Bears Beat Comets 6-5 (OT); Mike Sgarbossa Scores Game Winner, Kody Clark Scores First Career AHL Goal, Garrett Pilon Scores Two Goals In A Span Of 9 Seconds

Posted on December 27, 2019 by Jon Sorensen
Photo: Just Sports Photography/Hershey Bears

The Hershey Bears beat the Utica Comets 6-5 (OT) Friday night at the Adirondack Bank Center in Utica, New York. Garrett Pilon scored two goals in a nine-second span, Kody Clark scored his first AHL goal and Joe Snively added his 8th goal of the season for a 4-1 Bears lead at the first intermission. Utica would close the gap to two goals midway through the middle frame for a 4-2 Bears lead at the second intermission. The Comets would score two quick goals in the first six minutes of the final frame to tie the game 4-4. Brian Pinho would score a short-handed goal late in the third to regain the lead for the Bears, but the Comets would answer moments later to make it 5-5 with 5:41 remaining in the game. The game would head to overtime. Mike Sgarbossa would win it with a power play goal in extra frame. The win improves the Bears record to 17-9-2-3 (39 points) on the season. They are in third place in the Atlantic Division, two points behind Hartford for second place and four points behind Providence for first place.

STARTERS
Vitek Vanecek (9-4-1-1, 2.20 GAA, .915 sv%) got the start in goal for the visiting Bears. Michael DiPietro (8-4-1-0, 2.56 GAA, .910 sv%) got the start between the pipes for the Comets. The starting forward lines and defensive pairs for the Bears:

Scratches: Lucas Johansen (lower body injury, day-to-day), Shane Gersich (lower body injury, day-to-day), Steve Whitney (upper body injury), Beck Malenstyn (upper-body injury) and Colby Williams (lower body injury, week-to-week) were the injury scratches. Connor Hobbs and Chris McCarthy were the healthy scratches.

Christian Djoos was recalled by the Capitals earlier in the day due to Radko Gudas and Michal Kempny dealing with illness.

Pheonix Copley did not make the trip to Utica. He is out with a lower body injury. Parker Milner was recalled from Carolina on Friday.

FIRST PERIOD
The Bears controlled possession in the early going, leading in shots 5-2 after the first six minutes of play.

The Bears would strike quickly with a pair of goals from Garrett Pilon (4, 5) in a nine second span. The first came at 6:04 of the first period right off of a faceoff. Mike Sgarbossa (17) had the helper.

Pilon’s second goal would come nine seconds later. Mike Sgarbossa (18) had the lone assist.

The Bears would make it 3-0 with a goal from Kody Clark (1) at 7:45 of the first frame. The goal was Clark’s first AHL goal. Axel Jonsson-Fjallby (4) and Brian Pinho (9) had the assists.

DiPietro was pulled by the Comets and replaced by Zane McIntyre following the Clark goal.

The Comets would answer with a goal from Vincent Arseneau at 8:34 of the first period, making it 3-1.

The Bears would answer with a goal from Joe Snively (8) at 13:10 of the opening frame. It was Snively’s 8th goal of the season. Mike Sgarbossa (19) and Tyler Lewington (3) had the helpers. It was Sgarbossa’s third assist of the period.

The first period would end with the Bears leading 4-1. Bears led in shots on goal 13-6 for the first frame. Utica was 0 for 1 and the Bears 0 for 0 on the power play for the first period.

SECOND PERIOD
The Bears and Comets skated to a scoreless draw for the first half of the middle frame, as Utica began to find their legs and settle down defensively in the second period. Utica led in shots on goal 7-2 with nine minutes left in the period.

Utica would score their second of the game with a tally from Seamus Malone at 12:58 of the middle frame.Malone would re-direct a shot from the left point for the score.

The second period would end with the Bears leading 4-2. Utica led in shots 11-6 for the middle frame, with Hershey leading 19-17 after two periods. Hershey was 0 for 1 and Utica 0 for 3 on the power play after two periods.

THIRD PERIOD
The Comets would score two goals in the first six minutes of the final frame to tie the score 4-4.  Carter Camper would score at 4:22 of the final frame to make it 4-3.

The Comets would tie the game with a goal from Lukas Jasek at 5:52 of the final frame, to make it 4-4.

The Bears would retake the lead with a short-handed goal from Brian Pinho at 12:54 of the final frame. Axel Jonsson-Fjallby (5) had the assist.

Regulation would end with the game tied 5-5.

OVERTIME
The Bears would go to the 4-on-3 power play with 3:04 left in the extra frame when Axel Jonsson-Fjallby was held on a break he made to the net. Mike Sgarbossa would win it on the power play.

The Bears return home to host the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins Saturday night at Giant center. Puck drop is 7:00 PM.

SHAVINGS

  • Attendance: 3,935
  • The AHL box score
  • Bears led in shots 30-23.
  • Mike Sgarbossa had 1g, 3a.
  • Garrett Pilon had 2g, 1a.
  • Axel Jonsson-Fjallby had two assists.
  • Brian Pinho had 1g, 1a
  • Vitek Vanecek stopped 18 of 23 and won his 6th straight game.
  • Hershey was 1 for 2 and Utica 0 for 5 on the power play.

SCENES FROM NEW YORK

About Jon Sorensen

Jon has been a Caps fan since day one, attending his first game at the Capital Centre in 1974. His interest in the Caps has grown over the decades and included time as a season ticket holder. He has been a journalist covering the team for 10+ years, primarily focusing on analysis, analytics and prospect development.
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3 Responses to Bears Beat Comets 6-5 (OT); Mike Sgarbossa Scores Game Winner, Kody Clark Scores First Career AHL Goal, Garrett Pilon Scores Two Goals In A Span Of 9 Seconds

  1. Anonymous says:
    December 28, 2019 at 1:56 am

    Bears are hitting on all cylinders.

    Reply

  2. Pingback: Garrett Pilon Has Three-Goal Weekend; Aliaksei Protas Returns To WHL; Connor McMichael, Martin Hugo Has Score At World Juniors: Week 15 Prospect Report | NoVa Caps

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