL record-setting crowd. It was truly worth the price of admission.....GO BEARS!

December Review: Making Progress

2012-01-04T19:32:00.000-05:00

Progress lies not in enhancing what is,

but in advancing toward what will be.

--Khalil Gibran

After the scare that Hershey gave its fans during the month of November, it was quite a relief to see healthy bodies enter the lineup. Those healthy bodies added stability, which bred consistency (well, they're getting closer at least), which led to more W's. In just 31 short days the Hershey Bears vaulted from third to first in the division.

Photo courtesy of Jeff Stinson - The Sentinel

Record through December 31, 2011: 19-8-3-3

Points: 44

Standings: Currently 1st in the East Division ahead of the Norfolk Admirals (42 points)

The Good

It is so good to see that the good out number the bad this month! Let's start with the best of the good news - a December record of 10-2-0-1. Dig a little deeper and you will remember that we played the Norfolk Admirals four times, and the Baby Pens three times during that one-month span. Outstanding turnaround!.....Keith Aucoin (8 goals, 45 assists) and Chris Bourque (18 goals, 30 assists) continue to lead the league in total points and will be representing the Bears in Atlantic City at the end of the month at the All Star Classic.....Speaking of All Star Classic, Boyd Kane has been chosen as the Captain of the Eastern Conference. While Kaner did spend five seasons in Philadelphia, his choice to be Captain wasn't entirely honorary. Kane has quietly (unless you're wearing black and white stripes) put together quite an impressive season so far. With nine goals and seven assists, our Captain is leading the team in +/- with a +12.......And while the All Star committee failed to grant my Christmas wish, Jacob MicFlikier is certainly all-star material recording 12 goals and 25 assists. Those numbers put him sixth in overall league scoring and eighth for assists alone......Our defensemen may have struggled this season, but it appears that Patrick McNeill has found his groove. Five goals, 16 assists rank him the sixth highest points getter among defensemen.....Our special teams kick heiney! The Bears penalty kill is ranked third in the league killing off infractions 85.9% of the time. Our power play unit connects 32.0% of the time which puts them, by far, on top of the league.

The Bad

Yeah, there's still some bad out there. The team has no accumulated 775 penalty minutes which is an average of 23.5 minutes per game! (It's a good thing our pk'ers are so good, hunh?). The team NEEDS to buckle down, watch their sticks - and their mouths - and play disciplined hockey......One other thing that really upsets me is coach's decision to limit the fourth line's ice time during a game. I would much rather see fresh legs out there than double shifting a struggling player or even line. I realize that each person serves a purpose, but four consistently rolling lines are so much more effective coming up against a team that only has two good ones.

The Surprises

Two words sum up my biggest surprise for the month - Tomas Kundratek. Six goals and two assists in a single month for a blueliner makes my jaw drop. It probably adds to the awe that he only had two goals and 10 assists in an entire season with the Whale last year. We definitely made out on the better end of that trade (sorry Bouch).....Through the month of December Ryan Potulny banged home seven goals and had 12 assists. He missed quite a bit of action due to hernia surgery back in October. And believe it or not, our power play surely missed him!

The big focus of the month of January is Friday as the Bears take to the outdoor rink at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia. It is expected to be a sold out crowd (of which I will be a part), making it the biggest attended event the AHL has ever hosted. The Bears spend quite a bit of time on the road this month, heading to red-hot Charlotte next week before seeing Binghamton twice on the road and a back-to-back in Norfolk to end the month. Adirondack, Rochester, and Manchester are our only visitors this month. Yes, you inferred right - no Baby Pens this month - YIPPEE! The team is starting to play as such, a team. The defense has picked it up, while our goaltenders are playing pretty solid in net behind them. Our forwards are on fire and the additions of Greentree and Eakin at the end of the month are only enhancing the talent pool.....GO BEARS!

This Week in Pictures: 1/1/12

2012-01-02T18:51:00.000-05:00

Well, in case you haven't realized it, we've officially started 2012 (let's face it, with the extra day off of work/school some of us have had, you may not have been aware of such events). But before 2011 ended, the Bears had three games against two opponents - two of which were at home. The Bears earned five of six points in these three contests facing the Baby Pens and Norfolk Admirals. Two games ended with a shootout. Not a bad way to end 2011.
Jeff covered the action Wednesday night witnessing HIS first Baby Pens game of the regular season. Saturday my camera made the trip to Hershey so Jeffy could celebrate his mom's birthday. Happy belated bday @jeffyphoto's mom from all of us at the dfz!

Photo courtesy of Jeff Stinson - The Sentinel

Cody Eakin was returned from Washington in time to play against the Baby Pens. However, he was recalled to DC to make the trip to Columbus on New Years Eve. News came on New Years Day that he was again returned to Hershey where he practiced with the team on Monday. Let's hope the Caps don't need him this week, so he gets an opportunity to play in the outdoor game this Friday.

Photo courtesy of Jeff Stinson - The Sentinel

Ten goals, 13 assists, and time spent in Pittsburgh - Eric Tangradi's resume is starting to look pretty darned good. Two of those goals came at the hands of the Bears Wednesday night. Tomas Kundratek is making a pretty good name for himself on the blueline. In 18 games played for the Bears this season, he has scored six goals which leads all Bears defensemen.

Photo courtesy of Jeff Stinson - The Sentinel

There were quite a few roughing penalties called during the mid-week game. That's to be expected when you get these two teams together. It wasn't the reason the Bears lost, however.

Photo courtesy of Jeff Stinson - The Sentinel

When you get a two-goal lead against a team that is not playing at 100% of their roster, you should be able to pull out the win. The Bears played to protect the lead, but couldn't keep the puck out of their zone. Eventually a team as talented as WB is going to score. And they did - twice. Sending us to the shootout. I must say I was surprised that Sabourin and Munroe made it to the ninth round before a winner was decided. But with a 5-3 lead with eight minutes remaining in the third, it's still disappointing to only garner a point on the night.

New Years Eve was ridiculous. Chris Cozzan was horrible. I still maintain that things got ugly in the first when Tyler Johnson boarded Keith Aucoin with no call.

By the time the second period rolled around it escalated into two and a half fights and pushing and shoving at every stoppage of play. Cozzan only called what he was forced to, leading to a lot of animosity between the two clubs.

And truthfully if it hadn't been for the outstanding play by Admirals goaltender Jaroslav Janus, the Ads would have only led in penalty minutes. Janus used those big blockers on just about everything that got near him and allowed few, if any, rebounds.

It was a rough night for the Chocolate and White, but they pulled out a shootout win in the end. It cannot be easy to play the game with all the pushing and shoving going on. I don't mind some rough stuff, but that was not a pleasant hockey game to watch. But the Bears finished the year strong getting one last win, and one last BS chant in, before the clock struck midnight.

While I will be travelling to Philly on Friday for the outdoor game, there will be no recap. 'Til I'm done, I'm probably going to look like Ralphie's little brother from The Christmas Story. Sixteen layers and I won't be able to put my arms down, let alone take notes! I will have my camera and try to get some shots though. In case you didn't hear, Comcast Philly will be televising the event, so think of me freezing my patootie off while you are nice and cozy in front of your tv....GO BEARS!

Happy New Year: Bears 3, Norfolk 2 (Shootout)

2011-12-31T22:24:00.000-05:00

Well, we all remember the way things turned out on Wednesday. It wasn't pretty. Tonight marks the final game of this calendar year and yet another division rival has come to town - the Norfolk Admirals.

I am going to apologize in advance for the lack of pics - my computer is having a fit trying to upload them and I don't feel like spending my new year waiting. I'll try to get some up for my week in review.

Things did not start off well for the Chocolate and White. Norfolk controlled the puck early and Hershey could not clear the zone. The Ads put on a nice passing display in front of the net which led to their first goal at 1:59. Ondrej Palat scored his second of the season. Although that was the only goal of the period, there was much action in the penalty box. Hostilities were beginning to rise starting (IMO) with a non-boarding call on Tyler Johnson against Keith Aucoin. The period would end with fighting majors to Danny Richmond and Radko Gudas, but that was only a glimpse of what was to come.

At 4:44 of the second, Andrew Carroll and Mike Angelidis dropped the gloves. At the next puck drop Patrick Wellar and Eric Neilson exchanged crushing blows. Then at 6:04, Jacob MicFlikier and Cory Conacher mixed it up resulting in a Norfolk power play. At 7:16, Keith Aucoin skated short handed into the Norfolk zone with two Admirals all over his every move. He managed to dish the puck toward center ice where it was whacked into the net by a sliding Chris Bourque! After exchanging a couple of more penalties, the Bears again found themselves shorthanded. But a Norfolk turnover resulted in Christian Hanson skating down ice and shooting the puck over Jaroslav Janus' shoulder. The puck hit the top corner of the cross bar and bounced back out, however, ref Chris Cozzan ruled it a good goal and the Bears have grabbed the lead. They would hold that lead into intermission.

Garrett Mitchell lost his cool in the third and jumped Jean-Philippe Cote. Cote did not fight back, so Mitchy was assessed a five minute major for fighting and a 10 minute misconduct. The Admirals scored one goal on the power play. Mike Kostka sent the puck off of two Bears defenders and past Braden Holtby at 5:31. Chris Cozzan had put the whistle away, so neither team had an extra attacker and no other goals were scored, so we head for....
...overtime. While the Bears did manage two shots on goal, they didn't score, and neither did the Ads. So we go to yet another crappy....
.....shootout. Only one player was able to score during the skills competition. That's right, our very own Keith Aucoin won the game and sent the Bears out of 2011 on a winning note!
Items of Note: Bears scratched Brett Flemming and Maxime Lacroix (both sent to South Carolina), Cody Eakin (in DC again), Graham Mink (vet), & Zach Miskovic (as usual).
Tweet of the Night: @timleone: If I had my way, the goal judges tonight would be wearing 2012 numeral hats that light up in concert with the goal light.
Ref: Chris Cozzan. I will refrain from calling him the many names I want to. He stank. Both teams were head hunting during this contest and he would not call anything. PU!!!
Goalies: Braden Holtby for Hershey, Jaroslav Janus for Norfolk
Shots on Goal: Hershey 40, Norfolk 28
Stars of the Night: as chosen by the media: 1. Keith Aucoin (1A, Shootout Winner), 2. Chris Bourque (1G, 1A), 3. Braden Holtby (26 saves)
Morgan: Aucoin, Julien Brouillette, Jaroslav Janus
Zack: Holtby, Aucoin, Bourque
Joel: Honorable mention to Christian Hanson, Star Jaroslav Janus - he made big saves and didn't let any rebounds.
Me: Honorable mention to Janus, Star to Hanson. And I apologize to anyone I might have missed, those jerseys were not easy for me to read.

Okay, it's New Years Eve and I am ready to start 2012! The Bears are off until Friday when they head outdoors to play Adirondack in Philly. I'll be there! Probably no recap, but I'll try to get some pictures. Have a safe and happy new years....GO BEARS!

It Shouldn't Have Ended This Way: Bears 5, WBS 6 (Shootout)

2011-12-28T23:31:00.000-05:00

The Bears left for Christmas break on a high note beating Syracuse 5-2 last Wednesday at the GC. After a few days off to enjoy Christmas, the team headed to Wilkes Barre - yet again. But in an unusual turn of events, the Bears beat the Baby Pens 6-0! Braden Holtby earned his second shutout of the season and the Bears played a very responsible game. With a few minor lineup changes, the teams are back at it tonight in Hershey.

Photo courtesy of Jeff Stinson - The Sentinel

The first period was kind of quite. Several good chances by both teams, but a lot of stoppages of play. Only two penalties - Cody Eakin and Pat Wellar - and no score. Shots 10-6 in favor of the visitors.

Photo courtesy of Jeff Stinson - The Sentinel

The Bears came out in the second and didn't seem too energetic. Their lethargic play led to the first goal of the game. Eric Tangradi tripped an Alex Grant point shot at 1:21 to give WB the lead. The Bears seemed to just be going through the motions, letting Dany Sabourin bail them out. They were skating, but not hitting. Paul Thompson did us a favor at 9:42, taking a roughing infraction. The power play unit did not disappoint. Bryan Lerg tried to intercept the puck in front of the net, but instead poked it right to Graham Mink. Mink scored his league-leading 10th power play goal. This gave the team some life and they scored again at 13:52 during 4-on-4 play. As Tomas Kundratek exited the penalty box, he skated to the bench where Kyle Greentree entered play. He grabbed the puck and carried it across the blueline to the far boards where Boyd Kane took over. Kaner skated behind the net and dished the puck up the middle where Cody Eakin pocketed his seventh goal of the season. Geoff Walker answered right back on a goal off the faceoff at 14:57. The back breaker of the period was a Zach Sill shorty at 19:07 giving the Pens the lead. However, the league's best power play tied it up with :22 left in the period on a shot by Tomas Kundratek.

Photo courtesy of Jeff Stinson - The Sentinel

I was hoping the late goal by the home team would take some of the spunk out of the Pens. And at first it seemed to. At 6:44 Chris Bourque one-timed a Ryan Potulny feed just north of the face off circle that escaped Scott Munroe. Then at 7:59, while on a two-man advantage, Bourque fed Potulny in a mirror image of the previous goal. The Bears are up by two, so what do they do? Fall into that protect the lead kind of play. They were having trouble clearing the zone which led to a lot of traffic in front of the net. Eric Tangradi took advantage of a wild rebound that snuck through Sabourin's five hole jamming it home and the Pens are down by one. Then Nick Petersen banked a shot off of Christian Hanson to tie the game at 18:07. No other goals were scored, so we head to....

Photo courtesy of Jeff Stinson - The Sentinel

.....overtime. The Bears might have had a chance to win it, but considering you have to put the puck on net to score a goal, they didn't really have a chance. The Pens managed 7 shots on goal during the five minute extra period, while the Bears had a big, fat 0. So you know what that means, no goals in OT....
...yup that stinkin' shootout. I'm not going to bore you, let's just say that both teams sent out their best. Bryan Lerg scored for the Pens, and Cody Eakin kept the Bears alive. Finally in the ninth round, Geoff Walker beat Sabourin to give the Pens yet another victory in Hershey.
Items of Note: Bears scratched Richmond, Lacroix, King, Miskovic, Rechlicz, and Pope.....Eakin scored his fourth goal in three games tonight.....The Bears were 4-for-5 on the power play and killed of Pens advantages (including 1:41 of 5-on-3) four out of five times.
Tweet of the Night: @ScottStuccio: I am SO confused as to our promotional timeout times!!! 4-on-3 and we take a break???
Ref: #42 Darcy Burchell
Goalies: Dany Sabourin for the Bears, Scott Munroe for WBS
Shots on Goal: Bears 28, WBS 36
Stars of the Night: as chosen by the media: 1. Geoff Walker (1G, 1A, Shootout winner), 2. Eric Tangradi (2G), 3. Ryan Potulny (1G, 2A)
Morgan: Cody Eakin & Graham Mink
Zack: Sabourin and MicFlikier
Nana: Sabourin, Aucoin, & Mink
Jeff: Honorable mentions to McNeill and Wellar, Stars of the Night are Eakin, Brouillette, and Greentree.
Joel: Honorable mention to Cody Eakin, Star of the Night to Garrett Mitchell
Me: I agree with Morgan, Cody Eakin was the star of the team tonight. He had one goal, one assist, and a shootout tally as well. He was moving his feet all night trying to create chances.

We should have won that instead of taking only a point in our barn. Very disappointing. Again I cannot stress the importance of playing a full 60 minutes every contest. On the positive side of things, we did get three out of four points from our arch rivals and are three points ahead of them in the standings. One more game left this calendar year. We'll see ya at the GC on New Years Eve as the Bears take on the Norfolk Admirals.....GO BEARS!

Merry Christmas

2011-12-25T06:00:00.001-05:00

From all of us at the dfz

Have a safe, wonderful, and

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

On the Twelth Day of Christmas

2011-12-24T06:00:00.000-05:00

On the twelth day of Christmas, I'd like Santa to bring to me

A 12th Calder Cup Banner

Photo courtesy of Jeff Stinson - The Sentinel

Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good morning, good afternoon, and a good night!

GO BEARS!

On the Eleventh Day of Christmas

2011-12-23T06:00:00.000-05:00

On the eleventh day of Christmas, I'd like Santa to bring to me

# 11 signed to a contract extension

Photo courtesy of Jeff Stinson - The Sentinel

In this me, me, me world, how nice is it to find someone with a pass first, shoot later mentality? And this someone doesn't just pass the puck, he is SO good at sending it cross ice so that it lands on his linemate's stick for a perfect opportunity to score the goal.
Since joining the Bears in 2008-2009, Keith Aucoin has played 224 regular season games. His stats proclaim 86 goals and 235 assists. He has also netted nine goals and 47 assists in 48 playoff games garnering him two Calder Cup rings.

Photo courtesy of Jeff Stinson - The Sentinel

I'm sure at the end of this season Coiner will be shopping around looking for the perfect deal. The 33 year old will no doubt be looking for a two-way deal that will get him some NHL playing time. But I'm sure he will be sorely missed if Doug can't convince him to stay right here in Chocolatetown.

I will simply let Mariah Carey do the singing (and I hope you don't take this the wrong way, 'cuz we all know where my hockey heart lies), when I say to you Keith Aucoin - All I Want for Christmas is You!.....GO BEARS!

