Hershey falls short, lose 3-2 to Penguins
Joe Vitale scores one of his two goals on Dany Sabourin as the Baby Pens win 3-2 over the Bears. (Photo credit: AFC Media)
I mean, at least we didn’t get shut out!
It would be easy to pin the Bears loss tonight on WBS Penguins goalie Brad Thiessen who finished the game with 30 scintillating saves. However, he ended up being only the third star of the game.
Hershey just didn’t seem to have any chemistry tonight. There were a handful of inspired moments from individual players, but nothing that really made you think this team is full of Calder Cup champions. It definitely did not help that the Bears were missing Jay Beagle and Mathieu Perreault. They were mysteriously absent from the line-up. With the recent influx of injuries in Washington, it definitely had people talking. After the game, Tim Leone reported that Mark French has confirmed they have been recalled.
After this kind of loss, you would probably think that the shots were heavily favored towards the Penguins, right? So wrong. Hershey outshot them the entire night. And the final shot count? Hershey 32, Penguins 15. Ouch.
We now must take a long, leery look at Dany Sabourin, who in two games, has only a .806 save percentage. That’s not the number you want to see from a veteran goaltender. He definitely can not be faulted for all the goals against over the past two games, but he can definitely be better. I can’t help but wonder if personal things are affecting him, especially after he missed practice in Washington and in Hershey because of “family matters.” I just know that he can play better than he has been.
Now, It’s okay to be frustrated, Hershey fans. But let’s not panic yet.
Tonight’s Notes:
- I think we need to find a cure for our power play. And fast. Tonight, the Bears went 0/5 with the man advantage and even allowed a shorthanded goal.
- My suggestion for a possible solution? Get control of the puck and then crash the net. I love pretty goals as much as the next person, but dirty goals win games. The first goal Hershey scored was a messy goal that probably deflected off of three people and was eventually awarded to Boyd Kane. The second goal was a result of Andrew Gordon being all up in Theissen’s face.
- We all knew that Wilkes-Barre had put together a good team for this season but they keep looking better and better. They are undefeated so far. They also do not have a single fighting major. Related or not? You make the call.
- I’m going to go ahead and say Hershey’s first real scoring opportunity came during a delayed penalty call against the Penguins. Aucoin tried to go short side on Thiessen but got robbed with a glove save. I mean, it still hurts to think about it.
- This season kind of reminds me of some of the games from the start of last season. But last season, Hershey got Chris Bourque back. This year, they can’t hold out for him.
- Much like the game last Saturday, the Bears finally seemed to wake up for the last five minutes of the game and started firing shots in a panic. Too little, too late.
- Andrew Gordon now has goals in four straight games. He also has at least one point in all five games this season. Sounds like someone deserves a spot in Washington.
Actual three stars of the game:
1. Joe Vitale (WBS)
2. Steve Wagner (WBS)
3. Bred Thiessen (WBS)
Sweetest Hockey On Earth’s three stars of the game:
1. Gordon: keeps his goal streak alive
2. Kane: first goal of the night
3. Greentree: assist and 4 shots on goal