The night before American Thanksgiving is often a busy one across the US. A massive portion of the population hits the road via planes/trains/automobiles, the rest settle in to avoid the rush, and anyone who works in retail starts breathing into a paper bag in preparation for the nightmare that is Black Friday.
It’s just as busy in the American Hockey League. Last year, there were nine games played across the league, with Hershey coming out on the losing end of a meeting with the Worcester Sharks at the Giant Center. This time around, sixteen teams took to the ice for Thanksgiving Eve, and Hershey walked away with a lot to be proud of: a 4-3 regulation win over the Providence Bruins (P!Bruins) at home.
While any win is something to be celebrated, this one is extra special because it snapped a frustrating four game losing streak that consisted entirely of single goal and shootout losses. Several players stepped up their games to break the slump, but the most notable were those on the first line*:
- Captain Boyd Kane (Game Winning Goal, Assist, Second Star of the Night)
- Alternate Keith Aucoin (3 Assists, First Star of the Night)
- Chris Bourque (Goal, Assist)
*For readers who are more Washington-centric, all three of them have also played for the Washington Capitals in addition to their more permanent positions with the Hershey Bears.
The contest itself proved well worth the price of admission, with active play that started 18 seconds into the first period with a Hershey goal. Providence played a strong game of catch-up, but never managed to overcome Hershey’s lead.
There were some substantial personnel changes, as well, with both Ryan Potulny and Matt Ford returning to the lineup after injury (and, in turn, sending Garrett Mitchell and D.J. King to the press box as healthy scratches). On the blueline, rising star Dmitry Orlov‘s call-up to the Caps continues (as does that team’s winning streak), which allowed recent acquisition Tomas Kundratek the opportunity to play his second game in a Hershey sweater (and accrue two penalty minutes for cross-checking). Fellow defensemen Patrick McNeill (Third Star of the Night) and Brett Flemming also distinguished themselves with a goal apiece.
In keeping with the 50-50 philosophy currently being practiced in the Hershey net, Dany Sabourin earned the W with 24 saves. Braden Holtby is expected to start for the Bears on Friday against the Baby Pens in Wilkes-Barre.
Whether the win demonstrates a true reversal in the recent downward trend for the Bears is something that only time will tell, but the improving health of the roster is certainly a positive sign. A check-mark in the W category never hurts, either.