On the Tenth Day of Christmas

2011-12-22T12:00:00.000-05:00

On the tenth day of Christmas, I'd like Santa to bring to me

10 penalty minutes (or less) a game

Photo courtesy of Jeff Stinson - The Sentinel

Sometimes less is more. While my Christmas list is getting long with things that I'd like Santa to bring this year, I would have to say that I would be perfectly satisfied if he would bring less penalty minutes for this team.
The Bears are leading the leader board in the East Division points. They are also on top with their power play scoring 31.3% of the time. One stat that hasn't been thrown around, however, is the fact that the Bears are also leading the pack in penalties. 680 penalty minutes taken in only 30 games played.

Photo courtesy of Jeff Stinson - The Sentinel

Simple math of 680 minutes divided by 30 games played equals out to more than 22 minutes per game that the Bears are sitting in the box. Even I can come to the conclusion that it equals more than a whole period of hockey! I guess it's a good thing that our penalty kill units kill off penalties 85.8% of the time. But really, they shouldn't be getting that much practice!

As I climb up on Santa's lap this year, I'm going to request less. Less cross checking, less interference, and less mouthing off at the officials - no matter how much of a grinch they are! I want fewer fights and reduced time spent out of action due to reasons within our control. A few less pounds to go into the new year would be appreciated too there Big Guy.....GO BEARS!

Rebound: Bears 5, Syracuse 3

2011-12-21T23:00:00.000-05:00

All right, let's make this short and sweet. It's a week night which means getting up and moving a whole lot earlier than I'd like. Bears are looking to rebound from Sunday night's disaster. The lucky team that gets to deal with it? The Syracuse Crunch who are currently riding the lower end of the East Division holding down 27 points.

Photo courtesy of Jeff Stinson - The Sentinel

Matt Ford didn't waste any time as he sent the Bears first shot on goal, in the goal and the Bears are leading just 1:39 into the game. Syracuse caught a break when Keith Aucoin got caught on a slashing violation, followed by an interference call on Boyd Kane giving the Crunch 1:11 of 5-on-3 action. At 10:56 while on the two man advantage, Patrick Maroon evened the game catching a rebound in front of the net. The Bears managed to fend off the remainder of the penalty and the score would remain tied going into intermission.

Photo courtesy of Jeff Stinson - The Sentinel

Just :21 into the second, Cody Eakin took advantage of a Syracuse turnover and sent a nice backhander past Iiro Tarkki putting the Bears back into the lead. But, at 13:15, Keith Aucoin would end up in the box on a double minor for high sticking. One of the league's best penalty kill units went to work, and got a lucky break when Peter Holland fell trying to send the puck on goal. It resulted in a 3-on-1 short handed rush by the Bears. Patrick McNeill dished a cross ice pass past Tarkki and the Bears are rolling now! At the 18:00 mark, Kyle Greentree scored on a feed from Danny Richmond and Coach Mark Holick decides he's seen enough and pulls Tarkki out of the game. He allowed four goals on 24 shots and was replaced by Jeff Deslauriers. Deslauriers kept the Bears off the scoreboard for the remaining two minutes of the period.

Photo courtesy of Jeff Stinson - The Sentinel

Syracuse tried to mount a comeback in the third when Maxime Macenauer was left all alone beside the net and Dany Sabourin couldn't slide to the other side of the crease fast enough to stop the puck. The Bears, however, would finish things off with a power play goal from Julien Brouillette. After a pretty sloppy power play, Brouillette had the puck behind the net and managed to bank it off Deslauriers skate and over the goal line. Bears win and take sole possession of the East Division and are now tied for the lead in the Eastern Conference!
Items of Note: Bears scratched Flemming, Lacroix, King, Mink, Miskovic, and Pope (all healthy)....In his last two games played, Dany Sabourin has stopped 70 of 72 shots.....Patrick Maroon took a nasty smack into the boards late in the third period and lay motionless on the ice for several heart stopping moments. I missed it, and they didn't replay it, but Joel said that Maroon was flying full steam toward the net when he was pushed - not hard - by one of the Bears defenders. Maroon lost his balance and couldn't stop from hitting the boards seemingly knocking himself out. He did get up and skate to the locker room with assistance. Twitter reports said he is okay. All here at the dfz wish you well Maroon.
Tweet of the Night: @timleone: McNeill "It was good for us to go out there and prove to ourselves that we can hold a lead."
Refs: David Banfield and TJ Luxmore, my opinions of each has not changed....blech.
Goalies: Dany Sabourin was 'da man for Hershey, while Iiro Tarkki and Jeff Deslauriers tag teamed the loss for Syracuse.
Shots on Goal: Hershey 32, Syracuse 40
Stars of the Night: as chosen by the media: 1. Dany Sabourin (38 saves), 2. Matt Ford (1G, 2A), 3. Patrick McNeill (GWG, 1A). Social media pick by the fans: Joel Rechlicz (I'm still not sure why)
Morgan: Cody Eakin, Kyle Greentree, and Tomas Kundratek
Zack: Sabu, MicFlikier, and Eakin
Joel: Danny Richmond
Me: Andrew Carroll - and as I stated when I sent in my Twitter vote - he was an all star on the pk.

Bears are all headed home - some as I type this actually. They are not due to report back until the day after Christmas for a late afternoon practice. Then they head to Wilkes Barre to take on the Baby Pens Tuesday night. Next home game is against those same pesky Pens on Wednesday night. We are at the top of the leader board. Next week we could start to pull away - if Santa brings me what I want! Merry Christmas everyone and.....GO BEARS!

On the Ninth Day of Christmas

2011-12-21T06:00:00.000-05:00

On the ninth day of Christmas, I'd like Santa to bring to me

9 weeks of playoffs

Photo courtesy of Jeff Stinson - The Sentinel

So far this season we have seen glimpses of greatness. A little bit here, a little bit there, promises of what exists. Of course the problem is putting it all together, and keeping it from falling apart. However, when this team is focused and firing on all cylinders, they are hard to beat. Yes, we have a little problem in our defensive zone right now, but with some tweaks, trades, and deadline acquisitions, our problem could turn into a problem for whatever opponent we face.

Photo courtesy of Jeff Stinson - The Sentinel

We still have about a month until we hit the half way mark of the regular season. Washington is almost 100%, the Bears are practicing at 100% and the schedule after Christmas will not be hit or miss like it has up until this point. Road trips and three-in-threes will dominate over the coming months allowing the boys to hone their skills, stamina, and determination.

So you'd better watch out, Santa Claus is coming to town and I hope he's bringing nine weeks of playoffs with him.....GO BEARS!

On the Eighth Day of Christmas

2011-12-20T12:00:00.000-05:00

On the eighth day of Christmas, I'd like Santa to bring to me

8 points to finish the month

Up until the start of the third period on Sunday, I actually believed this was feasible. After the five-goals-against third period versus Norfolk, I'm not so sure. We do have four games left before we ring in the new year and if the Bears come out and play their game for 60 minutes we could wind up the year with another eight points. Bears will face Syracuse, Wilkes Barre (away and at home), and Norfolk to wind up December.

Photo courtesy of Jeff Stinson - The Sentinel

These last games of the year are all against division rivals. Wins against all would mean a little more breathing room at the top of the points standings. It would also set the tone as we head in to the half way point of the season in January.
Oh Christmas tree, be prepared to put eight standings points at the top of your beautifully decorated branches. Those points would surely go a long way to putting us on top of the East Division standings....GO BEARS!

This Week in Pictures: 12/18/11

2011-12-19T17:34:00.000-05:00

The Bears played their final three-in-three before the Christmas break this weekend. An away win against Norfolk started things out. Home games this past weekend saw the Bears send the Sound Tigers back to Bridgeport literally without a point, while Norfolk came to visit on Sunday with a score to settle.

I was pleased to be able to sit back and watch the games this weekend with only a notebook and cell phone in my hands as Jeff was able to attend both games - despite the crazy traffic Saturday night. He outdid himself this week, hope you enjoy!

Photo courtesy of Jeff Stinson - The Sentinel

When I said above that Bridgeport went home without a point, I meant it. The Great Sabu shutout the Sound Tigers by stopping all 32 shots they sent his way. With the exception of about seven minutes in the second period, the whole team looked good registering five goals on only 23 shots.

Photo courtesy of Jeff Stinson - The Sentinel

It was a Recker kinda weekend as Joel Rechlicz had two heavy weight bouts and scored a goal. The goal marked his second career AHL goal. His first came last year when he tipped a Zach Miskovic shot into the net. The accumulation of misconducts and fights vaulted Recker into the #1 spot on the PIM's leader board with 115.

Photo courtesy of Jeff Stinson - The Sentinel

Ryan Potulny has been very solid since returning from his double sports hernia surgery. This weekend alone, Potsie has logged one goal and four assists. He has 18 points in only 15 games played this year and is a true asset on the power play.

Photo courtesy of Jeff Stinson - The Sentinel

The guys all worked well together on Saturday night. The defense, while not perfect, played to each others strengths. It helped that Dany Sabourin was absolutely on the money in net. Unfortunately for Bears fans, the same team that played Saturday, didn't show up on Sunday.

Photo courtesy of Jeff Stinson - The Sentinel

Well, that wasn't quite fair. The team that started the game on Sunday, was crisp and efficient. Holtby looked good in net, the forwards were on fire taking advantage of Admiral miscues, and the blueliners were holding their own.

Photo courtesy of Jeff Stinson - The Sentinel

Then the second period began, and while the Bears didn't do bad, they weren't driving the net or throwing the pucks into the corners like they were just 20 minutes prior. And do we really need to talk about the third period? It's one I'd really rather forget. Five goals on 15 shots is just not acceptable.

Photo courtesy of Jeff Stinson - The Sentinel

The refs didn't lose the game for us, but I would say that they had a hand in changing the momentum of it. There were several instances that the right call would have made a difference. For example, Boyd Kane's breakaway in the second period. Kaner was being hounded, slashed, and hooked by two Norfolk defenders from center ice until he shot the puck in front of the net. Neither Ryan Fraser nor Terry Koharski raised an arm. Would the Bears have scored on an ensuing power play? Guess we'll never know. But that missed call certainly changed the Bears attitudes on ice. They are going to have to overcome emotions if they expect to go far this spring.

Photo courtesy of Jeff Stinson - The Sentinel

I guess I shouldn't complain about four out of six possible points earned. And if we had just lost the game on Sunday, I probably wouldn't. It was the way we lost on Sunday that was upsetting. We have a chance to rebound Wednesday against the Syracuse Crunch before the boys head home for a holiday break. Two points would be a nice stocking stuffer....GO BEARS!

On the Seventh Day of Christmas

2011-12-19T12:00:00.002-05:00

On the seventh day of Christmas, I'd like Santa to bring to me

7 solid defensemen

Photo courtesy of Jeff Stinson - The Sentinel

Currently (that means at the exact moment I am writing this blog), the Bears are second in the league for goals scored. They rank #1 in the league on the power play, and are fourth overall on the penalty kill. Our special teams are rockin' it this season, but we are still mired back in fifth place of the Conference standings. What is our achielles heel? Unfortunatley it seems to be our blueliners.

There's no doubt that there's talent back there - Collins, McNeill, Brouillette, Wellar - but none of those guys is a veteran leader for this team. Danny Richmond has clocked enough games to count on the vet roster (including 49 games in his NHL career), but he has been injured and rotated out due to the veteran rule in place in the AHL. Coaches French and Mann have played with the pairings trying to come up with the magic match, but so far there hasn't been any consistency.

Photo courtesy of Jeff Stinson - The Sentinel

What I'd like to see for this team, oh Big Man in Red, is a true defensive presence to take over this hockey club. Let the forwards handle the goal scoring, while we get things taken care of in our own zone. Have seven solid, healthy defensemen ready to block shots, stand up opponents, and clear the zone. Defensive pairings that compliment each other and make the other team think twice about crossing over our blue line. Uh, and a perfectly placed hip check or two would give me something to fa-la-la-la-la about!....GO BEARS!

Santa Didn't Get My Christmas List: Bears 3, Norfolk 6

2011-12-18T20:49:00.001-05:00

The Bears kicked butt Saturday night on the strength of a Dany Sabourin shutout. Sunday afternoon brings Norfolk to town for the teams' third meeting in eight days. Recently the Bears have had the Admirals number, and the schedule was on the home team's side as they slept in their own bed last night, while Norfolk bussed in two hours from Wilkes Barre.

Photo courtesy of Jeff Stinson - The Sentinel

And things started out great for the hometown team too. At 2:47, Joel Rechlicz grabbed a rebound at the net and put it past Jaroslav Janus giving the Bears the early lead. On the ensuing faceoff, Recker then dropped the gloves and bloodied up Eric Neilson to give him two-thirds of a Gordie Howe hat trick early in the game! Then at 11:46 Jacob MicFlikier skated into the zone along the boards. He looked to be trying to pass cross ice, but the puck deflected into the net instead. The Admirals would cut the lead in half at 16:02 when Philip-Michael Devos sent the puck in front of the net to Michel Ouellet. Although Andrew Carroll was all over Ouellet, he still managed to get a shot off and past Holtby. Just as the period was about to expire, Boyd Kane made a diving steal at center sending the puck to Chris Bourque. Bourquie hit the back of the net with 3.6 seconds left in the period.

Photo courtesy of Jeff Stinson - The Sentinel

The second period saw Norfolk pick it up. The teams exchanged penalties including a questionable call to Garrett Mitchell for diving when it appeared he took a knee-on-knee hit from Cory Conacher. But no damage was done on the scoreboard - yet.

Photo courtesy of Jeff Stinson - The Sentinel

The third period was when it all fell apart. JT Wyman made the first dent at 4:33 when he skated the puck in along the boards and right around Brett Flemming. He beat Holtby to bring the Admirals within one. Then at 6:43, Philip-Michael Devos caught the Bears looking during a line change beating Holtby to tie the game. At 12:08, Graham Mink was called for roughing when he cleanly checked Cory Conacher into the boards in front of the Bears bench. Conacher grabbed Mink around the neck and wouldn't let go, so Mink punched him. Conacher skated away, while Mink sat in the box. During the power play, Trevor Smith scored and now the Ads are ahead on three unanswered goals. Ah, wait, make that four unanswered as Richard Panik put one in on a nifty spinaround backhander in front of the net. The Bears took a timeout and pulled Holtby for the extra attacker, but Tyler Johnson managed an empty netter at 18:52 to seal the win for Norfolk, pulling them into a three-way points tie for the East Division.
Items of Note: Bears scratched Richmond, Lacroix, King, Miskovic, Pope, and Greentree.....Cody Eakin was reassigned to Hershey this morning and played on the third line with Christian Hanson and Mink.....Bears went 0-2 on the power play and 4-5 on the penalty kill....Santa needs to check my list twice because days #1, #4, and #5 are not packed in his bag. Neither for that matter is #7.
Tweet of the Night: @scottstuccio: I don't care who you are or what team you root for...the BS chant at GIANT Center is HILARIOUS!!! #hbh
Refs: Ryan Fraser and Terry Koharski need new glasses. There's only saw penalties in chocolate and white tonight.
Goalies: Braden Holtby took the loss for Hershey, while Jaroslav Janus improved his record to 7-4-1.
Shots on Goal: Bears 25, Norfolk 31
Stars of the Night: as chosen by Tim Leone of The Patriot: 1. Philip-Michael Devos (1G, 2A, +3), 2. Mark Barberio (3A, +3), 3. Joel Rechlicz (1G, 1 Fight)
Morgan: Eakin, Kane
Zack: Eakin, Holtby, MicFlikier
Joel: I guess I'll give it to Garrett Mitchell, he hustled all night long.
Me: I guess I'll give it to Ryan Potulny. For the first two periods at least he was the most underrated Bear on the ice.

I would like to make an announcement. THIS WAS NOT ALL HOLTBY'S FAULT. Our defense went out for wings in the third period. There was one point in the third that Braden made a great save (one of many might I add) and as his team turned back up ice, he screamed at them. This I could tell from the upper bowl. I am very disappointed in the play of my team tonight. A five-goal period is absolutely unacceptable. You know guys, you're going to have to help Santa out. 'Cuz if Holtby can't do it all, neither can he. Next game is home against Syracuse on Wednesday - let's hope everyone shows up for ALL 60 minutes....GO BEARS!

On the Sixth Day of Christmas

2011-12-18T12:00:00.001-05:00

On the sixth day of Christmas, I'd like Santa to bring to me

6 more regular season wins against WBS

When the info leaked out this past July regarding the number of times Hershey would play each of their opponents, I was standing at Kettler Ice Complex watching the rookies scrimmage. I almost dropped my cell phone, and my three-year-old, when I read we would be playing the Baby Pens 12 times. I understand the reasoning behind it all (close rivalries bring lotsa cash etc, etc), however remembering how our season went last year, I couldn't help but groan.
As of now, we are half way through our scheduled 12 games against WBS and our record is, well, not so good. We won our first game convincingly, but have struggled since, managing to squeak out a shootout win. As of yet, however, we have not managed to see victory in our barn.

Santa Claus is coming to town and I hope he's bringing with him victories for the next six games we play against Wilkes Barre. So far I don't think I've asked for anything unreasonable for Christmas, and I don't think this request is too far fetched either. The team has been playing some really decent hockey lately and if they can overcome the mental aspect, there's a good chance we could earn 12 points against the Baby Pens.....GO BEARS!

