Paul Carey scored his first NHL goal while up with the Caps. (via the Caps)
Team president and general manager Doug Yingst announced at the outset of this week that forward Paul Carey, who recently scored his first goal with the NHL Washington Capitals, would miss the remainder of the regular season following successful shoulder surgery. He had 31 points (13 goals, 18 assists) over 41 games played in Chocolate Town.
Carey’s offense will be missed over the remaining 22 regular season games plus any Bears playoff run. As for the team this weekend, they split a weekend series with the Providence Bruins, opening with a win at GIANT CENTER.
In front of another capacity crowd of 10,626, the hometown team grinded out a win over the visiting Bruins. Sean Collins opened the scoring thanks to a long stretch pass from Connor Carrick and Riley Barber doubled the advantage after the intermission on the power play.
With the third period starting, Austin Czarnik deflected Colin Miller‘s point slapper past goaltender Dan Ellis a mere 27 seconds into the frame. Nathan Walker restored the two-goal advantage as the trail man on a rush, providing the cushioning needed to hang on after Brandon DeFazio scored with 57 seconds remaining. Scott Gomez (8 games) and Chris Bourque (5 games) both extended their point streaks with assists.
The reamatch started out as a scoring fest and devolved into penalties. Goals from Seth Griffith bookended Bears markers from Liam O’Brien and Travis Boyd for the first period. Skirmishes abounded in the second, but only Anton Blidh and Collins got sent off for matching roughing minors at 15:36.
Ryan Stanton‘s boarding call at the very end of the second did not result in a Bruins goal, but turned into a goal of his own after his release in the early stages of the third.
Colton Hargrove, Frank Vatrano, and Tommy Cross put the Bruins out to far in front with three consecutive goals to end the game 6-3. Matt Irwin and Garett Mitchell dropped gloves before it was all said and done.
For Tuesday night’s game, Tyler Lewington has been recalled from South Carolina.
NEXT WEEK
Tuesday, the Bears travel across the state to division-leading Wilkes-Barre/Scranton to face the Penguins. Friday, a trip to league-leading Toronto concludes their mini roadtrip before returning home on Sunday for a matchup against the Utica Comets.
CURRENT STANDING
2nd in Atlantic Division 54 games played, 29-15-3-7 (W-L-OTL-SOL), 68 points
