Hershey Coughs Up Early Three Goal Lead, Fall 6-4

HERSHEY, PA – Boyd Kane skates during warm-ups of the 2013 AHL Outdoor Classic. Kane scored his 500th AHL point tonight during Hershey’s 6-4 loss to Manchester (Kyle Mace – Sweetest Hockey on Earth)

Saturday night, American Hockey League history was made with Boyd Kane’s 500th career AHL point against the Manchester Monarchs. Kane became the 85th player in league history to reach the milestone. However, the memorable moment was soon spoiled, as Manchester came back to answer Hershey’s early scoring onslaught with a scoring parade of their own. The Monarchs tallied three goals in both the second and third period to down Hershey, 6-4.

Great teams in any given sport often share one important trait. That trait is the ability to overcome adversity at crucial points in a game, or even season. Manchester faced adversity early by trailing 3-0 in the second period, but responded by tying the contest inside the final second of the middle period.

Entering the third period, it was the Bears turn to face adversity and possibly regain the lead. Instead Linden Vey scored two third period goals including the game-winner to claim second star honors en route to defeating Hershey.

The Bears opened the goal scoring with 3:43 left in the first period. Ryan Potulny for the second consecutive night tallied a power play goal for the Chocolate and White. Casey Wellman sent a perfect backdoor pass to Potulny on the left side of the net, who double touched the puck softly across the goal crease.

Then in the final ten seconds of the period, Boyd Kane made AHL history by tallying his 500th career point off his 13th goal of the campaign. Cameron Schilling threw a puck on frame from the blue line, and the Captain crashed the net to tip in his team’s second goal of the night.

Hershey dominated the closing minutes of the first period and made it a challenge for Manchester to change lines. But sure enough in the second period, the Monarchs would tilt the ice in the opposite direction. But before the start of a Manchester comeback, Potulny scored his second of the night to open the Bears’ lead to 3-0. On an odd-man rush, Potulny slapped a one-timer into the cage pass the out-stretched trapper of Martin Jones.

From that point out, the rest of the game was nearly all Monarchs. After several failed attempts to clear the defensive zone, Andy Andreoff turned and fired a wrist shot from a sharp angle over Philipp Grubauer and into the net. Manchester’s first of an eventual six goals came at the second period’s 6:16 mark.

With 10:14 left in the period, the speed of Manchester forward Brandon Kozun burned the Bears. Beating Patrick McNeill in a horse race to a loose puck rolling into Hershey’s defensive end, Kozun won the race and fought off McNeill and Brett Flemming pressure. Colton Yellow Horn was left all alone, uncontested in the slot and received a perfect backhand pass from Kozun. Yellow Horn lit the red light by scoring into virtually an empty net after it appeared Grubauer failed to notice his net presence.

Then with only one-tenth of a second remaining in the stanza, sure enough Manchester tied the game on their only power play chance of the night. From the corner boards, Jordan Weal spun a bank shot off Grubauer to tie the game at 3-3, sending a Manchester crowd of 7,755 into a frenzy.

The Monarchs out shot the Bears 17-8 in the second frame en route to the comeback.

Interesting enough, Manchester only fired five third period shots on net. Similar to the second period, however, three hit pay-dirt including an empty netter in the final seconds.

With 6:23 left in regulation, Colton Yellow Horn lit the lamp once more after batting the puck down from mid-air and into the net. All players wearing Chocolate and White on the ice protested a high-stick call, but the replay showed Yellow Horn’s stick barely lower than the crossbar. Mark French and Troy Mann showed little protest from the visiting bench as Manchester took their first lead of the night, 4-3.

1:11 later, Linden Vey scored his second goal of the night as puddles of melted chocolate began appearing all over the ice surface. Peter LeBlanc showed life for the Bears by capitalizing with 3:57 left to pull his team within one.

Mark French burned his only timeout before an offensive zone face off and pulled Grubauer with over a minute remaining. Despite a good offensive zone presence and a couple good, late chances on net, Vey scored the empty net goal with five seconds left to cap a 6-4 Monarchs win over Hershey.

Good news for Hershey, the Connecticut Whale, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins and Albany Devils all lost. The bad news is, the Norfolk Admirals and Manchester Monarchs all pulled within two points of the Bears in the conference standings. If you haven’t already, you better buckle up and enjoy the roller coaster ride for the final weeks of the 2012-13 season.