SABU!!: Bears 5, Bridgeport 0

2011-12-17T23:04:00.000-05:00

The Hershey Bears held on to a one goal lead despite a barrage of shots from the Norfolk Admirals Friday night. They loaded the bus and headed for home with an ETA of 3:30 AM. (If you think that's bad, the Ads passed by the sweetest place on earth for their game against Wilkes Barre!) That win put us two points ahead of Norfolk and two behind the Baby Pens for first in the East Division. And as is the theme this season - there's no rest because the Bridgeport Sound Tigers have fought through the traffic for the Saturday night contest.

Photo courtesy of Jeff Stinson - The Sentinel

The Sound Tigers won the opening faceoff and controlled the puck early. But the Bears quickly regained form and eventually found their skating legs. Sound Tigers center Trevor Frischmon was sent to the box at 7:17 for slashing and Christian Hanson made a nice turn around shot from the slot to put the Bears up 1-0. The goal was the first one for Hanson since October 23rd. Then at 10:54, Captain Boyd Kane stole the puck at the blue line and skated back into the Bridgeport zone with two Sound Tigers trailing. Kaner puts the puck high over Kevin Poulin's shoulder and the Captain, unassisted, gives the Bears a 2-0 lead which would hold through intermission.

Photo courtesy of Jeff Stinson - The Sentinel

The Bears did not have a fantastic start to the second period. In fact it was a good seven minutes before they were securely skating in the Bridgeport zone and fired off any shots. Meanwhile at the other end of the ice, Dany Sabourin was stellar in net, stopping everything that Bridgeport threw at him. As the period wore on, the Bears picked it up, but the refs were starting to call penalties on the boys. Three penalties to Bridgeport in the first period, equalized in the second and actually gave the Sound Tigers 1:01 of 5-on-3 play, which the Bears managed to kill off. Then at 17:21, Jacob MicFlikier carried the puck from behind the net and sent it cross-crease to Matt Ford who put it past Poulin. Ford's third goal of the weekend gave the Bears a three goal lead. The period would end 3-0, but Bridgeport was credited with 16 shots on goal - all of which were stopped by Sabu.

Photo courtesy of Jeff Stinson - The Sentinel

The third period started off with a "fight" as Sean Collins held on while Michael Haley popped him a few. Before the gloves dropped, Patrick McNeill was called for high sticking, leaving the Bears top two defenders in the box during a penalty kill. The Bears would again kill off the disadvantage and go on to score a power play goal at 4:04 from Ryan Potulny. Then Potulny would tip a Patrick McNeill slapper at 9:01 to score his second power play goal of the night. Bears win 5-0 and combined with a WBS loss to Norfolk pull into tie with WBS for the East Division points lead!
Items of Note: Bears scratched Lacroix, Mink (vet), Miskovic, Wellar, and Greentree.....Sean Collins took a puck to the face during a penalty kill with about four minutes left in the second period. He exited for a bit, but returned just in time to dance with Michael Haley in the third.....Speaking of dances, Joel Rechlicz and Brett Gallant had a heavy weight dual four minutes into the third. Both players landed some crushing blows in an incredible battle....Bears were 3-6 on the power play and 5-0 on the pk.
Tweet of the Night: @timeleone: Potulny on Sabourin: "Sabu played a heck of a game. I think he won us the game.....Maybe it shows we have five goals, but when it's 2-0, 1-0 he's making those big saves."
Refs: Chris Cozzan & John McIsaac
Goalies: Dany Sabourin was superb for the Bears, Kevin Poulin was in net for Bridgeport.
Shots on Goal: Bears 23, Sound Tigers 32
Stars of the Night: as chosen by the media: 1. Dany Sabourin (32 save shutout), 2. Ryan Potulny (2G, 1A), 3. Jacob MicFlikier (2A)
Morgan: Kundratek, Aucoin, Sabourin
Zack: MicFlikier, Hanson, Sabourin
Joel: Honorable mention to Potulny, star of the night to Boyd Kane.
Me: Brett Flemming made some nice plays and had some really good hits out there too.

I must admit there were times during this contest that I was a little concerned (like the first seven minutes of the second period), but Dany Sabourin kept this team going. His big saves, gave the team the confidence to continue on. Had he let in a goal or two, this game could have had an entirely different outcome. The team will get a good night's sleep in their own beds, while our opponents tomorrow afternoon will bus in from Wilkes Barre. It will be interesting to see who French puts between the pipes tomorrow night....GO BEARS!

On the Fifth Day of Christmas

2011-12-17T06:00:00.000-05:00

On the fifth day of Christmas, I'd like Santa to bring to me

5 players skating

Photo courtesy of Jeff Stinson - The Sentinel

That's right, I want to see three forwards and two defensemen moving their legs. There have been times that the Bears have gotten behind and you can sense they've given up. They stop skating. No one clogs the passing zone, no one hits an opponent off the puck, no one fights in the corners. This isn't always a problem when we're losing though. There are times when the score is tied or we're ahead (remember the Lake Erie debacle?) and the team just lallygags around out there. The team needs to keep moving - especially during a power play. The other team is not going to move out of the way for you to shoot. Keep those legs moving!

Photo courtesy of Jeff Stinson - The Sentinel

While I was thinking about this Christmas wish, I realized that while I want the forwards and d to skate - I DON'T WANT OUR GOALIES TO MOVE! Stay in that crease boys!

I can almost hear Kris Kringle. I hope that while he's loading up his sleigh he packs skating legs for our team. Lots of energy, ambition, and the will to never give up. Oh, and maybe a little duct tape for the boys between the pipes.....GO BEARS!

On the Fourth Day of Christmas

2011-12-16T06:00:00.002-05:00

On the fourth day of Christmas, I'd like Santa to bring to me

4 Forward Lines

Photo courtesy of Jeff Stinson - The Sentinel

Well yeah, we have four forward lines, but I'm talking four rolling lines that all can produce points. Four lines that will cycle through an entire game. Four lines that are capable, each on their own, of winning hockey games.

Truthfully, I don't think we're far off. When Greentree and Potulny were sidelined, we had a little trouble. The first line of Aucoin, Bourque and "fill in the blank" were still producing, however, the second and third lines were having a little trouble getting the biscuit in the basket. Potulny's back and Coach French has been playing with the line combos - and I think he's pretty much hit it. While I'm not always a big fan of putting Boyd Kane with the top compbo, there's no doubt that he will go to the net and cause all kinds of ruckus. Potulny, Ford, and MicFlikier are starting to gel, while Mink on the third line with Matt Pope and Christian Hanson is very likeable. The fourth line of Lacroix, Carroll, Mitchell and Rechlicz (however it plays out)hasn't registered many goals, but it's not for lack of trying. And Kyle Greentree has to fit in here somewhere by Christmas.

Photo courtesy of Jeff Stinson - The Sentinel

Jolly old Saint Nicholas how about filling our stockings with healthy bodies, four lines willing to drive the net, and 12 forwards never satisfied with a lead until the final buzzer sounds. Give our coaches wisdom as they match personalities and playing styles. And a few lucky bounces along the way would be great too!....GO BEARS!

On the Third Day of Christmas

2011-12-15T06:00:00.001-05:00

On the third day of Christmas, I want Santa to bring to me

3 All Stars

Photo courtesy of Jeff Stinson - The Sentinel

The AHL All Star game is scheduled for the end of January in Atlantic City. Only the cream of the crop get invited to this shindig. If Keith Aucoin and Chris Bourque keep playing like this, I can't imagine anyone not inviting them to participate. Currently Coiner leads the league with 43 points, while Bourquie is right on his tail at 39.

But there's one other guy that I would love to see with an All Star nomination. With 10 goals, 20 assists and a +8 in 26 games, Jacob MicFlikier is having a great season so far. Those stats come from playing on each of the top three lines as well as the power play. At 5'8, 180 lbs he's also not afraid to jam around the boards or mix it up behind the net. MicFlik's points currently put him in the top six among league scorers!

I'm sure good ole Saint Nick has these three on his "nice" list this year. And I'd really like to see all three make the ballot for fan voting. Rosters will be set January 4th and fan voting for the starting lineups begins January 5th. C'mon Santa, let's put a little BAM in Atlantic City!....GO BEARS!

On the 2nd Day of Christmas

2011-12-14T06:00:00.002-05:00

On the second day of Christmas, I'd like Santa to bring to me

2 On-Fire Forwards

Photo courtesy of Jeff Stinson - The Sentinel

Well, I guess we got this one a little early didn't we? The top two scorers in the league are currently wearing the Chocolate and White! Keith Aucoin has eight goals and an amazing 35 assists in 26 games played. He tweeted last week that he is bred to pass first and shoot later. That mentality makes him a perfect fit on the first line with....

Photo courtesy of Jeff Stinson - The Sentinel

...our very own Christopher Bourque. Bourquie ranks second in the league for scoring and fourth overall in goals. Whether manning the point on a power play or crashing the net at even strength, Bourque is always at the ready for a Keith Aucoin pass.

So while we already have our 2 on-fire forwards, dear Santa, could you please let them continue their scoring ways long into the new year? Thanks.....GO BEARS!

On the 1st Day of Christmas

2011-12-13T06:00:00.002-05:00

On the first day of Christmas, I'd like Santa to bring to me

1 Consistent Team

Photo courtesy of Jeff Stinson - The Sentinel

There have been glimpses of greatness this season. There have also been embarrassments, miscommunication, and self destruction. It's one thing not to know what team is going to show up from game to game, but it's another thing completely not knowing which team is coming out of the dressing room from period to period.

Photo courtesy of Jeff Stinson - The Sentinel

I still think alot of the problems early this season could be contributed to injuries and the schedule. Surgery to Ryan Potulny and Kyle Greentree really shook this team hard. We lost our power play specialist in Potulny and Greentree, our sniper, for six weeks. In the midst we lost Orlov and Eakin to callups and had a few other minor setbacks to the roster. The schedule didn't help either. A game here, a game there, long stretches in between. It resulted in guys that were too well rested and no routine to fall back on.

Photo courtesy of Jeff Stinson - The Sentinel

So Santa, baby, if you could find it in your bag of gifts to send us some consistency all of us here in Hershey would appreciate it. We'd like a team that's committed to playing 60 minutes of hockey night in and night out. A team that's disciplined no matter what the score or who the opponent might be. A team that's willing to lay it all out there whether it's the first game of the season or the last one in the Calder Cup finals....GO BEARS!

This Week In Pictures: 12/11/11

2011-12-12T17:08:00.000-05:00

Well, ya win some, you lose some. Knowing that the Baby Pens were in town one night this weekend, I'm sure you can figure out which game had which result. The crappy pictures of the crappy game are courtesy of yours truly. The great pictures of a great game are courtesy of a great photographer - yeah I'm sucking up hoping that he'll keep coming around!

Enjoy our view through the lens:

Brian Gibbons and company arrived Saturday under the light of a full moon with strands of "Hell's Bells" reverberating from the dfz roadster. They were well rested in contrast to the Bears who drove in from Hartford with an extra two points in the storage compartment.

The Bears didn't quite have the jump in the second period that they had in the first. After registering the first goal at 7:38 in the second, the team surrendered four straight goals to the Baby Pens. The final goal came when Graham Mink upended an empty Bears net during a Pens breakaway. Colin McDonald was credited with the goal.

I'm not sure what it is about those pesky Pens that get the Bears off track virtually every time. One thing that I know works against us is Braden Holtby. Whether good or bad Holtby's got a 'tude. When he gets mad, he can get off his game rather easily. It only takes a time or two for the Pens to run him to get him thinking about slamming people instead of pucks.

And when he's off his game all the Jacob MicFlikier's in the world can't make up for it. Don't believe me? The Bears did have 35 shots on goal.....it wasn't a complete offensive problem Saturday night. Our goalie was upset and our defense wasn't able to keep the Pens away from the net. It was a tough loss, but there was no time to stew about it. Why?

Photo courtesy of Jeff Stinson - The Sentinel

Well, don't look now, but the other team with the most points in the East Divison was coming to town. Not only were they tied with the Baby Pens, but they are the league leaders for goals scored. It was important to make a statement - and Coach French did by putting Holtby right back in net to shake off Saturday's demons.

Photo courtesy of Jeff Stinson - The Sentinel

The Bears special teams got plenty of work Sunday night and continued on their dominant ways. That's right the Bears power play is first in the league scoring 30.8% of the time! The Bears penalty kill ranks fourth in the league overcoming a deficit 85.4% of the time. Way to go special teams!

Photo courtesy of Jeff Stinson - The Sentinel

While we are talking stats, let's not forget Mr. Consistent. Tomas Kundratek has a point streak six games long. While Keith Aucoin and Chris Bourque had their streaks stopped Saturday night against WBS, Kundratek is still going strong. The more I see of this kid, the more I like. The Czech Repulic dman will turn 22 the day after Christmas.

Photo courtesy of Jeff Stinson - The Sentinel

The way the BAM line was working in the first period Sunday, all Norfolk could do was shake their heads. They picked up the pace in the second, but the Bears did not let their emotions overrule their first period heroics.

Photo courtesy of Jeff Stinson - The Sentinel

The Bears netted four of six points this weekend and are again tied for first in their division. The standings WILL spread out a little bit after this weekend - maybe - as the Bears will play the Admirals Friday and Sunday this coming weekend.

Just a little heads up. I'm working on my Christmas feature - it's a 12 days of Christmas type theme. Starting Tuesday I will have one thing a day that I'd like to see Santa leave in my stocking. It will wrap up on Christmas Eve. So with game recaps and Week in Pictures posts, sometimes there will be more than one blogisode a day! (Try to contain yourself!) So make sure you stop back, I PROMISE that Day 12 will not be Dean Arsene in a big red bow....GO BEARS!

Point Taken: Bears 6, Norfolk 3

2011-12-11T21:05:00.001-05:00

At the start of play Saturday evening, there was a three-way tie in the East Division amongst the Bears, Penguins, and Admirals. With the Bears butt kicking Saturday night, they fell out of that tie and solidly into third behind Wilkes Barre and Norfolk who had claimed victory over the Binghamton Senators. The Ads then boarded the bus and headed for Hershey to see if they could take advantage of the Bears breakdown.

Photo courtesy of Jeff Stinson - The Sentinel

One important thing when coming off a loss like the Chocolate and White did on Saturday is to come back and make a point. A point that the previous game was a fluke, the mistakes are behind you, and you are ready to carry on. With a first period like Hershey had Sunday night, I'd say point taken. The Bears got some help from Norfolk when they ended up with an :18 two-man advantage. With one second left on the first penalty to Philip-Michael Devos, Keith Aucoin sent a rocket from the point to put the Bears up 1-0 - and they still had a man advantage to work with for more than a minute and a half. They didn't need that long as just :31 later, Jacob MicFlikier netted his 10th of the season. Norfolk would answer back at the 11:23 mark when the Bears could not clear the defensive zone and Cory Conacher put his own rebound past Braden Holtby to pull the Ads within one. But in the prettiest play of the night, Jacob MicFlikier would skate down ice with the puck on the power play and lift the puck over a defenders stick passing it to Aucoin who banged it home. Chris Bourque added a late period goal at 18:38 to send the Bears to the dressing room up 4-1.

Photo courtesy of Jeff Stinson - The Sentinel

I thought the home team came out a little flat in the second period. During the ride home, Joel suggested it was more Norfolk stepping up their play. The Ads took advantage of a 5-on-3 when Trevor Smith scored at 3:03. Then Tyler Johnson sent a spinning backhander toward the net at 16:58 that Holtby was unable to stop. The Bears still led at the end of two, but the lead was 4-3 and Patrick Wellar would have another 1:41 to sit in the penalty box for tripping to start the third.

Photo courtesy of Jeff Stinson - The Sentinel

The Bears killed off the early period disadvantage. In fact they went 4-5 on the penalty kill for the evening. They picked up the pace and started to control the puck and the play. At 4:46, Tomas Kundratek fired a wicked wrister through traffic that Dustin Tokarski could not see nor stop and Bears are up 5-3. With three minutes left in the game, Norfolk gambled and pulled Tokarski for the extra attacker. The gamble did not pay off as Chris Bourque potted his second goal of the night giving the Bears the 6-3 victory. The win again pulls them into a tie for first in the division and a tie for second in the Eastern Conference, just one point behind the St. John's Ice Caps.
Items of Note: Bears scratched Patrick McNeill, Brett Flemming, Boyd Kane, DJ King, and Kyle Greentree.....McNeill was a little sore from the knee-on-knee hit he took yesterday and was a game time decision. Kane is suffering from a minor lower body injury....There were two fights during the game and surprisingly neither one involved Joel Rechlicz! Patrick Wellar and Eric Neilson dropped the gloves in the first that saw Wellar land some crushing blows, while Christian Hanson and Jeff Dimmen each landed a couple in the third.....Bourque's five points tied his personal and team highs for the season, Aucoin's four points tied his season high, and MicFlikier set his season high with four points tonight - according to Tim Leone.
Tweet of the Night: @jeffyphoto: @banshezmom, got any windex? Misko's spit is all over the glass down here from that check earlier.
Ref: Mark Lemelin didn't do too bad, but I thought there should have been some roughing penalties in the third period.
Goalies: Braden Holtby did a great job in net for the Bears, while Dustin Tokarski's record went to 10-6 on the season.
Shots on Goal: Bears 29, Norfolk 25
Stars of the Night: as chosen by the media: 1. Keith Aucoin (2G, 2A), 2. Chris Bourque (2G, 3A), 3. Jacob MicFlikier (1G, 3A)
Morgan: Tomas Kundratek, Zach Miskovic, Graham Mink
Zack: The first line - MicFlikier, Bourque, Aucoin
Joel: Honorable mention to Cory Conacher who had a goal and two assists for the Ads. Star of the night goes to Christian Hanson.
Me: I also slide an HM to Conacher, but surprisingly my star of the night will be awarded to Danny Richmond. Richmond has not played in quite a while, but he didn't look rusty and didn't make any boneheaded plays. In fact he ended up +2 on the night.

