Game Recap: Hershey vs Hartford 12/1/19

The Bears hosted their annual “Teddy Bear Toss Night” on Sunday night at Giant Center, as they looked to end their four game losing skid, on a special night in front of their home fans.

At 8:51 of the first period, deadlocked in a 0-0 game, Christian Djoos provided the goal to make it rain teddy bears in Chocolate Town. Roughly 45,650 teddy bears and many other forms of stuffed animals made their way down to the ice, in what has become one of the storied traditions here in Hershey. That goal from Djoos gave the Bears the game’s first goal, for the third consecutive game. Of course, the question on everyone’s mind for this contest would be, can the chocolate and white keep the lead and build off of it? After squandering a 3-0, and 5-3 advantage to Providence this past Wednesday, and a 1-0 lead last night to Belleville. Head coach Spencer Carbery went on record Saturday night after the loss to Belleville, stating “we are just finding ways to lose hockey games right now.” After 20 minutes of play, the Bears demons came back to haunt them again. As they went to the dressing room tied at 1.

Despite once again outshooting their opposition in the middle frame, the Bears just couldn’t quite seem to find the back of the net. As the period moved along, penalty trouble again reared it’s ugly head, as the Chocolate and White gave up a power-play goal midway through the period to put Hartford up 2-1. Then followed that up with another trip to the sin bin on the ensuing sequence. After a tripping penalty to Alex Alexeyev, he gave the Wolf Pack another chance with the extra attacker. Although the Bears were successful with their kill, they looked to continue to pour on the chances against Hartford’s goalie, Adam Huska. But another tripping penalty came to Hershey’s Liam O’Brien, the penalty kill was once again put to the test to keep the Bears in the game. They got the kill they needed, and the boys looked to find an equalizer in the final 6 minutes of the second period.

The Bears would indeed get the goal they needed, as Shane Gersich recorded his first even strength goal of the year to tie the game at 2 a piece, going into the third period.

Heading into the third period the Bears once again came out of the starting block strong. Getting quality chances to start the period. Eventually hitting pay dirt with Beck Malenstyn getting back on the score sheet for Hershey. After returning from his call up to Washington yesterday. The Bears penalty woes would return in the final frame, however. Giving Hartford a multitude of different chances on the man advantage in the final frame. But the Bears PK stayed resilient, killing off all of Hartford’s power plays this period. Largely in part to the play of Pheonix Copley, who stood on his head in the third period and kept his team in the game. Which was great to see after he struggled here at home back on Wednesday night against the Bruins, giving up a seven-spot in that shootout loss. But in a 4 on 4 late in the last two minutes, Hartford’s Steven Fogarty pocketed the equalizer to knot the game at three and send it into overtime. When asked about the calls late in the game, Head Coach Spencer Carbery said the calls were ‘too inconsistent, and they tried to “recapture consistency late in the game.” Carbery also mentioned that the referees were just “not on the same page” in the game here tonight.

But despite all of that, the domination of the time of possession continued for the Bears into the extra session. Which ended up rewarding Brett Leason, with his first pro goal, at 2:21 into the overtime period, to give the Bears a 4-3 victory, and their first win since November 16th against the Charlotte Checkers.

The Chocolate and White are in action next, this coming Friday December 6th in Lehigh Valley, for a divisional match against the rival Phantoms.