Another Perfect Night for Bears Penalty Killers

The Bears came to tonight’s game looking to grab a couple more points from a struggling Adirondack team.  The Phantoms have recently been playing better than they had at the start of the season.  Before tonight they had not lost in regulation in the last six games.  Both teams played a tight game.  In the end the Bears were able to prevail and take two more standings points home with them.  Those were points that they ended up needing since Norfolk also won tonight.  The Bears are still trailing Norfolk by one point for third place in the Eastern Division; however the Bears have a game in hand.

Without many whistles, the first period moved along quickly.  The Bears had 3 power plays during the period.  Sloppy passing and stick handling caused them to squander the first two opportunities.  The third Bears power play of the period started out the same way.  The first unit was ineffective against the Phantoms penalty killers.  With time running short on the power play the second unit was sent out.  Dmitri Kugryshev was able to keep the puck in on the right boards then get a pass to Zach Miskovic near the center point.  Miskovic fired a shot through traffic that found the back of the net.  The period ended with 10 total shots on goal (Bears 8, Phantoms 2)

The second period started much like the first, but Brian Willsie quickly changed that.  After Phantoms turnover Steve Pinizzotto took the puck below the right faceoff circle and sent a pass to Willsie in the high slot.  Leighton never got over in time and Willsie was able to bury the shot in the back of the net.  Willsie later gave Patrick Wellar an assist.  Wellar took a deflected shot to the mouth late in the second period and immediately left the ice with blood evident.  Willsie skated over, found Wellar’s tooth and made sure the tooth made it back to its rightful owner.

The Bears took a couple penalties in the front half of the third period.  Unlike the first two periods, the Phantoms were able to get some quality chances on those power plays.  In the first two stanzas, I found myself forgetting that the Bears were actually killing a penalty.   Fortunately Danny Sabourin and the penalty killers were able to keep the Phantoms off the score sheet.  At 17:36 Keith Aucoin took a slashing minor to make the last couple minutes of the game a little more interesting.  With about 1:20 left, Michael Leighton was pulled to add an extra skater.  In the end it didn’t make a difference.  The Bears killed off the penalty, and Pinizzotto added an empty netter to finish off the game.

Tonight’s Notes:

• Miskovic tied a career high in goals with his sixth which was scored on the first power play.
• During the first intermission, former Bear Bryan Helmer talked with Oklahoma City Barons’ Jim Byers about breaking the AHL scoring record for defencemen.
• Tyler Sloan was sent down from Washington and played his first game as a Bear this season.
• The offense was fairly balanced through the lines for the whole game.  Mark French was able to roll all lines for much of the game.

Lines and Pairings:

Kane – Aucoin – Gordon
Greentree – Willsie – Pinizzotto
Kugryshev – Joudrey– Bruess
Kashirsky – Lacroix – Rome

Wellar – Fahey
Sloan – Miskovic
Collins – P.  McNeil

Actual three stars of the game:

1. Danny Sabourin (HER)
2. Brian Willsie (HER)
3. Michael Leighton (ADK)

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

1. Sabourin: 25 saves and his 2nd shutout of the season
2. Pinizzotto: goal, assist and a team high 4 shots
3. Miskovic: all he was missing was the assist for the Gordie Howe hat trick.