Point taken - the Bears were back in town. They didn't get rattled, didn't get flustered, and didn't take stupid penalties when Norfolk came out on fire in the second. The first line of Bourque, Aucoin, and MicFlikier (the BAM line??) made a statement. TheBears will be off until Friday when they travel to Norfolk to take on - you guessed it - the Admirals again. Then back to the GC on Saturday against Bridgeport and Sunday vs the same Norfolk Admirals. The standings are tough, the competition even tougher, but it seems like this team is up for the challenge.....GO BEARS!

All Good Things, Well You Know: Bears 2, WBS 4

2011-12-10T23:16:00.000-05:00

It's a well-known fact that hockey players are superstitious people. They follow rituals right down to the food they eat, the way they tape their sticks, and how they nod their heads before skating out onto the ice. While I'm not exactly superstitious, I do pay quite a bit of attention to the car ride to the Giant Center. I listen to the music, pay attention to the mood, get a feel for things. So when the dfz roadster fired up and AC/DC's "Hell's Bells" started playing under the light of a very full moon, I guess we should have just turned around and watched the Ducks lose another one.

The Bears rode into tonight's contest in a three-way tie for the lead of the East Division on the strength of four wins in a row. The Baby Pens came in refreshed and ready to roll after having Friday night off. The first period was a great period of hockey - for both teams. A lot of back and forth action, 25 total shots on goal, and an epic fight between Joel Rechlicz and Ryan Schnell. The period would end scoreless and Bears fans had a sense that it would be a close battle between these bitter enemies.

The Bears would get first blood at 7:38 when Matt Ford would backhand the puck from beside the net to Ryan Potulny. Potulny's seventh of the season eluded Pens goaltender Scott Munroe and gave the Bears something to smile about. Ben Street would even the game up at 11:48 due to a Bears turnover. The period would end tied at one, Bears leading in shots 27-18. However, the Bears were not playing as well as they had in the first period.

Just :46 into the third period, the Bears made their most costly turnover of the evening. Eric Tangradi took advantage of the Bears miscue and put the Pens up by one. Then Bryan Lerg would score just three minutes later to send the home team reeling. They never would get things together. They stopped skating and they stopped hitting. They left the Pens to play their game and at times, the defensemen were left to carry the puck in toward Munroe. It probably didn't help much that ref David Banfield had put the whistle away. With just over two minutes left to play, Braden Holtby was pulled for the extra attacker. The puck headed back into the Bears zone and an empty net. Graham Mink, out of pure disgust and frustration, skated straight to the net and dislodged it. Since the goalie had been pulled, a penalty shot could not be awarded. Instead, Colin McDonald (the Pen player who had possession of the puck when the net was upended) was awarded a goal. The Bears got it together in the final minute of the game, applying pressure and sending shots on goal. Tomas Kundratek fired a wicked shot past Munroe, but with only :40 left in the game, that was all she wrote. Pens win yet another one and send the Bears from a tie for first to sole possessors of third place in the division.
Items of Note: Bears scratched Richmond, King, Miskovic, Mitchell, and Greentree.....New Washington Capitals coach Dale Hunter and assistant coach Jim Johnson were in attendance tonight....Nick Petersen hit Patrick McNeill knee-on-knee toward the end of the first period. Patty skated under his own power to the bench and down the tunnel. He did manage to return to the game before the period ended and played the remainder of the game....And best wishes go out to Binghamton Senators defenseman Patrick Wiercioch. Wiercioch took a puck to the throat during Friday night's contest against Norfolk. He was taken to the hospital where the team reported he was resting comfortably. The dfz wishes you a speedy recovery.
Tweet of the Night: @banshezmom: If the #hbh team that played the first pd played the last two, we coulda won this.....
Ref: #44 David Banfield - called a typical game.
Goalies: For the Bears, Braden Holtby. For the Baby Pens, Scott Munroe.
Shots on Goal: Bears 35, WBS 27
Stars of the Night: as chosen by the media 1. Eric Tangradi (gwg, assist), 2. Scott Munroe (33 saves), 3. Bryan Lerg (goal, assist)
Morgan: (I must note, she picked after me!) Scott Munroe, Keith Aucoin, Peter Merth
Zack: Braden Holtby, Graham Mink, Captain Boyd Kane
Joel: Honorable mention to Christian Hanson, Star to Tomas Kundratek.
Me: Honorable mention to Peter Merth. He was called up to WBS this morning when Jason Williams got called up to Pittsburgh. He played a solid, involved game. My star of the night goes to Christian Hanson, however. He played a good, tough game with an assist and a +1 finish. He also nailed Nick Petersen (as you can see above).

I completely agree with the very wise tweet of the night (@banshezmom really knows her stuff!). The first period was a great game. Unfortunately the same Bears that played in the first period, didn't show up until the last minute of the game. I don't know why Wilkes Barre messes with their minds so much, but they successfully get us almost every game. The Bears are a better team than they demonstrated tonight. There's no time to stew about it however, as the team that is sharing first with the Baby Pens in the division will arrive from Binghamton for a meeting tomorrow evening. The Norfolk Admirals play a very hard hitting game, much like the Baby Pens. The Chocolate and White CANNOT allow themselves to be pushed around, or we're gunna be pushed right out of playoff contention.....GO BEARS!

Running Behind

2011-12-08T19:40:00.000-05:00

All right, all right. As I was so nicely reminded this afternoon, I hadn't posted my usual Week In Pictures blog. It's been a busy week at the dfz and I apologize for my neglect of a "popular" feature. In the past three days I've had to complete three payrolls, work two Christmas parties, clean/decorate/clean again a house in preparation for the coming holiday, and battle an on again/off again headache.

Since faceoff for this weekend is about 24 hours from the time I've started writing this post, I will refrain from recapping last Saturday's action and instead give you a brief preview of players to keep an eye on. Special thanks to Jeff for sharing his talents and welcome back to the GC - you've been missed.

Photo courtesy of Jeff Stinson - The Sentinel

Okay, I guess I can have one brief moment of the weekend that was. I love, love, love Teddy Bear Toss night. Seeing over 10,000 stuffed animals heading for the ice is a magical moment. Keith Aucoin, Chris Bourque, Boyd Kane, and Joel Rechlicz helped hand some of those bears out at the Med Center on Tuesday. Thanks Bears fans!!!!

Photo courtesy of Jeff Stinson - The Sentinel

Yeah, yeah, one more. Dean Arsene is my hockey crush. It would be a huge disservice to this blog if his picture didn't appear upon his return to Chocolatetown. Two years ago Deano was recalled to the Edmonton Oilers when the Falcons came to Hershey. Last year he was in Peoria - so we didn't get to see him. The Mayor came home to a loud ovation - and yes, I was screaming like a loon. Miss ya Deano.

Photo courtesy of Jeff Stinson - The Sentinel

Let's see.....what players should Bears fans keep an eye on this weekend? Maybe the AHL Player of the Week. That's right, Keith Aucoin registered six assists and two goals (including a shortie) during this past weekend's three game stretch. With teams like the Whale, Baby Pens, and Norfolk to contend with this weekend, the Bears are going to rely on Coiner to get through the traffic and send the puck toward his waiting linemates.

Photo courtesy of Jeff Stinson - The Sentinel

Frenchie caused a little bit of a stir when he moved Graham Mink back to the third line for this past weekend's games. However, Minker's tough gritty style really added some scoring depth to this lineup. The trio of Mink, Hanson, and Pope combined for five goals and five assists this past weekend and have been practicing together again this week. I would think they would be a good matchup against hard-hitting teams like Wilkes Barre and Norfolk.

Photo courtesy of Jeff Stinson - The Sentinel

Julien Brouillette is one of our most consistent defensemen - imho. Quick skater, hard shot, hard hitter too. Defensively sound, but not afraid to jump up on the play. Keep your eyes on Brouillette this weekend.

Photo courtesy of Jeff Stinson - The Sentinel

And Tomas Kundratek had a terrific weekend. I'm beginning to see what the Caps were looking at when they traded Francois. He's still young, but has the makings of a defenseman that the Caps love to have in their system. Frank - as I call him when I can't remember how to pronounce his name - is one to watch not only this weekend, but throughout the season.

Photo courtesy of Jeff Stinson - The Sentinel

The three wins this past weekend put the Bears in a tie for the divisional lead (the Baby Pens have since played and won a game, so they are now on top of the division). And while the team looked good, this weekend will be a good test. The Whale are on top of their division with 31 points, while the Pens and Admirals are pretty much in a dead heat at the moment. The lines are clicking and their confidence is rising. It should be an exciting weekend....GO BEARS!

The Greatest Night in Sports: Bears 7, Pirates 1

2011-12-03T23:19:00.000-05:00

I had a lot going on at the dfz today. Between a soccer game, play practice and a personal errand, it didn't leave much time for anything else. But through it all there was a sense of excitement bubbling near the surface. You see not only was Dean Arsene and the Portland Pirates coming to town, but it was Teddy Bear Toss night - my favorite night of the year.

Photo courtesy of Jeff Stinson - The Sentinel

The Bears arrived home in the wee hours of the morning after a sound thumping of the Syracuse Crunch Friday night. Maybe a little bit of bus-lag left the boys with a slow start? Whatever the reason, Ryan Duncan took advantage when he sent the Pirates first shot of the game past Dany Sabourin at the 2:00 mark. There was a sense of nervous excitement as the period continued and the home team could not conquer Justin Pogge. Then at 14:23 Marc-Antoine Pouliot was sent to the box for slashing, followed by Matt Watkins for the same reason. Bears had :27 of 5-on-3. Although not scoring on the 5-on-3, the Bears Graham Mink made it rain teddy bears at 16:28 during a 5-on-4 advantage. That's where the action stopped. Both teams headed for the dressing room. After all what else are you going to do while the Rink Rats and Hershey Junior Bears clean up 10,190 stuffed animals from the ice? It was decided to clean up and have intermission. The teams would then play the final 3:32 of the first and switch sides, immediately playing the second period.

Photo courtesy of Jeff Stinson - The Sentinel

The first period would finally end with the score tied at one. The team switched sides and the Bears killed off two penalties before Ryan Potulny would get on the score board at 6:28. Then at 6:54, Joel Rechlicz and Ryan Hollweg would exchange blows. Hollweg was upset by a clean Recker check and skated across the ice to initiate the battle. He would receive two more for instigation and a 10 minute misconduct. Matt Pope scored his second goal in as many nights at 12:54 when he skated slowly into the zone waiting for someone to pass the puck to. When no one caught up, Pope fired the puck over Justin Pogge's shoulder to give the Bears a 3-1 lead. Then Julien Brouillette slammed the puck past Pogge during a power play at 15:00. Graham Mink would finish off the period with a power play goal of his own on a Chris Bourque feed from behind the net. The Bears were leading 5-1 and had a 27-19 shots on goal advantage.

Photo courtesy of Jeff Stinson - The Sentinel

Matt Ford wasted no time in the third period taking a Jacob MicFlikier pass and putting it past a very upset Pogge at 1:05. Then Ryan Potulny scored at 3:49. With a six goal advantage, the Bears let up on the young Pirates team. They did a good job of keeping control of the puck without giving Portland too many chances (they had two shots on goal), but they didn't pressure the visitors either although they did get a few good shots on net. The game would end with the score 7-1 in favor of the Bears. A full team effort two nights in a row!
Items of Note: Bears scratched Danny Richmond, DJ King, Zach Miskovic, Garrett Mitchell, and Kyle Greentree.....Mattias Sjogren has returned to Sweden....The Bears went 3-5 on the power play and 5-5 on the penalty kill....Despite his crappy night, I still love Dean Arsene.
Tweet of the Night: between the second and third periods - @jeffyphoto: Pogge venting in hallway #pissedoffgoalie
Ref: #84 Jamie Koharski - not as bad as I was expecting.
Goalies: Dany Sabourin for the Bears and Justin Pogge for Portland
Shots on Goal: Bears 41, Portland 21
Stars of the Night: as chosen by the media: 1. Ryan Potulny (2G, 1A), 2. Graham Mink (2G, 1A), 3. Matt Ford (1G, 2A)
Morgan: Mink, Potulny, Julien Brouillette
Zack: Brouillette & Sabourin
Joel: He wanted to pick Brouillette, but the kids beat him to it. Instead he picked Tomas Kundratek for a solid defensive performance.
Me: Julien Brouillette impressed me as well tonight, but since the media didn't give any credit to Dany Sabourin, I will. Granted 20 saves on 21 shots isn't awesome, but some of those saves really were. He kept the Bears in it all night long (well, after that early goal anyway....)

The Bears had a quick meal and boarded the bus for a 3:00 game in Bridgeport tomorrow afternoon. For those of you lucky enough to have Comcast or Verizon Fios, be sure to tune into the tv coverage. For those of you with DirecTv, well Stuccio will still give us the call. The Bears have played exceptionally well these past two games. If things continue like this, there will be lots to smile about in Chocolatetown.....GO BEARS!

November Review: Trying to be Patient

2011-12-01T19:55:00.000-05:00

Pain is hard to bear...

But with patience, day by day,

Even this shall pass away.

--Theodore Tilton

While October got the Chocolate and White off to a pretty good start, November stalled out due to callups and injuries. The end of the month saw some healthy bodies inserted back into the lineup and proof that with a little patience, things could turn around for our struggling club.

Photo courtesy of Jeff Stinson - The Sentinel

Record through November 30, 2011: 9-6-3-2

Points: 23

Standings: Currently 3rd place in the East Division behind the Norfolk Admirals (27 points)

The Good
While our first line has had to go through some adjustments due to injuries, Keith Aucoin has remained consistent no matter who he has been paired up with. Currently Coiner tops the league leader board with 30 points. He is also the league leader with 26 assists. The last two games played in the month of November saw Aucoin register five assists alone.....Right behind Aucoin on the league leader board is linemate Chris Bourque. Bourquie's 11 goals show that he is pretty consistent this season hitting the back of the net 13% of the time he shoots on net.....The last three games of the month saw the additions of Ryan Potulny and Matt Ford back into the lineup. Potulny made his presence known scoring two power play goals and putting one in the net during the shootout in his second game back.

The Bad
Oh, where to begin? Let's start with Captain Boyd Kane shall we? While Kaner's eight goals, four assists, and +12 are great numbers, his team leading 75 penalty minutes is outrageous. It probably wouldn't be that bad, but I believe 59 of those came in two games at the end of the month. As Captain of the team, he really needs to exercise restraint. We all know how valuable Kane is, but he's not doing us any good in the dressing room.....And while we're talking about penalty minutes, the Bears are second in the league (behind the Manchester Monarchs) in penalties with 448. Even taking out Kaner's two bad games, that's averaging almost 20 minutes of penalties per game! Luckily the Bears kill off power plays 83% of the time, but they really shouldn't be receiving that much practice.....It was official on Tuesday night that Mattias Sjogren has decided to return to Sweden instead of sticking it out here in North America. The Bears are really going to miss the center as they realize their forward depth ain't what it used to be.

The Surprises
Both of our goaltenders are suffering this season. While many will blame Braden Holtby's 5-5-1 record on poor attitude, what can be said of Dany Sabourin's 4-4-1? Both goaltenders have turned in some good performances and beautiful saves, but our young defense is leaving them to do it all alone at times. Our blueliners need to work together and be more concerned about protecting the defensive zone than going in on the rush. We have many capable forwards, let them do the scoring until we get things clicking.....The one thing that surprises me is the inconsistency of this group of guys. I've seen many of them play before and know the intensity they possess. I don't understand why some games they come to play 60 minutes and others you're lucky to get 20 minutes out of them. EVERYONE needs to put in 60 minutes every night to be successful.

December will see some normalcy as three-in-threes will be a regular leading up to the Christmas break. The Bears only face teams from the Eastern Conference, with a few key divisional matchups toward the end of the month. Of course, the best game of the month is this Saturday when Dean Arsene and the Portland Pirates come to town for Teddy Bear Toss night. If you haven't already, get a ticket and a stuffed animal. It's the best night in all of sports.....THROW BEARS!!!

Gabby's Gone

2011-11-29T05:35:00.000-05:00

Anyone that's been following the Capitals this season will admit they knew this was coming. Bruce Boudreau's days have been numbered for some time now whether George McPhee wants to admit to it or not. Question is - was it a good decision to fire the man who won 200 games faster than any other NHL coach?

In my opinion it was a necessary decision.

