Bears Pounded 7-1 by Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins

Photo by AFC Media Photography.

It’s easy to make excuses when two very depleted teams meet up. Both the Hershey Bears and the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins entered this game with a line-up missing some big names. Due to call-ups and injuries, they were very different teams than the ones that met earlier this season.

The Penguins were the better tonight, plain and simple. I don’t mean to downplay Hershey’s effort because the score is misleading. They may not have been outstanding, but they put up a good effort at first. The Penguins defense was fantastic and did not allow the Bears any opportunity to ease the pain of being severely outscored.

Tonight’s game will serve as a very brief learning experience. But, it’s probably in the team’s best interests to put it behind them and carry on. This game does not change anything about the season. It could admittedly have been a significant two points gained on the Penguins in the standings but there will be more chances. The injury bug is just not something you can prepare for.

I could recap every single goal but it would start getting a little too depressing. For Todd Ford, it was a night he hopes to forget. He allowed four goals on nine shots before he was yanked in favor of Jared DeMichiel.

It wasn’t completely a dark night though. In the third period, Brian Willsie finally broke Brad Thiessen’s shutout on a rebound shot. But that wouldn’t even be close to enough to provide a comeback. Penguins win 7-1.

And so, we power through. The Norfolk Admirals are up next on the schedule and provide another chance to show that Hershey is more than what they put up today.

Tonight’s Notes:

• The Penguins first goal of the night was a short-handed one. Ironically, the last time the Bears allowed a short-handed goal was on October 30th, 2010, also against the Penguins (s/t to John Walton for that bit).
• In addition to allowing a short-handed goal, the Bears were o-for-4 on the man advantage. The penalty kill unit did kill three of four penalties.
• Credit to Sean Collins for not being on ice for a single Penguins goal. He is one of only three players without a minus rating and the only defender without a minus rating.

Lines and Pairings:

Kane – Aucoin – Beagle
Greentree – Willsie – Pinizzotto
de Kastrozza – Rome – Blight
Kugryshev – Carroll – Bouchard

McNeill – Collins
Yeo – Miskovic
Wellar – Souray

Actual three stars of the game:

1. Zach Sill (WBS)
2. Robert Bortuzzo (WBS)
3. Brad Thiessen (WBS)

Sweetest Hockey On Earth’s three stars of the game:

1. Willsie: scored Hershey’s only goal, led the team in shots on goal
2. Collins: not on ice for a single goal against
3. DeMichiel: may have allowed three goals, but did pretty well in a less than desirable position