Hershey can’t complete the comeback, lose 3-2


Several players examine their shiny, new rings.

How does that saying go? If you don’t have anything nice to say…

It wasn’t the way Hershey intended for the game to go. I guess it’s only fitting that Rochester ruined Hershey’s home opener after Hershey ruined theirs. Perhaps inspired by the memories of last season, the Bears played with energy and came out strong…for the first five minutes. Then they seemed to lose all of their passion and energy until the last five minutes. Alright, let’s try and look at the positives:

Brian Willsie had a good night. He scored the first goal of the night and got an assist on Andrew Gordon’s goal. Outside the score sheet, he was pulling some fancy moves around the Rochester defense. It’s hard to really analyze how Dany Sabourin did in his first game as a Hershey Bear. He only faced 15 shots and stopped 12 of them. However, it’s hard to fault him when he was screened the entire night. Hershey’s defenders need to be better about clearing the goal crease.

Hershey put together another fantastic ceremony to celebrate the organization’s 11th Calder Cup Championship. Personally, I loved the video they played before introducing the 2010-2011 team. The video panned around a virtual Giant Center filled with players and moments from the past season.

One by one, the players were announced and the members of last year’s team received their rings. They all huddled together, studying every facet of their new bling.

The big news of the night involved Hershey legend, Mitch Lamoureux, who is going to be inducted into the AHL Hall of Fame. The announcement warranted a standing ovation from the jam-packed Giant Center. Congratulations to Mitch!

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Hershey is Binghamton’s Worst Nightmare, 7-1


The Bouchard-Perreault-Willsie line combined for a total of nine points.

Wow…where to even begin?? To say that Hershey dominated this game would be an understatement. Offense was the name of this game. Nine different Hershey players finished the game with at least a +2 rating. It was probably a good sign when the first goal of the night came just over two minutes into the game and a mere 12 seconds into the first power play of the night. Then the goals just came rolling in. Chances are, if you blinked, you missed a goal.

…unless it was the third period. Then you problably blinked and missed someone getting their face punched in. Joel Rechlicz, Sheldon Souray, and Patrick Wellar did a pretty good job of punishing people tonight. The three of them combined for a total of 28 penalty minutes.

It’s already been established that the Greentree-Aucoin-Gordon line works well together. But I’m more interested in seeing what the Bouchard-Willsie-Perreault line cab di. It’s probable that Brian Willsie would like to see it more too. His suitcase might be a little harder to pack up after the game when he tries to fit in those four points he got tonight.

I think the Senators are still shaking their heads after tonight. Hershey’s job tonight is to enjoy the moment, but also remember that tomorrow that they must defend the cup in front of their home crowd. The guys from last year’s squad are likely to be dreaming of their new bling tonight.

See what did I tell you?

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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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Bears Start the Season With One Point After Losing 3-4 in the Shootout


Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins celebrate getting a goal past Braden Holtby. Photo by Kyle Mace

The first game of the season results in the first shootout of the season. It probably wasn’t the way Hershey wanted to start the season, but one point is better than none. Braden Holtby, while still making some terrific saves, has some tape he will be reviewing tonight on the bus.

The first period was a crazy one. Both teams exchanged two goals each in first ten minutes. The first goal of the game came from Kyle Greentree, who scored 15 seconds into the first powerplay of the night. After allowing two goals from the Penguins, Steve Pinizzotto tied it at 2 for the final goal of the period. The Bears wouldn’t post another goal until Keith Aucoin scored to tie the game 3-3 only 48 seconds into the third period. It would be enough to merit Hershey a point, but it wouldn’t be enough to claim the game. The Penguins came out victorious after the dreaded shootout.

Thanks to Wilkes-Barre’s season opener ceremony, overtime, and the shootout, the game went a little late tonight. Hopefully the boys will still be able to get a good night’s rest as they take on Rochester Americans tomorrow at 5 pm.

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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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