After exiting the playoffs in the first or second round each year since his hire (four years ago this Thanksgiving), Bruce has tried different tactics to get his team closer to the Stanley Cup. Last year saw him employ a more defensive-style game on the highly publicized and much watched HBO series "24/7." It seemed that with the culmination of the Winter Classic that the team had bought into it and it was going to be a success.
But an early exit to Tampa Bay all but sealed the fate of the former Bears coach. This year the team got off to a fantastic start going 7-0. But then something happened. The team lost focus as well as games. Star players were benched (deservedly so in my eyes), and the team tanked. The loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs in which the Leafs were down seven regular players was probably when McPhee picked up the phone. The loss to the ~~Rochester Americans~~ Buffalo Sabres this past weekend had Dale Hunter signing on the dotted line.
There were many tweets and articles that popped up yesterday regarding Gabby's dismissal. The best one in my opinion came from Tim Leone who interviewed Olie Kolzig. Basically he said that there's an old saying that you can't fire 20 players so Bruce took the fall. That's exactly it.
I was never a fan of the defensive-style play that Bruce tried last year. When you have such star fire power such as Ovechkin, Backstrom, and even Semin, you should not expect them to just sit back and play d. If it had taken the team to the end last year, it would have been hailed as a success. However, since it didn't, Bruce lost the players who are the team (the big egos with the big salaries). Once you lose them, you're done. For the sake of the team, McPhee had no choice but to let Boudreau go. It was a necessary decision.
An unfortunate decision for those in Hershey who remember Bruce Boudreau fondly.

What the Heck Happened: Bears 4, Lake Erie 5

2011-11-26T23:12:00.000-05:00

The Bears were riding high coming into Saturday night's contest. Considering that they beat the WBS Penguins Friday night IN A SHOOTOUT, I guess they had every reason to be. They beat their Saturday opponents into town by about three hours so they had fresher legs than the Monsters who bussed in from Cleveland late Saturday night. They also had a lot of VIP's in attendance on this Washington Capitals night including Slapshot, the Red Rockers, Olie Kolzig, Dave Prior, and George McPhee. Two points for us and a loss for WBS means a tie for first in the division, so there was a lot riding on the game as well.

The Bears started off the first period in typical 2011-2012 style scoring an early period power play goal. Graham Mink popped a Keith Aucoin pass past Trevor Cann and the Bears are up by one. Fists started flying early also as Christian Hanson grabbed Eric Hunter at 9:26 and popped him a couple before Hunter fell to the ice. Since not much damage was done by either, ref TJ Luxmore dished out a roughing penalty to Hunter and double roughing minor to Hanson. The Chocolate and White looked great during this period controlling the puck and keeping things out of the zone. At 13:00 the Bears were applying pressure in the offensive zone. The puck was bouncing around in between the circles when Keith Aucoin chipped it to Boyd Kane. Kaner fired the puck and it bounced in off the far post. Lake Erie would get on the board at 16:03 when Luke Walker would take advantage of a sprawling Dany Sabourin. But the Bears answered just :49 later when Patrick McNeill fired a shot from the blue line that eluded Cann. Period would end with the Bears up 3-1.

Unfortunately that's the last we saw of our Hershey Bears. Starting in the second period, the Monsters began to control the puck. When a Bear would skate up ice, Lake Erie would just muscle them off of it. There was no fight in the team and many stopped skating. At 16:13, Evan Brophey scored during the power play to pull the Monsters within one. That's how the period would end on the scoreboard, but on the penalty sheet, things were just getting started.

Hugh Jessiman started the scoring in the third at 5:56 tying the game at three. Then Justin Mercier at 9:33, scored the power play goal that gave the Monsters their first lead of the night. Around this time referee TJ Luxmore put the whistle away. A game that was already chippy at best turned ugly. Guys were getting tackled and retaliation would ensue because no call was being made. It went both ways - the Bears were just as guilty. Play continued on in this manner with the Bears finally getting some spark to their play. With 1:20 left in the game, Dany Sabourin skated to the bench for the extra attacker. At 19:07, Keith Aucoin dished the puck toward the crease where Graham Mink popped the puck past Cann and we are tied with seconds left in the game!!! Unfortunately, the Bears iced the puck shortly after the faceoff and could not clear the zone. Ryan Stoa wrapped the puck around the net and a melee ensued seeing Sabourin get run over by at least two of the Monster players. The puck was still loose and Brad Malone shoved it through. Luxmore signalled a goal instead of the interference penalty Bears fans (and players) were looking for. The Monsters come from behind and leave the home crowd seething.
Items of Note: Bears scratched Collins, King, Greentree (all injured), Richmond (vet), and Garrett Mitchell (healthy).....Matt Pope was released from his PTO and returned to South Carolina....Boyd Kane had a rather rough weekend. He was given a 5 minute elbowing major, 10 minute unsportsmanlike conduct, and game misconduct penalty in WBS Friday night. Tonight he received a tripping minor, a roughing minor, a 10 minute misconduct for abuse of an official, and a game misconduct for the same reason. The incident on Friday could result in further review from Springfield which could lead to a suspension. The Captain needs to get it together.
Tweet of the Night: @timeleone: Mink: "You can say what you want about the fifth goal, but it's the fifth goal. The ref didn't have anything to do with the first four."
Ref: TJ Luxmore - crossed off my Christmas card list.
Goalies: Dany Sabourin for the Bears Trevor Cann for Lake Erie
Shots on Goal: Bears 33, Lake Erie 32
Stars of the Night: as chosen by the media: 1. Brad Malone (gwg, 1 assist), 2. Ryan Stoa (3 assists), 3. Keith Aucoin (4 assists)
Morgan: Keith Aucoin & Chris Bourque
Zack: Jacob MicFlikier and Dany Sabourin
Joel: Keith Aucoin was the only one. He contributed a lot more than four assists.
Me: Dany Sabourin. There was one goal that probably could have been stopped. Otherwise, his teammates let him down again. The man made some HUGE saves, but he can't do it all.

To put it honestly - that sucked. The Bears were up 3-1 and had control of the game. But in the second period they let Lake Erie play their game. They stopped skating and let the Monsters push them around. I have to question where the 4th line was in all this. Recker was screaming from the bench, but coach didn't put them out. We have four capable lines of talented players - USE THEM! It's not the Chris Bourque/Keith Aucoin show. We've heard again and again how much talent is on this team. Let's use it. Truthfully, though, I don't know if it would have helped the scoresheet. Minker had it completely right. The boys will have a brief period to rest up and think about the catastrophe tonight before they head north to take on Francois Bouchard and the Conneticut Whale on Tuesday. Let's get it together boys....GO BEARS!

Much Better: Bears 4, Providence 3

2011-11-23T22:51:00.000-05:00

The fans were not the only ones to be dissatisfied with the team's performance last weekend. Tweet after tweet suggested that the team was unhappy, practices were hard and serious, and the defense went out for lunch together - at an undisclosed location. The Providence Bruins arrived in Hershey for our annual Turkey Shoot night where the Bears were hoping to have something to be thankful for.

And boy did we have something to be thankful for! Just :18 into the game Boyd Kane skates the puck into the zone and sends it across ice to Keith Aucoin. Coiner tips it to Chris Bourque who puts it into the back of the net!!!! And while excited, I knew that these quick starts often come back to haunt us. And at 8:27, it did. David Warsofsky sent the puck at a hard angle in on Dany Sabourin. It looked to go five-hole and judging by Sabu's body language, he really wanted that one back. Brett Flemming would send the Bears to intermission with a 1-0 lead when he fired a puck past Anton Khudobin at 12:59. The Bears scored two goals on nine shots.

The second period ticked away and while the Bears had 11 shots on goal, they only managed to connect once - but it was an important one. At 17:35 during a power play the Bears were putting pressure on Khudobin. The puck squirted out in front of the net and Patrick McNeill pounded away finally getting the puck through to score his first goal of the season!! The PBruins answered right back at 18:07 when Tyler Randell found himself all alone in front of the net with the puck. Bears took a 3-2 lead to the dressing room, but they allowed Providence just five shots on goal.

The third period got off to a quick start as Keith Aucoin left the puck to the right center of the net for Boyd Kane to slam home and the Bears are up 4-2.  Providence took advantage of a Jacob MicFlikier hooking penalty to pull within a goal. Josh Hennessy lost the puck, then got the puck back, skated around Julien Brouillette and fired past Sabourin (of course neither Banfield nor Cozzan noticed Brouillette getting sticked in the mid-section during the play). The Bears staved off another man-disadvantage to score the win at home!
Items of Note: Bears scratched Collins, Richmond, DJ King, Matt Pope, Garrett Mitchell, and Kyle Greentree.....Collins has not skated since his November 11th injury during the game against WBS when he took a Dustin Jeffrey slapshot off his ankle/knee area....Matt Ford and Ryan Potulny both returned to the lineup tonight.....Dmitry Orlov registered an assist on Nicklas Backstom's 2nd period goal to record his first NHL point. Way to go Dima!....The GC got to participate in the first BS chant of the year when Jacob MicFlikier was called for a tripping penalty just seconds after Cozzan/Banfield did             call a penalty against Providence behind the net.
Tweet of the Night: @CVBombuilie: J-F Jacques with the Gordie Howe in 15 minutes. Nicely done by him. (Yeah, I know this tweet was in regards to the Springfield-WBS game, but really a goal, an assist, and a fight in 15 minutes - deserves recognition)
Refs: David Banfield and Chris Cozzan tag teamed the effort tonight.
Goalies: Dany Sabourin played pretty solid for the Bears, while Anton Khudobin falls to 7-9-1 on the season.
Shots on Goal: Bears 30, Providence 27
Stars of the Night: as chosen by the media: 1. Keith Aucoin (3 assists), 2. Boyd Kane (1 goal, 1 assist), 3. Patrick McNeill (goal)
Morgan:   Aucoin and Joel Rechlicz - he didn't get into a fight tonight.
Zack: Kane, Aucoin, Patty Mac
Joel: Patrick Wellar played a solid game.
Me: Honorable mention to Maxime Lacroix, star of the night to Christian Hanson.

This was a pretty good hockey game. The Bears played much better than last weekend. Yes, there are still a few things that need working on, but they seemed to have the basics back under control. Next game Friday in Wilkes Barre. Now, get off the computer and go enjoy your Thanksgiving. The Bears win tonight gives us one more thing to be thankful for....GO BEARS!

This Week in Pictures: 11/20/11

2011-11-21T16:52:00.000-05:00

Two games, two shootouts, two losses, two points....Too bad.

One of those shootout losses came at the Giant Center this weekend. While I was busily capturing all the action via notepad and camera, Jeff was taking shots at the MMA (um, camera shots, not real martial arts shots, although that might have been more entertaining than a shootout loss). I assume you've already read my point of view, so let's take a look at what I saw during the Bears one and only homestand game of the week.

The Bears arrived back in town after their first shootout of the season in Syracuse. They brought a 7-4-3-1 record and 18 points. Albany arrived in town sporting a record of 8-6-1-1 and 18 points of their own. Albany's goalie Keith Kinkaid was 4-3-0 on the season, while Braden Holtby had won four and lost four. Things appeared pretty even on paper.

And things started out pretty good for the Bears with two goals in the first half of the first period. But a defensive letdown combined with a cocky goaltender sent the teams to the dressing room all evened up.

There were two players for the Bears that ended up on the plus side of the +/- rating. One was Andrew Carroll and the other was Mattias Sjogren. There were reports earlier in the week that Sjogren was considering using the clause in his contract that allowed him to return to Sweden if he wasn't playing in DC. Sjogren, however, denied that he was looking for overseas flights and claimed that his old team wants him back so badly that they were not beyond starting a rumor or two.

With Recker's fight on Saturday, he popped up to #11 in the league for penalty minutes. In seven games played he has 54 penalty minutes. That actually puts him one minute behind Albany's Tim Sestito who has 55 minutes in 12 games.

I don't think there's anyone who can deny the benefits of signing Jacob MicFlikier this off season. With eight goals and 11 assists, MicFlik is in a four-way tie for ninth place on the league leader board. I personally have yet to see him take a shift off. He is always creating havoc whether behind the net, in front of the net....

....or IN the net. I think it's going to be interesting to see where/how he fits in as Ford, Potulny and Greentree become healthy and are inserted back into the lineup (although I hear that the Caps are looking for some players willing to play 60 minutes of hockey and add a little spark into the lineup - yoohoo, MicFlikier is on a two-way deal!!!)

If you're thinking positively, the Bears collected two out of the possible four available points in the two games they played this past week. But whether you are a glass half full, or a glass half empty kinda person the fact remains that the Bears LOST both games they played. Looking at the standings, the team is tied for 8th place in the conference. And although it's VERY early in the season, only eight teams are going to make playoffs. Every point counts - but two points for a win is going to go a long way even this early in the year....GO BEARS!

I Hate Shootouts: Bears 5, Albany 6

2011-11-19T23:33:00.000-05:00

The Bears arrived in Hershey sometime in the wee hours of Saturday morning. They brought with them a single point courtesy of a shootout loss to the Syracuse Crunch. From the sounds of things, the referee had a hand in the Bears defeat and the team played a fairly solid game. That's good news because the Albany Devils were waiting for the Bears. They hadn't played a game since last weekend so they were rested up. The Bears needed to exploit the rust early on. And that's exactly what they did.

The Bears capitalized on an early power play when Graham Mink tipped in his fourth goal of the season on a Patrick McNeill slapshot. Then Dmitry Orlov unloaded a shot skating into the zone that, well, um....WOW. What a shot by Orlov - the Bears are up by two 11:08 into the game. But as is customary with the team this season, there is a however.....At 15:12, Chad Wiseman skates into the zone. He sees Nathan Perkovich slip around Bears defender Dmitry Orlov and sends the puck in front of the net. Perkovich pops the puck past Holtby. Then with :10 left in the period, Braden Holtby goes behind the net to retrieve the puck. He then decides to play chicken with an Albany forward (I believe it was Vladimir Zharkov). Holtby fails to see another Devil coming up behind, who pokes at the puck. The puck frees up and wraps around the front, where Christian Hanson almost prevented the goal, but not quite. Darcy Zajac celebrates all the way to the dressing room as the Devs tied it at the end of one.

DJ King tried to get things going for the Chocolate and White as he recorded his first fighting major since being back in the AHL. Both he and Myles Stoesz (in his second fight of the night) landed a couple of punches before being escorted to the penalty box. Shortly after they were released, Graham Mink and Dan Kelly would throw a few, with Minker also getting an additional two tacked on for high sticking. Albany would score on their resulting power play at 10:05 on a nice play by Eric Gelinas. The Bears did come back to tie things up on their own power play when Chris Bourque scored his eighth of the year.

The third period saw back and forth action not just on the ice, but the scoreboard as well. Albany found the back of the net first at 5:37 when Steve Bernier tipped a Steve Zalewski shot past Holtby. Chris Bourque then got #9 with his second power play goal of the night. At 10:07, the Bears and Devils were fighting for the puck behind the net, when it went shooting toward center ice. It deflected off of a Bears skate and right onto Tim Sestito's stick. He didn't miss his chance and the Devs are up by one. But with time ticking away, Captain Boyd Kane comes up big helping a Chris Bourque slapper find it's way past Keith Kinkaid. There was no other scoring during the period, so we head to....
....overtime. Big whoop. Even with a power play, the Bears managed two shots on goal. I guess I shouldn't complain, Albany didn't record a single one. So that means, you guessed it, the dreaded....
.....shootout. Bears sent out MicFlikier, Bourque, Aucoin, and Kane. MicFlik had a beauty of a shot waiting out Kinkaid before lifting the puck over his blocker. But he was the only one of the Bears to succeed. Albany sent out Chad Wiseman, Mike Sislo, Matt Anderson, and Steve Bernier. Wiseman was the only one who could NOT get the puck past Holtby. Albany wins, Bears lose, I still hate shootouts.
Items of Note: Bears scratched Collins, Richmond, Potulny, Ford, Matt Pope, Kundratek, and Greentree....With many of our forward line out currently, Matt Pope was called up from South Carolina and signed to a 25 game PTO. He did play in the Syracuse game, but was a healthy scratch tonight.....Potulny, Ford, and Collins are hopeful for this coming week.....And with Francois Bouchard's departure, Ryan Potulny has switched to #22. Matt Pope is now wearing the #27.
Tweet of the Night: @timeleone: Flemming just wiped out on the PK. Maybe the Bears are on Hoosier Tires tonight.
Ref: Andy Thiessen returned again this weekend to the Giant Center.
Goalies: Braden Holtby really cost the club tonight, while Keith Kinkaid records his first professional road win.
Shots on Goal: Bears 33, Albany 32
Stars of the Night: as chosen by the media: 1. Chris Bourque (2 G, 1 A), 2. Steve Bernier (1G, shootout goal, +1), 3. Vladimir Zharkov (2 A, shootout goal, +1)
Morgan: Graham Mink, Zach Miskovic
Zack: "All I got is the Devils Mom"
Joel: Graham Mink
Me: I really thought that Patrick McNeill and Zach Miskovic had a good night. They communicated well and were certainly the best pair on the ice all night. HOWEVER, there is NO WAY I can give my star of the night to a defenseman when the final score was 6-5. So I present my Star of the Night to Andrew Carroll. In the car - without the aid of the internet - I knew he hustled all night and I saw him during the pk and pp. When I checked his stats later, I realized he was one of only two Bears players to end the evening with a + rating. Good job Pistol!

