Second period pushes Bears to 4-3 win over Wolf Pack


Hartford goalie Cameron Talbot looks back at a puck in his net. Photo by Kyle M.

Hershey chalks up a win the last game they will ever play against the Hartford Wolf Pack before they become the Connecticut Whale.

With Hershey controlling the tempo of this game, it was another game where Semyon Varlamov did not see a lot of shots. He stopped 19 of 22 and at least one of those goals there was really nothing he could do. He looked more comfortable in his crease, even after getting plowed down by Chad Kolarik in the first period.

A strong start to the second period helped push Hershey to an early lead. Mathieu Perreault showed off his speed by breaking up a pass at the blue line before darting off to get an unassisted goal just 17 seconds into the second period. Just over a minute later, Brian Fahey had a bomb of a shot from the right point.

Minutes later, Fahey and Sean Collins took two quick penalties and suddenly the Wolf Pack had their first goal. However, the Bears remained calm and Perreault picked up his fourth goal of the season halfway through the period. Brian Willsie would wrap up the period with a power play goal to make 4-1 Hershey after 40 minutes.

After that period, Hershey was done scoring but Hartford wasn’t. They scored two more goals halfway through the third period before Hershey’s defense could corral them. Willsie’s goal became the game winner as Hershey defeated Hartford 4-3.

So it’s adios Wolf Pack. Hello Whale. We’ll see you in March.

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Checkers twist up Bears, 4-2


Bryan Rodney and Boyd Kane take a ceremonial face-off before the first game between these two clubs. Photo by Checkers SmugMug

The Hershey Bears played their very first game against the Charlotte Checkers, a new team this year after the Albany River Rats were relocated. For the Bears, it was a game to forget.

Dany Sabourin continues to be a main focus of the season but not for good reasons. He had one good showing in Syracuse but has put up very mediocre numbers otherwise. He is a talented goaltender but he has not been himself this season. It’s not much of a stretch to wonder if he will be released from his contract if he can’t get back on track. I think you can see that his team is having difficulty being confident in Sabourin. He made some stellar saves in the third period after puttin up abysmal numbers during the second period. I brought up this discussion on Twitter and would like to hear some more answers: Would you rather have Sabourin or Daren Machesney?

Keith Aucoin played tonight after hurting his knee in the game against Manchester. He played for about half the game until he fell on his knee again. He stayed on the bench at first but then took that fateful walk down the tunnel and never returned. Unfortunately, this means the end of his point streak, which had reached ten games. Get well soon!

The power play was able to click late in the game to save Hershey from complete embarrassment. Both goals went to Kyle Greentree, his fourth and fifth goals of the season. Brian Fahey had a pretty good night, with primary assists on both goals. He also had some excellent plays to help out Sabourin.

Marcus Johansson had a pretty quiet night. No points or penalties and only two shots on goals. Hershey probably could have used him to step up with the absence of Aucoin.

And so Hershey loses the first ever meeting between these two teams with a score of 4-2. Rematch is set for Tuesday night.

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Hershey Gets First Win Against Amerks 4-3.


Rochester and Hershey rock the throwback jerseys.

When the teams were tied at 3 in the third period, Hershey may have been having flashbacks to the previous night. Thankfully, they seemed set on not allowing the same outcome. Keith Aucoin continues to outdo himself. After a goal and an assist last night, he gets TWO goals and assist tonight. His second goal was a shorthanded goal after he perfectly read a Rochester play and intercepted it for a 1-on-none breakaway.

Brian Fahey would step up to tie the game halfway through the third period. It was a big goal that gave Hershey the momentum and energy for the rest of the game. Andrew Gordon found the back of the net on a rebound after a Kyle Greentree breakaway. Thanks to him, Hershey will be getting on the bus with two more points tonight.

The game was officiated a little differently today. Usually, the AHL only plays with two linesmen and one referee. However, this season there will be a handful of games used to begin phasing in the two referee system. Tonight, both Jamie Koharski and Ghislain Hebert were wearing the orange arm bands. There was no shortage of penalties awarded during tonight’s game, perhaps because of having double the refs. Not to say that this game wasn’t physical, but players were getting called for just about every touch. A grand total of 18 penalties were called, 9 for Hershey and 9 for Rochester.

With how many penalties were doled out today, Hershey didn’t cash in when they had the man advantage. The powerplay crew seemed to be lacking in chemistry a little. It’s not anything to worry about yet, but could use some attention. They have some adjusting to do after losing Alexandre Giroux and Chris Bourque, HUGE parts of last season’s powerplay. Maybe the powerplay #NeedsMoreSheldonSouray?

The players will get some rest for the next few days before they travel to Binghamton to play the Senators on Friday. They play their first home game on Saturday and, if you haven’t already, I suggest you secure yourself some tickets ASAP.

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Finding the Missing Pieces

If you want to follow the AHL, the first thing you must learn is how high the turnover rate for each team is. No matter how prepared you may feel to handle losing several players, the first off-season is an eye-opener. Between trades, free agency, and call-ups, you can barely get used to a player being around before he’s gone. This season is no exception.

We lost several key players and their roles can not go unfilled. In this post, I’ll take a look at the big guys we lost and the prospects I think will fill their shoes.

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