Philipp Grubauer looks on during a game earlier this season (Tim Stough – Sweetest Hockey on Earth)
After an astonishing three goal performance by the Hershey Bears’ power play unit against the Connecticut Whale, they looked to continue their recent special teams success on the road in Worcester, Massachusetts. Boyd Kane opened up the scoring early and helped the Bears to a 3-2 shootout win over the Worcester Sharks.
HERSHEY, PA – Zach Hamill celebrates his game tying goal during Hershey’s win against the Whale Saturday night (Tim Stough – Sweetest Hockey on Earth)
Saturday night the Hershey Bears returned home to face the Connecticut Whale at Giant Center. As if the Bears’ offensive hasn’t been challenged enough as of late, they would have to battle the Whale with no Jeff Taffe, Ryan Potulny and Evan Barlow in the lineup. Philipp Grubauer earned his second start of the season in Hershey and gained his first ever shootout win in a 4-3 victory over the Whale.
Photo courtesy Bridgeport Sound Tigers
With the Giant Center ice troubling the Hershey Bears Hockey Club, they looked for their tenth road win of the campaign in Bridgeport, Connecticut. Braden Holtby was named a healthy scratch, as Dany Sabourin backstopped the Bears to an exciting 4-3 overtime win over the Sound Tigers. Tomas Kundratek tallied two goals, including the overtime game winner to help tame the Tigers.
HERSHEY, PA – Binghamton scores their game winning goal as Alex Berry and Braden Holtby look on (Kyle Mace – Sweetest Hockey on Earth)
Saturday the Hershey Bears looked to kick off the New Year by beating the red hot Binghamton Senators. The Senators enter their second contest of 2013 at Hershey with a 20-7-1-2 record, second in the East Division. Mike Hoffman scored the game-winner at the 12:08 mark, as the Bears only fired 21 shots on goal in a 3-1 loss to Binghamton.
HERSHEY, PA – Jeff Taffe and Jon DiSalvatore are joined by Ryan Potulny after Taffe’s empty netter goal in Hershey’s 2-0 win over Wilkes-Barre (Kyle Mace – Sweetest Hockey on Earth)
The weather outside was frightful, but the Giant Center ice was delightful for the the Hershey Bears’ Braden Holtby. He recorded his fourth shutout of the season in a 2-0 win over the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.
HERSHEY, PA – Ryan Potulny scores to give Hershey a 2-0 lead in their win over Norfolk (Kyle Mace – Sweetest Hockey on Earth)
December 19 marks such an important day for hockey fans not only across Central PA, but across the nation. December 19 marked the 76th birthday of Hershey Park Arena, as well as the anniversary of the birth of the National Hockey League. On December 19, 1917, four teams played the first ever NHL games. But on December 19, 2012, seven members were inducted into the new Hershey Bears Hall of Fame prior to a 4-0 shutout win over the Norfolk Admirals.
Jon Matsumoto scores the game winning shootout goal on Braden Holtby (Kyle Mace – Sweetest Hockey on Earth)
Although the Hershey Bears have won four games in the month of December, all the victories have been coming on the road. Saturday night, Hershey returned to Giant Center with plans of home cooking against the Worcester Sharks. In the first shootout this season at Giant Center, the Bears again fell short in front of their home crowd of 10,075, by a 4-3 margin.
There was plenty of interest in Thursday’s AHL Showcase game at Verizon Center between Hershey and Norfolk, including that of the Washington DC media was excited to finally have a game to cover. Due to the game being so big, we have many leftovers from the game. Here are some of the interviews and photos that haven’t been seen yet from Hershey’s 2-1 win over Norfolk.
HERSHEY, PA – Ryan Potulny scores in the second period during a loss against Hamilton (Kyle Mace – Sweetest Hockey on Earth)
The Hershey Bears attempted a three games in three nights sweep for the first time this season against the Western Conference Hamilton Bulldogs. The Bears, down a goal in the third period dominated play in the offensive zone, threatening to tie the game at three. Hamilton goaltender Cedrick Desjardins halted Hershey, denying them of a heroic third goal, and defeated the Bears by a score of 3-2.
Washington, DC – The opening faceoff of the AHL Showcase at Verizon Center (Kyle Mace – Sweetest Hockey on Earth)
It was a night not only Hershey Bears fans have waited for, but also Washington Capitals fans. With the NHL lacking a Collective Bargaining Agreement since September 16, Capitals fans stormed the gates of Verizon Center for the first time this season to view an American Hockey League Showcase.
With the season series tied at 1-1 entering Thursday, the Hershey Bears battled the Norfolk Admirals in our Nation’s Capital. Ryan Potulny scored his first goal of the season which proved to be the game-winner at the 4:26 mark of the third period to give the Bears a 2-1 lead, and eventual win.