Chocolate Fix 11/30/2011

Boudreau during his days as Bears coach. Photo by Michael Fernandez /The Patriot-News.

First, the elephant in the room: Bruce Boudreau was fired from the Washington Capitals. Dale Hunter takes over the head coach duties. [RMNB, DSP, Japer’s Rink]

Some of the Bears react to Bruce’s firing. [PennLive]

As usual, The Old Barn Hockey Show. [OBHS]

  • Part 1 – The guys and John Walton discuss the firing of Bruce Boudreau
  • Part 2 – Tim Leone joins the group to discuss the Bears and more on Boudreau.

Today is last day of November which means you still have time to donate to Hershey’s Movember team! [SHoE]

Read More

Potulny and the Bears defeat WBS Penguins, 3-2 (SO)

Holtby gets the win tonight in Wilkes-Barre. Photo by Anthony Fabrikant/AFC Media.

The Bears broke their losing skid just in time to face the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins on the road. With a nice day off to feast, it was back to business for Hershey tonight.

Ryan Potulny, in just his second game back from injury, scored on the power play to give the Bears the first lead. Julien Brouillette started the play by crashing through the defense and getting a shot on goal. Potulny closed in on the rebound to pot his first goal of the season. This goal was followed by two fights and you knew it would be another crazy night.

Read More

Bears Snap Winless Skid, beat Providence Bruins, 4-3

Tenacity and determination lifted the Bears past Providence. Photo by Kyle Mace.

With each game, the Bears’ losing streak gets more and more disheartening. Tonight was a chance to turn things around and play a full game against the Providence Bruins.

The Bears tend to have strong starts and tonight was no exception. Just 18 seconds after puck drop, the first line combined for the first goal of the night. Chris Bourque scored his tenth goal of the season from the right face-off circle past Anton Khudobin.

The Bruins tied it up halfway through the period. David Warsofsky beat Dany Sabourin, who appeared pretty frustrated with letting that one in. The Bears answered with a goal of their own. Brett Flemming scored with a quick goal off the face-off.

Read More

Chocolate Fix 11/23/2011

Photo of the NHL’s float for the 2011 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade from Yahoo’s Puck Daddy.

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving here in the USA. I hope you all have safe travels if you are venturing out. Hopefully we can start giving thanks tonight with a win in the Giant Center.

Earlier this week Dmitry Orlov was called up to the Caps. Kathryn talks about his first NHL game. [SHoE]

Giant Center is the best place to play in the AHL according to Graham Mink. [LDN]

Joel Rechlicz talks about fighting his friend and mentor. [PennLive]

The Old Barn Hockey Show highlights. [OBHS]

  • Part 1 – Bears analysis focusing on things that have been going wrong. Gregg Mace joins the team.
  • Part 2 – NHL and the Capitals. Trade Ovechkin?
  • Part 3 – Referee Paul Devorski calls in and talks about the life of an NHL ref.

Cody Eakin returns to Winnipeg and is enjoying every second of his time in Washington. [CSN Wash]

The NHL Players Association has a “Meet the Rookies” video on Eakin. [NHLPA]

Read More

Chocolate Fix 11/16/2011

Tomas Kundratek joins the Bears. Photo from hersheybears.com

The Old Barn Hockey Show is back with a new edition. [OBHS]

  • Part 1 – As usual this is the Bears segment. Ryan Potulny close to being back. Former Bear Mitch Lamoureux also joins by phone with his take.
  • Part 2 – NHL talk along with goalies getting hit playing the puck outside the crease.
  • Part 3 – Greg Wyshynski aka Puck Daddy joins the team for the last segment.

The Maryland Sports Blog came up to Hershey and takes a look at the Caps prospects. [TMSB]

Tomas Kundratek is excited to be here. [PennLive, DSP]

Read More

A Night to Forget: Baby Pens defeat Bears, 3-1


Graham Mink and Niko Dimitrakos exchange words after a big hit. Photo by Kyle Mace.

