Travis Boyd Nets Two Goals and Riley Barber Scores 100th Career Point in Bears 5-2 Win Over Binghamton

Posted on December 23, 2017 by
Photo: Tori Hartman

After splitting a two-game set in Charlotte, the Hershey Bears returned home to Giant Center on Saturday night and earned an impressive 5-2 win over the Binghamton Devils. The win improved Hershey’s record to 14-15-3. Michael Latta, a former Capital and Bear, made his return to Chocolatetown after he was acquired by the Devils in a trade with the Coyotes a few weeks ago. 

STARTERS
Mackenzie Blackwood (4-9-3) got the start for the Devils while the Bears countered with Vitek Vanecek (5-3-0) in between the pipes. The Bears lines:

O’Brien-Boyd-Bourque
Gazley-Graovac-Barber
Bau-Sill-Simpson
M.Mitchell-Albert-G.Mitchell
Ness-Hobbs
Johansen-Lewington
Labrie-Williams

The scratches for the Bears were Anthony Peluso (veteran), Dylan Margonari, Jonas Siegenthaler, Jeremy Langlois and Hampus Gustafsson. Gustafsson was recalled from South Carolina this morning.

FIRST PERIOD
Tempers flared early on in the game but no goalies were involved this time. After Mason Mitchell steamrolled into Viktor Loov, he dropped the gloves with Jacob MacDonald at 3:02 into the contest.

Both players were sent straight to the sin bin for fighting. At 4:13 Liam O’Brien was called for hooking, sending the Bears to the penalty kill however that would be short- lived 39 seconds later as John Quenneville was called for tripping to put the play on the ice at 4-on-4. Hershey would break through at 6:54. After Aaron Ness kept the play alive in the offensive zone, just stopping the puck from sailing out of there, Chris Bourque shot the puck and Travis Boyd was there to deflect it in for his fifth goal of the season.

At 11:54, Hershey went up 2-0. On a fast break, Tyler Graovac found Dustin Gazley for his third goal of the season on a perfect passing display.

Another fight went down at 15:52 as Connor Hobbs went up against Blake Pietila. Hobbs, in his second game back from a fractured wrist injury, won the battle. Hobbs was called for boarding prior to the fight. Hershey would lead heading into the first intermission 2-0. The Devils led in shots 9-6.

SECOND PERIOD
The second period began with Mathias Bau going to the box for boarding at 2:16. Hershey would kill off the penalty.

Remember Michael Latta, Caps and Bears fans? He made his return to Hershey on Saturday night. He came in hot and hit Bourque from behind and was called for roughing at 5:40, sending the Bears to the power play.

Midway through the second period the Devils led in shots 12-10. Late in the second, the Bears would go to the penalty kill once again as Colby was called for interference at 16:54.

The score would remain 2-0 in favor of Hershey at the end of 40. The Devils outshot the Bears in the second 15-8.

THIRD PERIOD
Hershey went up 3-0 to begin the third as Gazley came down the ice and fed Riley Barber who put it in for his eighth goal of the season. The goal was also Barber’s 100th AHL point of his career.

The Bears would add another at 8:49 when Zach Sill deflected Ness’ shot to make it 4-0. It was Sill’s second goal of the season.

The Devils got on the board with 8:56 to go on a goal from Nathan Bastian for his seventh of the season at 11:04. The Bears would answer right back at 12:12 with Boyd’s second goal of the game.

Bighamton added another tally, this time by Bracken Kearns with 1:16 left in the game but that would be all as Hershey won 5-2. The shots in the third period were dead even at nine apiece. The Devils would edge the Bears in shot totals 33-23.

Vitek Vanecek got the win to improve his record to 5-3-0 as he stopped 31 of 33 shots. After enjoying Christmas with their respective families, the Bears will be back in action on Wednesday Dec. 27 on the road in Bridgeport as they take on the Sound Tigers. Puck drop is at 7 p.m. The next Bears game at Giant Center is Dec. 29 against Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

Game highlights:

Troy Mann’s postgame presser:

AHL box score here.

By Michael Marzzacco

SCENES FROM HERSHEY

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6 Responses to Travis Boyd Nets Two Goals and Riley Barber Scores 100th Career Point in Bears 5-2 Win Over Binghamton

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