Team president and general manager Doug Yingst began a week reserved to honor and celebrate him by recalling Mark Dekanich from ECHL South Carolina. Dekanich served as a healthy scratch for two of the three Bears wins this weekend while playing backup to Justin Peters on Friday. With the three consecutive wins, Hershey moved into sole possession of first place in the Atlantic Division.
A mid-week clash with intra-state rival Lehigh Valley turned into target practice for the visitors at PPL Center in Allentown. Dan Ellis only needed to make 21 saves as the Bears piled eight goals on 33 shots for the 8-0 shutout win.
Chris Bourque’s first period power play goal was all the offense the Chocolate and White would need, but Mike Moore and Dustin Gazley added tallies of their own in the opening twenty minutes. Three goals were enough to chase Martin Ouellette for the Phantoms, but Connor Knapp could not put out the fire.
Travis Boyd scored his 19th of the year late in the second period and Jonas Siegenthaler, a Washington Capitals 2nd round draft pick, got his first AHL assist on Erik Burgdoefer’s goal. Nathan Walker added another one 19 seconds later.
Bourque added his 28th of the season with 61 seconds left to play in the second. Jakub Vrana scored his 11th of the year unassisted to round out the night’s performance.
With Peters between the pipes Friday, the Bears had a little more work to do against the Utica Comets in upstate New York. All three goals came on the same side of the ice, with the Bears getting the decisive tally in the extra frame.
A scoreless first twenty gave way to Aaron Ness’ fifth goal early in the second period. Gazley set up Ness at center point for the long drive past Richard Bachman.
Hershey’s penalty kill came up big the entire game, lapsing only once in nine penalties given up. Jordan Subban, brother of Montreal’s P.K. and Providence’s Malcolm, scored the equalizer at 5:03 of the third period, providing enough to send the game to 3-on-3 overtime.
With the only shot of the frame, Vrana skated in on a breakaway and sent the Bears’ bench into a frenzy when his shot beat Bachman low to the stick side.
Ellis returned to the blue paint to tend the net for Doug Yingst bobblehead night at GIANT Center. A packed house saw dignitaries from around the AHL return to Chocolate Town to recognize the accomplishments of president Yingst during his storied run with the Bears.
On the ice, Boyd put the first one of the night home past Ken Appleby at around the halfway mark of the first period. Three second period tallies then followed, with Albany’s Corbin McPherson and Jim O’Brien bookending Riley Barber’s goal. The third period and overtime did not resolve the game and the sides went to the skills competition.
The teams needed five rounds, but Barber’s shootout goal was not answered by Ben Johnson. The Bears had taken points in four straight and were now winners of three straight.
NEXT WEEK
Another weekend on the road awaits the Bears, with trips to Hartford — for Ryan Bourque’s first game with his former club — and Providence on the books.
CURRENT STANDING
67 games played, 38-18-4-7 (W-L-OTL-SOL), 87 points, 1st in Atlantic Division