It’s always an interesting game when the in-state rivals play. Tonight, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins were in Chocolatetown, ready to put up a fight against Hershey’s point streak.

The drama came in the first period when Sean Collins hit Eric Tangradi. Collins definitely got his arm up high but it was unclear whether it was a hit to the head or to the chest. I saw some of other angles of the hit and I’m still not sure of where the hit landed but I can understand arguments either way. Collins was initially put in the penalty box but, after some discussion, the penalty was called off.

The Bears were unable to get a lot of momentum going during the first period because of all the penalties against them. Thankfully, Braden Holtby was very sharp and made a lot of big saves to keep the Bears in it.

The only goal he gave up in the first period was a deflection by Brian Gibbons during a Wilkes-Barre/Scranton power play. It was the second night in a row that the Bears gave up the first goal.

Read More

Norfolk Spoils Hershey’s Home Opener, 6-5 (OT)


Michel Ouellet scores in overtime to defeat the Bears. Photo by Kyle Mace.

Despite the fact that the Bears had already played three games before tonight, there was a lot of energy and excitement in Giant Center. For once, the Bears were not raising a banner before their home opener but they did celebrate the 10th anniversary of Giant Center. The Bears were wearing commemorative jerseys tonight, honoring Giant Center and the three Calder Cups they’ve won since playing there. It was time to show off the new Bears slogan in front of the Hershey faithful.

The Bears celebrate an early lead.

To start the game, the Admirals did exactly what they didn’t want to do: they went to the penalty box. After having a great night against the Norfolk penalty kill unit last night, the Bears continue to score during the man advantage. Keith Aucoin had a sharp angle shot towards the crease and Graham Mink did what he does best. The puck deflected past Jaroslav Janus and Hershey took the early lead.

But, much like last night, the Admirals responded and tied the game up a few minutes later. They got Braden Holtby moving and Radko Gudas was able to score on the rebound. Then the Admirals gained their first lead of the weekend before the end of the first period when several players crashed the net. Christian Hanson fell on his own goaltender and Gudas scored again with the loose puck. With less than a minute left in the first period, the Bears made up for it by scoring on a Sean Collins shot from the point.

For the second night in a row, the game was tied 2-2 after one period.

Read More

Let the games begin!


Photo via Hershey Bears Facebook Page

There is a fall chill in the Central PA air.  It’s now October.  The Bears have had training camp and the preseason games are over.  Now comes the anticipation as we await the start of the regular season.  For the team it starts tomorrow, but we won’t see them until October 15th.  Currently, there is a large RV show that has taken over the parking lots of the Giant Center and Hersheypark.  This happens every year and it yet another signal of hockey’s impending return.

The final cuts have been made, and the opening roster is set. But this is the AHL.  The roster won’t be the same for long.  When the Caps lose a player to injury, he is temporarily gone.  Those positions are filled in from the Bears.  As an AHL fan, we know that our guys are different.  Instead of being temporarily gone, they are temporarily here.  There are no long term contracts. We hope for the best for them and that their dreams of making it to the NHL come true.  I kind of equate it to parenting.  We want the best for our boys, but while they are under our roof we demand the best from them.  This is Hershey.  When you look up the rafters in Giant Center you will see the names of the greats and 11 Calder Cup banners.  Division and Conference championship banners are not hung.  The Reese’s advertising in section 211 says it all.  “It’s all about the cup!”.  This is Hershey and you will be held to a higher standard.  With that in mind, let’s take a look at who we will be seeing in Hershey to start the season.

Read More

Bears Pre-Season Ends With Micfilkier’s OT Goal


Photos by Kyle Mace

There were two rare sights at Giant Center Monday night. First, a hockey game. Can you remember the last Monday hockey game in Chocolate Town? And a crowd that would have been sparce for even a Bears warm-up during the regular season. But it a was a Monday night, and it was a pre-season game. That being said, this game could be one of the best games, pre or regular season, we might see all year. A penalty shot, an Ovechkin-like goal, and an OT winner were part of this battle against the defending Calder Cup champs.

Read More
Back To Top
Search