I've been trying to convince my daughter to speak positive. Instead of "I can't" or "I'm never going to get it" she should be speaking "I will" "I'll figure it out." So in that spirit, I will say that the team did look better. I thought they slacked off a bit in the second half of the first period, but they did rebound. I thought Patty Mac looked better this weekend than in last weekend's contest. I am glad that healthy bodies will be coming back into the lineup soon. And since I'm also trying to convey the message that if you don't have something nice to say, don't say anything at all, I'll just leave the subject of our young goaltender alone. Bears next game is against Providence Wednesday night....GO BEARS!

Is It Time to Push the Panic Button?

2011-11-16T12:00:00.000-05:00

There has been much talk around the dfz this week about the Sunday night game against the Sound Tigers. Actually there's been a lot of talk amongst Bears fans everywhere.
Some fans have haughtily called for French's resignation, some want to scrap our defense and start over, some have even drawn up trade proposals sending Holtby, Bourque, & Richmond to Columbus for Steve Mason and Alexandre Giroux (good morning Chuck!). But are things really that bad? Is it time to hit the panic button just six weeks into the season?

Photo courtesy of Jeff Stinson - The Sentinel

At the end of November 2010, the Bears were 12-9-0-1 (25 points). Sure, I hear you saying "Yeah and we know where last season ended." But hang on. By the end of November we had already seen Keith Aucoin hurt, Braden Holtby recalled, and our pk unit in a tailspin. The team was adjusting to the loss of Chris Bourque and Alex Giroux. Lawrence Nycholat was having a tough time getting back into the swing of things. By December, the team had clicked - going 7-4 during a stretch that saw some major callups to the forward ranks.
Is this season too much different? With six games left to play this month, the Bears are 7-4-3-0 (17 points). We've had long-term injuries to Kyle Greentree and Ryan Potulny. Cody Eakin is still on recall (and I don't see him coming back unless the salary cap comes into play). And while our special teams have been pretty good, our defensive lineup is sorely missing that true veteran presence. It's taking a little bit of time to get things going.
Another thing that is sure to factor in to our shaky start is the schedule. This team has played exactly one three-in-three weekend. They have 11 such contests in store for the future. They've had games here and there and an entire weekend off. How are they supposed to get into any kind of a rhythm? While Frenchie could skate 'em til they puke, it still isn't the same as playing a game. You don't have a chance to get your sleeping, eating, game-day routine flowing because there are long stretches where you just don't play.
I'm not saying that there's not a problem. The team is committing way too many turnovers. Penalties were a huge problem early on in the season. Our d-lines are young as is our #1 goaltender. Think about it. He's a 22 year old who had a huge amount of success in the NHL. He looked to be going to Washington until Tomas Vokoun was surprisingly signed during free agency. It must have felt like a slap in the face. I agree he needs to get over it and prove that he deserves to be up there by playing well here. But goalies are honed to be cocky, I can sorta understand the attitude that this young goaltender seems to be portraying.
All I'm really saying I guess is that the relaxed early schedule, the young defensemen, and the injuries to some key players are contributing to this slow start. The schedule will start to even out as we approach the end of the month, Potulny is skating non contact, and well, the defensemen are getting on the job training.
Should we be concerned about this team? Yes. Is it time to panic? Most certainly not.....GO BEARS!

This Week in Pictures: 11/13/11

2011-11-15T06:00:00.003-05:00

Two outta three ain't bad - unless you are talkin' two losses in three games played. Or getting stuck with my pictures from two out of three games this past week. Jeff was away on a little vacation, a much deserved break to spend time with his family. He made it back just in time for the Bears ~~to stink up the ice~~ to lose to Bridgeport on Sunday night. Here's our look at the week that was:

The Binghamton Senators were the first to arrive in town for this three-games-in-five-nights homestand. Robin Lehner may be the goaltending future of the Ottawa Senators, but he's sure having a rough time in Bingo. The Senators that won the Calder Cup last year were decimated by promotions and free agency leaving but a shell of their former self. Lehner can at least boast that he won the only NHL game he's played so far this season.

Braden Holtby is not having the season we had hoped for so far. His at-the-moment stats have him at 4-4, with an 89.5% save percentage. He has left in some soft goals as of late, but let's not put ALL the blame on him. Our defense, as well as our forward lines, have been creating way too many turnovers and Holtby can't stop all the odd man rushes.

There has been much commotion lately about DC calling up a defender or two due to injuries. There are quite a few of our blueliners with two-way contracts including Sean Collins, Patrick McNeill, and Danny Richmond. However, I thought that Brett Flemming made an excellent case for himself this week. In nine games played through Sunday night, Flemming has a goal and an assist. He seems to be pretty positionally sound and can deliver a whopping hit. Lately, he's been paired with Dmitry Orlov and the two have made a pretty good futuristic blueline tandem.

I figured when Pittsburgh reassigned Steve MacIntyre and Dustin Jeffrey to the WB for reconditioning, they would be the ones we would have to contend with.

However, it was Ben Street who finally got his game going. And I guess the four assists that he registered against the Bears on Friday night helped propel him to being named the AHL Player of the Week.

DJ King and Steve MacIntyre have some history in the NHL and many were expecting things to reignite when the two teams met, but alas, both were very good boys and stayed out of trouble.

Sorry for the quality - all I had handy was my cell phone!

Sunday night rolled around and the Bears prepared to welcome the Bridgeport Sound Tigers to town. The game started with a huge American flag unfurled and carried to center ice by members of the Hershey Fire Company. The starting lines for each club also skated over and assisted while the "Star Spangled Banner" was sung.

Photo courtesy of Jeff Stinson - The Sentinel

Bridgeport arrived in town after defeating the Springfield Falcons in Springfield Saturday night. Although one might have thought they would be a tired group of guys, they had a considerable jump. This jump probably had something to do with rookie goaltender Anders Nilsson. The Swedish giant (really, he's 6'5) was quick for a man of his size and left little open space to shoot for. He held the Bears scoreless through the first four minutes and eight shots on goal.

Photo courtesy of Jeff Stinson - The Sentinel

Nino Niederreiter scored first for the Sound Tigers. His penalty shot went top shelf, while Braden Holtby was sweeping the floor. Hubby thinks this might have deflated the Bears game plan a little bit and they just couldn't get back on track.

Photo courtesy of Jeff Stinson - The Sentinel

Julien Brouillette had a good series and in my humble opinion was the most consistent defenseman on the ice Sunday night. He's a quick skater, has a good shot from the point, and can muscle an opponent out of the way.

Photo courtesy of Jeff Stinson - The Sentinel

Christian Hanson was linemates with Mattias Sjogren and DJ King this past week. In the Wednesday night contest against Bingo I actually thought they were the best line all night. I wasn't quite as impressed by the time Sunday rolled around, but then again, very few made a positive impression on me that night.

Photo courtesy of Jeff Stinson - The Sentinel

Okay, there were a couple of guys that made a good impression on me. Andrew Carroll was one. He garnered my honorable mention of the night, while Joel made him his first star. Carroll hustles every shift and did a really nice job on the penalty kill. There was one pk where he and his unit were out for over a minute and a half without a break. Granted, they didn't clear the puck, but Bridgeport didn't get but one shot off on net.

Photo courtesy of Jeff Stinson - The Sentinel

The boys did not play well Sunday after the first period. Anders Nilsson did. If he would not have had such a superior game in the first period especially, there would have been a different outcome to this one. And there still could have been a different outcome, had the home team come out and played.

Next week, we only have one home game on tap - against the Albany Devils. A contest which promises lots of excitement.....GO BEARS!

There's 60 Minutes to a Hockey Game: Bears 3, Bridgeport 4

2011-11-13T21:31:00.000-05:00

Coming into tonight's contest the numbers indicate a very close game. The Bears had a record of 7-3-3-0 (17 points), while Bridgeport boasts a 7-6-1-0 (15 points). Goaltender Braden Holtby had a record of 4-3, while Anders Nillson in his rookie season was sporting a 4-2 record. Both goalies had similar stats including save percentages in the low 90's. On paper this looked to be a good game, but which Hershey Bears team would show up?

Photo courtesy of Jeff Stinson - The Sentinel

The Bears that came out in the first period were the Bears with a purpose. At 4:31, they had already sent eight shots on goal - none of which connected with the back of the net, unfortunately. At 9:42, during a Justin DiBenedetto tripping penalty, Chris Bourque sent a slap shot from top circle, center ice that flew past Nilsson and the Bears are up 1-0. Joel Rechlicz and Trevor Gilles then put on a heavyweight battle at 14:29 that saw crushing blows by each combatant. But counting down toward the 15:00 mark, the Sound Tigers pulled Holtby out of the net trying to cover up the puck. It squirted through and Brett Flemming pounced toward it, shoving it away before it could cross the goal line. However, the referee determined that he closed his hand over the puck while doing so and the Sound Tigers were awarded a penalty shot. Nino Niederreiter skated from center, deked, deked again, faked low, and shot high once Holtby hit the ice - we are tied. The period ended tied at one, Hershey ahead in shots 16-10.

Photo courtesy of Jeff Stinson - The Sentinel

The Bears that came out in the second, were not the same team that had taken to the ice in the first period. Play became chippy and passes started to bounce over sticks. Christian Hanson made his way to the penalty box at 10:37 for a hooking violation and Tim Wallace scored on the power play at 11:29. A little wrister from the circle eluded Holtby and the Bears would have to mount a comeback. At 12:40, Jacob MicFlikier netted his seventh of the season with assists from Hanson and Graham Mink. The teams remained tied at the end of two, Bears still leading in shots 25-19. Bridgeport led in power plays, however 4-1.

Photo courtesy of Jeff Stinson - The Sentinel

The Bears that came out in the third period were already planning their days off. Passes continued to bounce off sticks and turnovers dominated the play of the Chocolate and White. A turnover during a power play resulted in Tomas Marcinko skating in shorthanded on Holtby. It also resulted in Marcinko's third goal of the season. Bears are down by one. Then at 13:46, a Chris Bourque turnover at the blue line resulted in David Ullstrom putting the Sound Tigers up by two points. It probably wouldn't have been so bad, but the Bears had a two man advantage for 1:46 earlier in the period - AND THEY MANAGED 3 SHOTS ON GOAL!!!! The Bears did try to even things up as Dmitry Orlov unloaded a cannon that Nilsson had no chance of stopping at 17:55. But even with Holtby pulled for the final minute, the home team could not get another past the 6'5", 220 lb brickwall called Anders Nilsson.
Items of Note: Bears scratched Sean Collins (lower body injury), Matt Ford, Zach Miskovic, Ryan Potulny, Patrick Wellar, and Kyle Greentree....Braden Holtby was knocked over by Danny Richmond in the third period. There was a brief stoppage of play while Holby collected his thoughts, but he continued to play.....Washington Capitals coach Bruce Boudreau was in attendance tonight. The Caps have recently suffered some injuries on the d corps and many are speculating a callup or two to help out. I didn't see too many worthy candidates tonight.
Tweet of the Night: @timleone: Bridgeport coach Brent Thompson: "I think you can rack the win up to Anders Nilsson. He stood on his head for us."
Ref: #46 Francis Charron and #47 TJ Luxmore tag teamed this affair.
Goalies: Braden Holtby left in a few soft ones for the Bears, while Anders Nilsson was superb in net for the Sound Tigers.
Shots on Goal: Hershey 37, Bridgeport 28
Stars of the Night: as chosen by the media: 1. Anders Nilsson (34 saves), 2. Tomas Marcinko (1 goal), 3. David Ullstrom (GWG)
Morgan: Graham Mink, Julien Brouillette
Zack: Holtby, MicFlikier, Captain Boyd Kane (he's three, don't send hate mail)
Joel: Honorable mention to Brett Flemming, Star of the Night to Andrew Carroll. He did a heckuva lot of work on the penalty kill tonight.
Me: Honorable mention to Andrew Carroll, his pk skills didn't go unnoticed. Star of the Night to Julien Brouillette.

With 37 shots on goal, it seems weird that I'm so upset. I guess it's what that 37 doesn't represent that I'm kinda ticked off about. This team had off yesterday, while Bridgeport bussed in after a win in Springfield. Hershey stopped skating in the second and third periods. Seriously, I watched (more than once) Bourquie fumble the puck at the blue line and then skate leisurely back up ice while a Bridgeport pk'er was hauling tail toward Holtby. COME ON! It also seemed at times that anyone on a two-way contract was trying too hard to catch the coach's eye. If I was Boudreau, I'd ink Brouillette to a quickie deal and let the rest of them to stew down here with Holtby. We lost to the Baby Pens Friday night, but the whole team tried hard for 59 minutes - disappointed, yes...mad, no. We lost tonight because we played 25 minutes of hockey - that's just not gunna cut it...in any league. I hope Frenchie reamed them a new one. 'Cuz if he didn't, I'd be glad to step in and give my two cents on the situation. If this team continues to show up, we'll be done by April. Get it together guys, Syracuse is Friday night....GO BEARS!

Final Minute: Bears 4, WBS 5 (OT)

2011-11-11T23:20:00.001-05:00

The Bears entered tonight in third place in the East Division. A regulation win tonight would put us in a tie for first, but a home win against Wilkes Barre has been a long time in coming.

It didn't take long for things to get going in this one. Just 3:09 in, Julien Brouillette sent a slapper in on Brad Thiessen. He never saw it coming due to a perfect Bears screen. The Baby Pens answered right back at 5:47 when Paul Thompson fired the puck on net. Brett Flemming attempted to help Dany Sabourin protect the crease, but he actually hid the puck from his view. The puck squirted out from under Flemming and Philip Samuelsson grabbed it and stuffed it past Sabourin. It looked like we were going into intermission tied at one, but the Bears had a man advantage and were going to make the most of every second of play. At 19:59, Jacob MicFlickier deflected a Patrick McNeill shot from the circle and the Bears take a 2-1 lead to the locker room.

The defensive pairings for both teams were the stars for most of the second period. Neither team had any success in keeping the puck in their offensive zone. That is, until 19:36 in the period. Paul Thompson got the puck past Dany Sabourin to tie the game. While the crowd was still reeling from the late period goal, Ryan Craig silenced the home faithful with a goal with just 7.4 seconds remaining. Instead of a 2-1 lead, the Bears would have 18 minutes to think about the worst 30 seconds of their game.

Instead of coming out flat and defeated in the third, the Bears came out ready to fight. Keith Aucoin appeared in front of the net at 4:03 - just in time to grab a Julien Brouillette rebound and tie the game. But the Bears defense would break down at 8:54. The Pens had the puck in the Bears zone and fired on net. The puck bounced off the cross bar, but did not cross the goal line. Ryan Craig grabbed the rebound and stuffed it behind Sabourin to put the Pens back up again by one. Although causing problems for Hershey all night long, Joey Mormina actually gave the Bears the break they needed when he was whistled for interference at 16:29. The power play unit went to work and at 17:36, Keith Aucoin dished the puck to the front of the net where Mattias Sjogren was driving hard. Puck up and over Thiessen - WE ARE TIED! No other goals were scored in the last few minutes so we are going to .....

.....overtime! But it was a quick one. Fifty-seven seconds in, Simon Despres ended it all. Pens win (again) and pull three points ahead of the Bears in the standings.
Items of Note: Bears scratched Rechlicz, Ford, Miskovic, Potulny, Kundratek, and Greentree....Sean Collins was struck in the leg by a Dustin Jeffrey slapshot in the first period. He left the ice immediately and did not return to the game....The Bears went 2-for-5 on the power play.
Tweet of the Night: @ScottStuccio: glaring stat: last Bears win at GC versus WBS...March 27, 2010
Ref: Andy Thiessen
Goalies: Dany Sabourin for the Bears, that darned Brad Thiessen for the Pens.
Shots on Goal: We were all tied up at 25 apiece
Stars of the Night: as chosen by the media: 1. Simon Despres (GWG), 2. Ben Street (4 assists), 3. Patrick McNeill (2 assists)
Nana: Keith Aucoin, Patrick McNeill, Dany Sabourin
Morgan: Aucoin and Patrick Wellar
Zack: McNeill, MicFlickier, Sabu
Joel: Jacob MicFlickier
Me: Honorable mention to Julien Brouillette, Star of the Night to Keith Aucoin.

Sorry, it's late and I have to be at the soccer field by 8:30 am, so I gotta wrap this up. Despite the loss, it was a pretty good game tonight. It was a tight contest for most of the night. I was pleased that the Bears seemed to have it figured out - the best way to beat Thiessen is up close and personal. They need to stop the defensive turnovers in their own end. But what really killed them was that final minute of the second period. The team has a day to think about it before Bridgeport rolls into town......GO BEARS!

Holtby Gets Shutout: Bears 3, Binghamton 0

2011-11-09T22:56:00.000-05:00

We're going to make this short and sweet. Week night games mean mornings come even earlier than normal. But if the Bears that lost 3-0 to WBS last Friday night show up again tonight, there won't be much to talk about anyway.

Little bit of book keeping to take care of. If you read my post Tuesday, you know Bouchard is no longer with us. Cody Eakin was recalled to DC and the way he's playing - might not return. And DJ King requested to come to Hershey for playing time....he'll be wearing #15.

