There is a very big difference between how the Hershey Bears played before 2015 ended and after the 2016 began. Justin Peters returned to the lineup after Mark Dekanich was returned to the South Carolina Stingrays following his one game stint with the Bears.
The Bears played the last four games in a seven game homestand this week before traveling out for a three game road trip through Connecticut and New York. With the Syracuse Crunch in town again, the Bears could not complete the same dramatic comeback from before Christmas.
Despite a dominating effort in the first period, allowing only one shot from the Crunch on a penalty kill clearnance, the Chocolate and White could not capitalize on three of their own power plays and the one sputtering effort from Syracuse. Tye McGinn broke the deadlock when the Bears defense failed to clear the zone and he was able to slide it past Dan Ellis at 9:15 of the second. Carter Camper scored in the last minute of a Philippe Paradis high-sticking double-minor, but David Broll re-took the lead for Syracuse on a sharp-angle shot with 12 seconds left in the period. McGinn scored again thanks to a comebacker off the boards behind Ellis just 4:59 into the third.
The final period saw the teams take issue with each other. Tyler Lewington earned himself an early shower after a charging major became a game misconduct, but Adam Erne followed suit by getting tossed after a spearing major. Ellis made 14 saves and Andrei Vasilevsky made 29 over the course of the 3-1 Crunch victory.
After Aaron Ness and Connor Carrick swaped spots on the Washington Capitals roster, the Bears also recalled Bobby Shea from South Carolina. Liam O’Brien returned from suspension in time to face the Lehigh Valley Phantoms and get into a fight with Tyrell Goulbourne at 2:08 of the first period. Peters tried to make New Year’s Eve a pleasant night for the GIANT Center crowd, but Aaron Palushaj struck on the power play for a lead the Phanotms would not relinquish. Danik Martel scored one in the second and another on the empty net late to ensure another Bears defeat. Christian Djoos ended Jason LaBarbera’s shutout bid late with the extra attacker on to keep the game close. Peters made 32 saves in the 3-1 loss.
The same story seemed evident with the Binghamton Senators in town after the new year. Peters, starting again, allowed a shorthanded goal to Ryan Penny less than five minutes into the first period. Despite Nathan Walker’s tying tally, the Senators scored four straight — from Matt Puempel, Travis Ewanyk, Buddy Robinson, and Ryan Dzingel — to chase Peters from the crease.
The comeback trail started soon after thanks to another Walker wrist shot. Chris Bourque found Travis Boyd all alone in the slot for the Bears’ thrid goal of the game and sixth of his season. Sean Collins deflected a Madison Bowey point shot past the halfway point of period three, making the deficit one. With another Walker point on his assist, Garrett Mitchell found space underneath Chirs Driedger’s glove with 1:21 left in regulation. Even though Binghamton shot at Ellis three times, Hershey only needed one Bourque blast to end the game 6-5. Ellis stopped 20 of 21 in relief of Peters and earned his 100th AHL win.
Continuing his remarkable weekend, Ellis shutout the Bridgeport Sound Tigers while the offense in front of him took care of Stephon Williams. The Tigers had no answer on a night where every forward except Chris Brown and Liam O’Brien had a shot on goal. Garrett Mitchell scored the game winner in the first period, Bourque (power play) and Collins added to the lead in the second, and Bourque and Dustin Gazley finished the game at 5-0 with third period tallies.
NEXT WEEK
Two more road stops in Rochester on Friday night and Syracuse on Saturday before the Bears return home to welcome the Utica Comets. Utica is making their first ever visit to Chocolate Town.
CURRENT STANDING
2nd in Atlantic Division, 18-11-1-5 (W-L-OTL-SOL), 42 points
