Screen cap: AHL TV
The Hershey Bears downed the Cleveland Monsters, 5-2 Sunday night at Giant Center in Hershey, Pennsylvania. The victory improves the Bears record to 1-1-0 on the season.
Clay Stevenson got he start in goal for the Bears for the second straight game. Pavel Cajan got the start between the pipes for the visiting Monsters. The forward lines and defensive pairs for the Bears:
Mike Vecchione – Mike Sgarbossa – Ethen Frank
Joe Snively – Henrik Rybinski – Nicolas Aube-Kubel
Ivan Miroshnichenko – Hendrix Lapierre – Pierrick Dube
Alex Limoges – Riley Sutter – Bogdan Trineyev
Aaron Ness – Logan Day
Hardy Haman Aktell – Dylan McIlrath
Chase Priskie – Vincent Iorio
Number one goaltender Hunter Shepard was unavailable due to illness.
FIRST PERIOD
The Bears opened the scoring with a shot from the point by Hardy Haman Aktell (1) that found the back of the net at 7:32 of the first period. Ivan Miroshnichenko (1) and Pierrick Dubé (1) had the helpers. It was the Bears first goal of the 2023-24 season.
It’s Hardy’s first goal in North America!
🍎 Miroshnichenko
🍏 Dubé pic.twitter.com/hp0OmmKPlB— Hershey Bears (@TheHersheyBears) October 15, 2023
The Bears stretched their lead to 2-0 lead with a power play goal from Ethen Frank at 11:59 of the first frame. Alex Limoges (1) and Mike Sgarbossa (1) had the assists.
Franky just picking up where he left off last season!
🍎 Limoges
🍏 Sgarbossa pic.twitter.com/VswcQHIlkM— Hershey Bears (@TheHersheyBears) October 15, 2023
The Monsters closed the gap to 2-1 with a tally from Brendan Gaunce (1) at 15:19 of the period. Jake Christiansen (2) and Trey Fix-Wolansky (3) had the assists.
Brendan Gaunce created positive momentum in the #CLEMonsters offensive zone by stripping the puck from the Bears along the boards.
After a full team effort to try to find the back of the net, Gaunce finishes by slamming a rebound behind Clay Stevenson.
HER 2 – CLE 1
@FPC_AHL pic.twitter.com/2lfLqbKjP6— Elaine Shircliff (@imaraindancer) October 15, 2023
But the Bears quickly reinstated their two-goal lead with a tally from Mike Vecchione at 17:28. Ethen Frank (1) and Aaron Ness (1) had the helpers.
Veccs buries his first of the season!
🍎 Frank
🍏 Ness pic.twitter.com/0eCWEXzy30— Hershey Bears (@TheHersheyBears) October 15, 2023
That was it with the first frame, with the Bears holding the 3-1 lead at the first intermission. The Bears led in shots, 15-7.
SECOND PERIOD
The Monsters closed the gap to 3-2 with a tally from Marcus Bjork (1) at 8:54 of the middle frame. Dmitri Voronkov (1), Mikael Pyyhtia (1) had the assists. The Monsters led in shots 6-0 midway through the frame.
Bjorky goal loading now ⬇
🍎: Voronkov & Pyyhtia pic.twitter.com/KPNJvXLi1g
— Cleveland Monsters (@monstershockey) October 15, 2023
The Bears answered with a power play goal from Pierrick Dube at 19:05 of the second period. Hendrix Lapierre (1) and Joe Snively (1) had the assists.
Pierrick Dubé nets his first as a Bear to restore the two-goal edge.
🍎 Lapierre
🍏 Snively pic.twitter.com/892B6oIcNs— Hershey Bears (@TheHersheyBears) October 15, 2023
The second period concluded with the Bears leading, 4-2. The Monsters led in shots, 8-6 in the period with the Bears leading 21-15 after two periods.
THIRD PERIOD
The Bears added a late goal from Mike Sgarbossa at 16:37 of the third period. Mike Vecchione (1) and Ethen Frank (2) had the helpers.
Sgarbs buries his first of the season!
🍎 Vecchione
🍏 Frank pic.twitter.com/HjWTD9JFCI— Hershey Bears (@TheHersheyBears) October 15, 2023
That would be it as the Bears held on for the 5-2 win.
The Bears are back in action on Friday when they visit the Bruins in Providence. Puck drop is set for 7:05.
SHAVINGS
- AHL box score
- Attendance: 8,242
- Ethen Frank had three points (1g, 2a)
- Bears led in shots 27-21.
- Ethen Frank and Riley Sutter led all Bears in shots with 4 each.
- Stars of the game: 3) Pierrick Dube, 2) Mike Vecchione and 1) Ethen Frank
That’s much better.
Back to back!
Too bad I missed out on the win today (after watching yesterday’s loss) but we figured we couldn’t hang around in Hershey all day today. Considering we have Monday’s Caps game to attend (and I’m still not retired.)
What is wrong with Alexander Suzdalev
He was drafted by a bad GM.
I’m wondering why the Bears don’t see fit to play him or Hofer. Or do they basically have too many guys for two few slots? So what should the Caps do if there’s basically no room for Suzdalev or Hofer to get any playing time?
Bears do loan players to North Charleston, but can also loan players to other AHL teams, strange as that sounds. They have done it before. Caps also can loan to the Rays and already have (2 goalies). I don’t know if the Caps can loan to other AHL teams.
He (and Hofer, etc.) are the odd men out right now. The roster is very deep.
According to the Rays:
Forwards Kevin O’Neil and Tyson Empey have been loaned from Hershey to South Carolina.
Defensemen Jon McDonald, Michael Kim, and Benton Maass have been loaned from Hershey to South Carolina.
Goaltenders Garin Bjorklund and Mitchell Gibson have been reassigned by Washington from Hershey to South Carolina.
The Stingrays will open the 2023-24 season on October 21.
I would have expected some more loaning of forwards from that deep roster.
Thanks, as always, Fyre.
Your thoughts why not more forwards loaned? Like Sudz?
Maybe more loans will happen soon.
Much better results from the Calder Cup champs. Hershey Cubs potted their chances this time. Dominated most of the game against the Cleveland Mobsters. Anaheim DDDucks put a hurting on Carolina Waterspouts last night. DDDucks finally arrived in a REAL uniform. They looked great in the Purple and Teal of years past, with a snarling duck cartoon. Vastly better than the Webbed Footprint uniform. Somebody got paid millions for that monstrosity. That leaves the Los Angeles Paupers as the most uninspired NHL uniform. Black and White and Gray and colorless – just like the souls of their upper management. Gang colors with a Chevrolet logo! Jack Kent Cooke’s crowned purple and gold of the 1980s were superior. Marcel Dionne looked great in that uni. But we’re glorifying gangland behaviors these days. It’s chic. Caps need to redeem themselves tonight against the Alberta Lanny MacDonalds. Friday’s second period collapse against Cindy’s Flightless Waterfowl was pretty appalling