The Bears looked great from puck drop tonight limiting Bingo's time of possession. At 3:54 Mark Borowiecki reserved his spot in the penalty box on a hooking violation. Puck dropped on the faceoff and Jacob MicFlickier dug it out of the corner and fired cross ice to Keith Aucoin. Aucoin sent it in front of the net to Graham Mink who was all alone - SCORE at 4:04. The Bears continued their dominance of the puck and at 12:47, Mattias Sjogren fired the puck on net. Robin Lehner rebounded and Garrett Mitchell managed to scoop it past the goalie while falling to the ice. The period would end with the Bears up 2-0 and ahead 14-5 in shots.

The Bears played a pretty good second period as well. Binghamton had a few chances but the bounces just would not go their way. Twice during the game they had a man all alone in on Holtby - and fired wide. The Rechlicz-Lessard rematch came at 2:14. It actually started when Lessard tried pushing Andrew Carroll around. Pistol didn't back down to the challenge, but Recker skated over in a "let me handle it" kinda way. On the ensuing faceoff, the two duked it out and Recker landed a few crushing blows even with his jersey pulled over his head. At 14:22, Boyd Kane was camped out in front of the net. Robin Lehner stopped a Jacob MicFlicker shot, but Kane kept pounding the rebound 'til it finally got past. Bears ended the period up 3-0 and ahead 27-13 in shots.

The third period began with Robin Lehner on the bench and Mike McKenna between the pipes for the Senators. While McKenna backstopped a shutout in the third, his offensive line would not be able to manage any points. There were a couple of times during the period that the Bears couldn't get the puck out of their zone, but Binghamton just couldn't get it past the Bears defenders. Bears make a roaring comeback from a crappy Friday night loss to shutout the Senators at home!
Items of Note: Bears scratched Danny Richmond, Matt Ford, Zach Miskovic, Ryan Potulny, Tomas Kundratek, and Kyle Greentree.....Matt Ford has an upper body injury and is listed as day-to-day. Richmond is a possibility to return to play this weekend......Brett Flemming laid one heckuva hit on David Dziurzynski in the second period. Just thought I'd mention that.
Tweet of the Night: @scottstuccio Bears out shooting Sens 19-10, Sens have taken at least 19 shots that were wide.
Ref: #22 Gino Binda called a good game.
Goalies: Hershey - Braden Holtby, Bingo had Robin Lehner for two periods stopping 24 of 27 shots. Mike McKenna stopped all eight shots he saw in the third.
Shots on Goal: Bears 35, Bingo 15
Stars of the Night: as chosen by the media: 1. Garrett Mitchell (one awesome goal), 2. Braden Holtby (15 save shutout), 3. Jacob MicFlickier (2 assists)
Morgan: Garrett Mitchell, Christian Hanson, Pat Wellar
Zack: Braden Holtby, Jacob MicFlickier
Joel: Brett Flemming (for that hit, heh heh heh)
Me: Honorable mention to Mattias Sjogren, Star of the night to Brett Flemming - he had more than just that massive hit on Dziurzynski and he played solid all night long.

The Bears will once again take on the Baby Penguins at home on Friday night. If this team shows up, we've got a good game ahead of us. All three goals were scored right at the crease tonight. It will need to be a repeat performance if Brad Thiessen is in goal. The WB has a couple of guys in town from Pittsburgh on reconditioning assignments - Steve MacIntyre and our good buddy Dustin Jeffrey. Get your tickets now, this could be a really good show.....GO BEARS!

Bye Bye Bouch

2011-11-08T19:11:00.000-05:00

It came as a surprise when I received the tweet from the Caps beat reporter that the Caps had made a "minor transaction" sending Francois Bouchard to New York in return for defenseman Tomas Kundratek. Minor transaction? Maybe to the Capitals, but it was anything but minor to Hershey Bears fans.
Francois has been a part of the Bears organization since he finished his junior season in 2007-2008. He has played 228 games recording 49 goals and 63 assists. Bouch also collected two Calder Cup rings while residing in Hershey. He saw the best season of his professional career playing with linemates Mathieu Perreault and Oskar Osala in 2009-2010. Last season saw a little bit of a slump from the right wing, while this season saw him "filling in" many rolls on the team including pk'er, fourth line regular and first and second line replacement.
This is Kundratek's second year in the AHL. He had two goals and 10 assists playing for the Whale last season. According to Tim Leone at The Patriot News he will report to Hershey and is available to play tomorrow night.
This leaves me with many questions. With Danny Richmond slated to return to the lineup by this weekend, we already have eight defensemen on the roster. I can't imagine that Coach French is going to sit three guys every night. So who goes to South Carolina for playing time? Certainly not Collins, McNeill, Wellar, Orlov, or Brouillette (although my spell check would like that!). Richmond would stay in my opinion too. That would leave Kundratek, Miskovic, and Flemming. Seeing the vet situation, Richmond would probably cycle out, so we may keep two extra in Hershey. I'll stop right here, 'cuz I'm not liking what I'm seeing. Miskovic has been the healthy scratch most of the season on the d, so can you see where I'm going with this?

Photo courtesy of Jeff Stinson - The Sentinel

Good luck in Conneticut Francois. I wish you nothing but the best (even if it's with the organization I like the least). Hopefully you will see consistent playing time on a solid line. Here's wishing you some callup time as well. The dfz appreciates all you've given to the Bears organization over the past four seasons. You will be missed.

October Review: Let's Get Started

2011-11-03T14:49:00.000-04:00

Coming together is a beginning,

Staying together is progress,

And working together is success.

--Henry Ford

It's been five long months to let the disappointment of last season fade into the promise of what has become the 2011-2012 Hershey Bears. If winning a championship would be simply confined to graphs, charts, and names on a roster, this team would be lifting the Cup. But 76 games of adversity are what helps to form a champion. The Bears are one month in on their quest to return the Calder Cup to Hershey. Let's see how they are doing so far.

Photo courtesy of Jeff Stinson - The Sentinel

Record through October 31, 2011: 6-2-2-0

Points: 14

Standings: Currently 2nd place in the East Division behind the Norfolk Admirals (15 points)

The Good

Keith Aucoin hasn't missed a beat. In 10 games played he's scored three goals and had 13 helpers - that's an average of 1.6 points per game! He's ranked 1st overall in the league for assists, and 2nd for total points. It probably doesn't hurt that he's linemates with.....Chris Bourque. Bourquie's back and has tickled the twine six times this season and notched eight assists as well. He's quarterbacking the team's first power play unit and has 49 shots on goal. While that's only scoring 12% of the time, at least he's not afraid to shoot the puck....With the recent injuries suffered by the club, Jacob MicFlickier has had a chance to shine. MicFlick not only has great stats - five goals, seven assists, and a +5 - but he's constantly checking and outplaying much larger players causing turnovers and creating chances. So glad he's on our team now!

The Bad
Injuries. Ryan Potulny was the first sidelined with an "upper body injury." It was later disclosed that he had double sports hernia surgery and would be required to keep Loser Lounge under control for the next six weeks or so. The next to fall victim to the injury bug was Kyle Greentree. Greentree broke his arm during the Bears home opener against Norfolk and will be out for a little while. He has been spotted sittin' with the scratches sporting a beautiful cast and sling on his right arm. Two key players that will be out of action for a while......One thing of concern with this team is their penchant for penalties. In 10 games played the team as a whole has racked up 227 penalty minutes. Yes, Andrew Carroll (39) and Joel Rechlicz (29) do count for about 30% of that total, BUT taking our two sluggers' totals out of the equation, that still equals about 15 minutes per game in average penalty time. I would say our biggest area of concern is discipline.

The Surprises
I'd say goaltending during the month of October was a surprise - at least to this humble blogger. I expected Braden Holtby to come in with a point to prove. Instead there have been a couple of games where he appears to be pouting about being in the AHL. Other games, he has looked uncomfortable and scrambly in net. Still, I wouldn't say that his 2.99 goals against average and save percentage of 88.6% are all his fault. Our blueline, without the benefit of a true veteran, often times has left him hung out to dry.....On the other hand, we have Dany Sabourin who has an AHL record of 3-1 and a 93.5% save percentage after not playing a game since January because of surgery. His steadiness in net even earned him some extended callup time in DC while Michal Nuevirth's foot was healing.....And one surprise for me was the play of Christian Hanson. The hoopla surrounding the son of the famous Hanson Brother left me a little eh, but he is beginning to prove his worth. With three goals, and one assist, the tough center is always willing to mix it up and charge the net.

The Bears have a pretty easy-going schedule for November. Two trips to Wilkes Barre, one to Syracuse, and one to Conneticut at the end of the month have the team playing at home every weekend - when they are playing at all. The lighter schedule and short road trips should lead to well-rested bodies ready to play - well at least one can hope so....GO BEARS!

This Week in Pictures: 10/30/11

2011-11-01T06:00:00.004-04:00

The Hershey Bears may have played three-games-in-three-nights this weekend, but only one of those games came on home ice. Each game had a different result leaving the Bears 1-1-1-0 and adding three points to their season long total.
Jeff decided to grace us with his presence this weekend and captured his view of the Bears one and only victory in those less than desirable special jerseys. (**Personal rant - could we please buy black pants for the guys to wear for these jersey auction nights??? Pink and maroon DO NOT MATCH! And poor Cody Eakin with his red hair was a fashion nightmare! Black would be a nice neutral color to match pink, red, and even the green shamrock sweaters. Thank you for listening, I now return you to your regularly scheduled Week in Picures**)

Photo courtesy of Jeff Stinson - The Sentinel

Mike McKenna drew the start for the Senators as #1 netminder Robin Lehner was called up to Ottawa this weekend. The Sens entered the evening 3-3-1-0, just one point behind the Bears. Mark Borowiecki drew the first fight of the night as he and Paul Baier squared off just 1:52 into the game.

Photo courtesy of Jeff Stinson - The Sentinel

Cody Eakin notched his fifth assist of the year on Boyd Kane's second period tally. He seems to be settling in for his first full season of professional hockey. Eaks had a busy season last year going far into the playoffs with his WHL Kootenay Ice and played for the Canadian World Junior team that earned the silver medal. His singular focus this year will be to refine his talents and be ready for the inevitable callup to the big club.

Photo courtesy of Jeff Stinson - The Sentinel

Mark Parrish played for the Portland Pirates last season before coming to Binghamton during the off season. The former Colorado Avalanche draftee has played in 722 NHL games (none for Colorado by the way) where he scored 216 goals. But it didn't matter to Dmitry Orlov who he was or how much experience he had, he still laid the most beautiful hip check I've seen of late on the grizzled vet (yes, I'm still smiling - it was that good).

Photo courtesy of Jeff Stinson - The Sentinel

Parrish still has the scoring touch as he has put up five goals and two assists so far this season. His experience will no doubtedly go a long way in helping this young squad develop - and heaven knows Ottawa could use his help.

Photo courtesy of Jeff Stinson - The Sentinel

Hershey's only home game of the weekend saw Graham Mink back in his favorite spot - right in front of the net. Minker had been sidelined with an upper body tweak since last Sunday's game. It was good to see him do what he does best. He had one goal and one assist on the evening. He also had multiple screens on McKenna - when the Bears could get the puck that deep into the zone.

Photo courtesy of Jeff Stinson - The Sentinel

I was very upset with Braden Holtby after Friday's game in Springfield. Holts was called for two minor roughing penalties in the third period. The resulting power play from Holtby's second penalty was the opportunity Springfield needed to tie the game. Braden's temper again got the better of him on Sunday night when he slammed one of the Senators in the back, but luckily for us, ref Jon McIsaac wasn't looking.

Photo courtesy of Jeff Stinson - The Sentinel

Other than that incident, Holtby looked pretty good in net - mainly because he stayed in the net. He had a little trouble controlling his rebounds - which resulted in Binghamton's second goal of the evening - but was pretty solid otherwise.

Photo courtesy of Jeff Stinson - The Sentinel

The Bears will travel to Wilkes Barre on Friday night before taking the weekend off. Yup, that's right, no hockey this weekend. Bears fans can catch the team home next week on Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday. Enjoy your weekend off boys, 'cuz it's the last one you will have until Christmas break....GO BEARS!

It Was a Boring Game: Bears 3, Binghamton 2

2011-10-30T21:10:00.001-04:00

Is it full moon? I mean how else can you explain the Bears losing 4-3 in OT when they were up 3-0 on Springfield Friday night? And what else can you say about getting beat 2-0 in Adirondack Saturday night? And seriously 4" of snow in Hershey in OCTOBER? The Bears set out to exorcise their Halloween demons at home against Binghamton Sunday afternoon.

Photo courtesy of Jeff Stinson - The Sentinel

The Bears are known this season for slow starts, but Paul Baier was having none of that as he dropped the gloves with Mark Borowiecki at 1:52 of Sunday's contest. At 2:36, Francis Lessard made his first trip of the evening to the box for tripping. The Bears set up, tic-tac-toe - MicFlickier, Aucoin, Mink - Bears up 1-0. Things settled down as the Bears and Sens took turns in the box. At 14:21, the long-running feud between Joel Rechlicz and Frankie Lessard boiled over. Both landed some crushing blows, but Recker drew blood when he punched Lessard's visor. At the end of the battle, Recker ripped Lessard's helmet off and threw it to the ice. The two continued to jaw in the penalty box for the remainder of the period. When the buzzer rang at the end of 20 minutes, Recker was released to go to the locker room first and he stood on the ice antagonizing Lessard. His antics earned him another 10 minutes in the sin bin to start the next period. In addition to losing Rechlicz, the Bears would be down Matt Ford for 1:12 due to a holding-the-stick penalty late in the period.

Photo courtesy of Jeff Stinson - The Sentinel

Oh, that man advantage? Let's make it two as Boyd Kane got called for hooking just :22 into the second. The Bears penalty kill unit was perfect and the teams settled into some five-on-five skating. Boyd Kane caught his own rebound at 5:51 to pull the Bears up by two. The teams again settled into a rather choppy five-on-five rhythm. It seemed that no one wanted the puck and passes were either off the mark or bouncing over sticks. But once I watched a little closer I realized that it wasn't the Bears play that was the problem, it was the Senators style of play. The Sens will clog up the passing lanes intercepting anything going cross ice. It doesn't make for exciting hockey from a fan's point of view that's for sure, but it was keeping the Bears off the board. That is until 16:08, when Jacob MicFlickier netted a power play goal. Keith Aucoin set up Graham Mink in front of the net who deflected it to MicFlick all alone at the side. With just :53 seconds to go in the period, Wacey Hamilton was the spoiler in Braden Holtby's shutout bid pulling the Sens within two. At 19:45, Joel Rechlicz and Francis Lessard ended up on the ice together again. Recker tried to get Lessard to go, but Frankie just skated away. This incited Recker who would not give in. When the refs were able to gain control of the game again, he was assessed a game misconduct and would not return. Tim Conboy was assessed a 10 minute unsportsmanlike conduct penalty. Got all that? Bears up 3-1 at the end of two - that's what really mattered.

Photo courtesy of Jeff Stinson - The Sentinel

The third period was really pretty boring stuff. Alot of attempted passes from the Bears, alot of interceptions by the Sens. At 15:37, Shaun Heska fired a shot on net that Braden Holtby rebounded straight back into the fray. The puck was hit up high and came to rest right behind Holts who was laying on his back allowing Andre Petersen to pop it right in the net. The Sens have pulled within one with just over four minutes to play. Binghamton pulled goalie Mike McKenna with a minute left, but were unable to score giving the Bears their first win of the weekend!

Items of Note: Bears scratched Sean Collins, Danny Richmond, Maxime Lacroix, Ryan Potulny, Pat Wellar, Garrett Mitchell, and Kyle Greentree.....Collins is still under recall in DC.....Wellar was injured during the Friday night contest in Springfield and is listed as day-to-day. Coach said he is probable for this Friday's game in WBS....Dmitry Orlov broke his stick on a one-timer in the second period that allowed a Binghamton player to grab the puck and skate in on Holtby. Orlov layed one of the most beautiful hip checks on the guy, breaking up the breakaway. Be still my beating heart.
Tweet of the Night: @timeleone reported that the Bears have won at least one game of a three-in-three series every time since their affiliation with Washington began.
Ref: Jon McIsaac
Goalies: Hershey saw Braden Holtby earn the W, while Binghamton's Mike McKenna didn't.
Shots on Goal: Bears 32, Bingo 21
Stars of the Night: as chosen by the media: 1. Jacob MicFlickier (1 goal, 2 assists), 2. Graham Mink (1 goal, 1 assist), 3. Keith Aucoin (2 assists)
Morgan: Dmitry Orlov, Zach Miskovic, Cody Eakin
Zack: MicFlickier, Captain Boyd Kane, and Francois Bouchard
Joel: Honorable mention to Patrick McNeill, Star of the Night to Brett Flemming
Me: Honorable mention to Orlov on that hip check, Star of the Night to Patty Mac on his veteran blue line performance.

We definitely saw an improvement in the team with the simple addition of Graham Mink back into the lineup. His leadership and willingness to take a beating in front of the net pays dividends for this team. The guys are off until Friday night when they travel to Wilkes Barre for yet another meeting with the Baby Pens. Then they have off for the weekend. They have been good in bits and pieces this year - pk is great, pp is super, but not always in the same game. If they can put it together and get some healthy bodies back into the lineup, we will be a force to be reckoned with.....GO BEARS!

This Week in Pictures: 10/23/11

2011-10-26T05:38:00.000-04:00

I might have eluded to it in a previous post, but Stinson left me all alone this weekend. As is the norm with me, I picked up the pertinent information - paintball, paying, Florida, 75 degrees, "I'm getting paid for it." Yeah, whatever - HE STUCK ME WITH ALL THE WORK!

Since I sit in the upper bowl, I don't have those toothless closeups that Jeff is so good at getting, but I don't think I did too bad with what I had to work with. Especially with Saturday's pictures - I had a leaner in the front row that practically eliminated any pictures on the end that the Bears defended twice. So I had to point and shoot between the railing and wires toward the other end. This was my view Saturday and Sunday as the Bears did their first three-in-three - Enjoy!

The Penguins arrived in Hershey with a record of 2-2-1-1, for a total of six points on the young season. It doesn't matter how many wins or losses are listed on the leader board, you know it's going to be a hard fought contest for both teams with these rivals. Unfortunately for Bears fans, the home team didn't have any jump early on and let the Pens waddle all over them controlling the play and drawing penalties all night long.

Remembering the slug-fest that was preseason, I was rather pleased to see Devin Didiomete and Brian Day would be occupying Loser Lounge Saturday night. (Editor's note - Didiomete was released from his PTO by WBS and they would be pleased if he reports to ECHL Wheeling. He is free to sign anywhere at this point. Brian Day will be sidelined at least a month after groin surgery. I am in no way pleased by the injury, just that he wasn't playing) However, WBS still has some pain in the neck players in the way of #45 Alexandre Picard and #52 Niko Dimitrakos.

And despite Pittsburgh's attempts to dissipate the Baby Pens forward ranks, Eric Tangradi, Brian Gibbons, and that darned Bryan Lerg are still around haunting the Bears. As of this writing the three have combined for a total of 11 goals and 11 assists which tops their leader board.

Remembering what a good preseason game Ben Street had in Hershey, I was expecting him to be a dominating force this season. But in four games played, Street has no points and a +1 ranking. A fact that has been making it's way around Twitter this week, is that Patrick MacNeill is the only Bears player that has played in all seven games and not scored a goal.

Someone asked me Sunday morning how the Bears did. I "calmly" replied they got killed. But when you say that the score was 3-1, it doesn't really sound like the massacre that it was. Give credit where credit is due then - Braden Holtby. If Holtby would have had an off night, we would have been on the losing end of what we did to Syracuse the next night.

Speaking of off night, Mat Clark certainly had one on Sunday at the Giant Center. He is the poor 6'3" defenseman that 5'8" Jacob MicFlickier slammed into the boards causing the turnover that caused the goal with 3.1 seconds to go in the first period. Then in the second period, Keith Aucoin's shot banked off his skate and over the blueline to put the Bears up 5-0.

The Bears came out with something to prove on Sunday night - and I think they got their point across. They were a little slow to start out, but they picked things up within a few minutes of play. There were times I thought that Syracuse dominated the puck, but the team remained calm and focused instead of committing ill-timed penalties out of frustration.

Most of the time there was someone standing in front of the net waiting for a rebound. I was very pleased to see that. And with all the commotion that is created by screening and fighting for the puck, it's easy to see why we had Jeff Deslauriers off his game. He had come into the evening unbeaten on the season.

Okay Hershey - take a good look at that #23. I think he might possibly be one of the most underrated signings of the off season. Matt Ford has three goals, two assists, and is a +3. More importantly to me, whenever he's on the ice, he's involved in the play. And I kinda like the fact that he tends to hang out in front of the net.

Sunday the Bears turned it around. They beat a team that was only one point behind us in the standings and did so missing some huge players from the lineup. Graham Mink, Ryan Potulny, Kyle Greentree, and Danny Richmond were all sidelined allowing Garrett Mitchell and Maxime Lacroix their chances. The boys gave Chocolatetown their first home victory of 2011-2012 - and did it in style....GO BEARS!

Oh, and in case you missed it....Sean Collins was called up to DC and made the trip to Edmonton with the team as Mike Green has a twisted right ankle. His callup necessitated the Bears calling up Paul Baier from South Carolina, who conicidentally enough are in Reading to take on the Royals.

A Sabu Shutout: Bears 7, Syracuse 0

2011-10-23T20:58:00.000-04:00

I wasn't the only one disappointed with last night's game. Frenchie blamed the team for coming out flat and letting the Pens control the play. The Bears have one more chance to redeem themselves as they finish out their first three-in-three and try to earn their first home victory of the season.

In a pleasant, but not unexpected turn of events, Dany Sabourin was returned to the Bears and drew the start for the Sunday afternoon contest. But things started off about where they left off last night as Syracuse dominated the puck in the early going and drew a tripping penalty at 3:28. The Bears were not getting many shots on net, but they were making them count. At 8:40, Julien Brouillette sent a shot on net that Syracuse goalie Jeff Deslauriers rebounded out to Dmitry Orlov. Orlov fired a one-timer through traffic that eluded Deslauriers. Bears are up 1-0. The period continued on with neither team making any progress and Andrew Carroll visiting the penalty box. As the seconds wound down, Jacob MicFlickier chased the puck behind the Syracuse net. He slammed Mat Clark into the boards and spun around in front of the net. The check caused a turnover which Boyd Kane fired on net. MicFlick was right there to tip it in and the Bears are up 2-0 with 3.1 seconds to go! Period ends with the Bears scoring two goals on seven shots and a perfect 2-0 on the pk.

The special teams went to work in the second period and for a change it was the Bears power play unit that saw the most action. Four minutes in, during the Bears second power play, Chris Bourque registered his fifth of the season. Then at 7:43, while Syracuse had two men in the box, Keith Aucoin sent a puck on net that deflected off of Mat Clark and past Deslauriers putting the home team up 4-0. Then...things got nasty. At 9:12 a collision in front of the net produced face washes, pushing, shoving, and Andrew Carroll fighting off two guys at once! Things seemed to calm down, but at 15:52, Patrick Wellar and Troy Bodie danced, each landing a few good hits before Wellar slipped and fell. Hershey's power play went 3-for-5 on the period when Julien Brouillette fired a shot from the blueline. Christian Hanson tipped it in and the Bears are up 5-0 on 16 shots. They will, however, start the third a man down while Garrett Mitchell serves his interference infraction.

The start of the third saw Syracuse start a new goaltender. Iiro Tarkki replaced Deslauriers after he surrendered five goals on 16 shots. Tarkki stood strong in net until 14:46 when Mattias Sjogren scored his first North American professional goal as he recovered his own rebound in front of the net. The Bears capped off the night with a final power play goal when Dmitry Orlov's shot rebounded high in the air and Julien Brouillette popped it past Tarkki. Sabourin earns the shutout in his first game back in Hershey and the Bears earn their first home win!

Items of Note: Bears scratched Flemming, Richmond, Rechlicz, Graham Mink (upper body tweak), Potulny, Greentree, and Philipp Grubauer....The Bears went 4-for-6 on the power play and 7-and-oh with their penalty kill unit.....Syracuse's top line of Palmieri, Bonino, and Maroon combined for 27 points and a +19 coming into tonight's game.
Ref: David Banfield
Goalies: Dany Sabourin was perfect for the Bears, while Jeff Deslauriers and Iiro Tarkki combined for the Syracuse loss.
Shots on Goal: Bears 32, Syracuse 36
Stars of the Night: as chosen by the media: 1. Dany Sabourin (36 save shutout), 2. Jacob MicFlicker (1 goal, 2 assists, +3), 3. Julien Brouillette (1 goal, 2 assists, +1)
Morgan: Francois Bouchard, Cody Eakin, and Dany Sabourin
Zack: Sabu, MicFlick, and Keith Aucoin
Joel: Honorable mention to Andrew Carroll, Star of the night to Christian Hanson.
Me: I caved and awarded my star to the entire defensive line. Brouillette/Orlov combined for a total of two goals, three assists and +2. Collins/MacNeill shutout what is arguably one of the best offensive lines in the AHL. Miskovic/Wellar were steady all night long.

What a difference a night makes! Sabourin looked great in net all night long. I don't recall him scrambling at any point during this contest. He was poised and calm, handling anything and everything sent his way. The Bears next contest is Friday night in Springfield, before bussing to Adirondak on Saturday. Sunday will see the boys home taking on the Binghamton Senators. The Phantoms may be our toughest competition of the weekend, but no one should be taken for granted.....GO BEARS!

Blech: Bears 1, Wilkes Barre 3

2011-10-22T22:59:00.000-04:00

After a week off, Hershey hit their first three-in-three this past Friday night in Albany. A 4-1 victory sent the Bears back to Chocolatetown in a good mood ready to take on the WBS Penguins in their second meeting (of 12) of the season. Dany Sabourin was recalled to DC and still remains with the club which leaves Philipp Grubauer backing up Holtby. Ryan Potulny remains sidelined with a lower body injury, while Kyle Greentree is out for a while with a broken arm. Maxime Lacroix and Garrett Mitchell have been recalled to fill in. And now that we're caught up, let's drop the puck!

Okay, let's be honest right from the start - Stinson abandoned me this weekend. So you got me taking pictures, keeping score, and watching the game - hubster bailed me out and took my phone to field the tweets from the Bears, Caps, and Stingrays who ALL played tonight. So if my recaps are a little of, I apologize....Zach Miskovic was called for the first penalty of the night at 2:22 (interference) and WBS scored on the ensuing power play when Brian Gibbons tipped a Jason Williams shot giving them the edge. The Bears were either sloppy or too fancy with their play through most of the period, but seemed to get things going toward the end. Shots were in their favor 17-14 and Holtby looked good in net stopping all but one.

Of course it does help to stay out of the penalty box. Well, maybe not for the Bears as they played much better a man down than at even strength. And they had plenty of time to practice their penalty kill. The boys were called for six minor infractions during the second. In the first three minutes of play they spent :33 down two men. It wasn't the penalty kill that was the problem as they went 8-for-9 on the night, it was even strength that killed the team as Simon Despres scored off a Dmitry Orlov turnover at center at 7:19. Then Brian Lerg and Paul Thompson entered the zone on a two-on-one advantage. Lerg to Thompson to Lerg - score...what a pretty play to put the Pens up 3-0 at 10:45. Tempers began to run high as the Bears were getting frustrated and called for every mistake they made, while the Pens managed to avoid the wrath of Ryan Fraser. The Bears defeated themselves, however, as they had more penalties (six) than shots on goal (three).

We were hoping that the boys got a good talkin' to during intermission and would come out with a purpose, alas it was not to be. They spent much of the period just trying to complete passes. Finally Christian Hanson grabbed the puck and skated in on Brad Thiessen on a breakaway. He shot and it appeared that the puck went in, but was immediately waived off by Fraser and the play continued. It looked like the puck caromed off the back post and back out, but with no instant replay in the AHL, Fraser's ruling stands. With 3:19 left in the game, Boyd Kane tipped a Matt Ford rocket that counted and the Bears are finally on the board. They pulled Holtby for the final minute and a half, but could not break the Thiessen wall - Pens win and tie our season long series at one.

Items of Note: Bears scratched Brett Flemming, Danny Richmond, Maxime Lacroix, Joel Rechlicz, Ryan Potulny, and Kyle Greentree.....Tim Leone tweeted during warmups that Potulny underwent double sports hernia surgery and will be out of action for six weeks.....Bruce Boudreau announced today that Michal Neuvirth will be going on the Edmonton/Vancouver trip this week which means Dany Sabourin could be returning to Hershey soon....Brian Lerg is a dangerous player for the Baby Pens. His goal tonight was #6 on the season. I told my friend Chuck before the game started that the Bears needed to keep Lerg on a leash. Unfortunately they didn't listen to the chick in the upper bowl as he had a goal and an assist on the evening.
Ref: Ryan Fraser
Goalies: Braden Holtby didn't have any blue line help, while Brad Thiessen was da bomb for WBS
Shots on Goal: Bears 28, WBS 34
Stars of the Night: as chosen by the media: 1. Brian Lerg (1 goal, 1 assist), 2. Brad Thiessen (33 saves), 3. Colin McDonald (2 assists)
Morgan: Thought Brad Thiessen played a good game, and Boyd Kane too since he scored the Bears lone goal.
Zack: Holtby, Jacob MicFlicker, Boyd Kane
Joel: Thought Francois Bouchard played a pretty good game tonight (I agree).
Me: Honorable mention to Mattias Sjogren, star of the night to Garrett Mitchell. Mitchy was the only one with hustle the entire game - thank you.

What a complete and utter disappointment tonight. I'm used to slow starts, but the team usually manages to pick it up. Tonight they just let Wilkes Barre do whatever they wanted. There's no blaming the away game in Albany either as the Pens played in Springfield last night and bussed farther to reach their destination. It was simple, the Bears were just outplayed. They will need to put this behind them and quick as Syracuse comes for a visit tomorrow night. The Crunch arrive in town after a home overtime loss to Lake Erie and will be looking to bounce back as well. Hopefully the Bears show up....GO BEARS!

Home Opener In Pictures

2011-10-17T16:41:00.000-04:00

The Bears had already played three games of the 2011-2012 season before they had their first home game. The team saw quite a bit of turnover from last year as long-tenured fan favorites tried their hands at NHL clubs, moved closer to home, or even packed their bags for overseas adventures. But the rebuild for this season has also seen some players change allegiances and a couple have come home.

On paper we have an exciting team with a lot of potential to play well into the post-season. But nothing is a gimme in sports. It is the team with the most drive and dedication (and a little luck) that will bring the Calder Cup to rest in the hallway of their beloved barn. With only four games in the books so far, the Bears have collected seven of eight available points. And while there were a few let downs Saturday night, there were times when it looked like Mr. Yingst will be making room for banner #12.

I am very happy to say that Jeff is back with me this season letting us see what he sees through the camera lens. It's been a long off-season, so let's see what our home opener looked like from his unique perspective!

Photo courtesy of Jeff Stinson - The Sentinel

The Bears announced that Boyd Kane would take over the captaincy with the departure of Andrew Joudrey Kane served as the captain of the 2005-2006 team that ultimately won the Calder Cup. Two other names appear on the trophy earned by that squad that are on the roster today - Chris Bourque and Graham Mink.

Photo courtesy of Jeff Stinson - The Sentinel

At first I thought this was just a great picture - Chris Bourque and Keith Aucoin, two-thirds of a very potent first line. But upon further review by one of the best photographers I know it was revealed that Coiner was ~~cussing out~~ thanking the Norfolk Admirals for attending our home opener. One cannot blame Aucoin for having hard feelings against this team. While Chris Durno has moved on to Charlotte, tensions still run high between the clubs after Aucoin was blindsided and sidelined back in March.

Photo courtesy of Jeff Stinson - The Sentinel

The Bears had a lot to smile about as they were up by two half way through the game. Unfortunately, they backed off too much and allowed Norfolk to come back and take the lead by 8:59 in the third.

Photo courtesy of Jeff Stinson - The Sentinel

It wasn't all Braden Holtby's fault. While our netminder spent much of his time in his crease, so did the Admirals. Several of the goals occurred while there was a lot of commotion in front of the net - bodies and sticks flailing. The Bears defenders need to be "a lot meaner" in the words of Mark French.

Photo courtesy of Jeff Stinson - The Sentinel

Cody Eakin was a welcome addition to the club that many fans were anxiously waiting for. Eakin last played for the Bears in Game 6 of the 2009-2010 Calder Cup finals. He was recalled from summer vacation to fill in when Andrew Gordon suffered a lower body injury. Eakin brings an energy and excitement to the ice, but we were confused that he spent much of the evening playing on the fourth line with Andrew Carroll and Joel Rechlicz.

Photo courtesy of Jeff Stinson - The Sentinel

Another assignment from Washington was that of Mattias Sjogren. Sjogren comes from the Swedish Elite League (SEL) where he registered seven goals and 17 assists in 51 games played. He added one goal and eight assists during 13 post season games as well. From what we saw Saturday night, he's not afraid out there and is great at faceoffs. Could be one of the first in line for a callup when Washington needs a center.

Bet you couldn't tell this picture did NOT come from Stinson! Sorry, just wanted to send my congratulations to Mike Angelidis on being named the captain of this year's Norfolk squad. The edgy forward is coming off his best professional season with 20 goals, 18 assists, and 169 penalty minutes. Granted he was the reason we lost in overtime when he dished the puck to Michel Ouellet, but I'm still happy for him.

The Admirals stack up this year with a good mix of youth and veteran players, speed and skill, toughness and skill. Two guys for Bears fans to keep an eye on are Cory Conacher and Carter Ashton. You can be sure Tampa Bay is watching them anxiously as well.

The Bears are now 3-0-1-0 on the season and currently lead the league with seven points. The Ads are breathing right down our neck with six. It's still early in the season, many games to go, but the East is not going to be a cake walk.

There were a couple of injuries suffered this weekend that will impact the team short and long-term. Ryan Potulny was sidelined with a lower body injury (not a vet scratch like I had thought). He is currently being rested and will be re-evaluated. Kyle Greentree is listed as week-to-week and was to be seen by a doctor Monday. That wrist looked awful when he left the ice at the beginning of the third and Frenchie has said it will be a while until he returns. Maxime Lacroix and Garrett Mitchell have been recalled from South Carolina, while Dany Sabourin has been returned (for now) from DC. Next game is Friday in Adirondack....GO BEARS!