It’s a rare loss for the Hershey Bears on Friday. For the second straight time, they went to the third period with a 1-1 score at PPL Center with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. This time, the Phantoms had the big third period with three straight goals to take a 4-1 win. The decision ends Hershey’s win streak at six and their point streak at nine games.
Boss is Watching
The Phantoms had some extra incentive and pressure in this one. Much of the Philadelphia Flyers’ brass was in attendance at PPL Center, including general manager Danny Briere, John LeClair, and Sam Morin. The two teams traded goals in the first period, with Wade Allison burying a feed from Elliot Desnoyers in the low slot. It’s Allison’s ninth of the season and gives him three points in as many games.
Hershey responded with a power play goal later in the period, needing all of seven seconds to capitalize. Ethen Frank deflected a pass from Joe Snively on the back door to knot the game at one. Hershey’s All-Star has 21 goals on the season and ten power play goals, the most in the AHL. Snively’s assist gives him 100 professional helpers in his career.
Groundhog Day
On the same day Punxsutawney Phil predicted an early start to spring, it was fitting the teams once again started the third deadlocked. It was another game to be determined in the final frame just like Wednesday’s game was. This time, the Phantoms found the scoring in a tight-checking game. One of Lehigh Valley’s most noticeable players was forward Bobby Brink, who stole the puck and centered it to Jacob Gaucher. His shot beat Clay Stevenson low through some traffic to make it 2-1.
Another noticeable player in this game was forward Brendan Furry, who beat a Hershey defender and beat Stevenson 31 seconds later. The goal was just the second of the season for Furry, but the goal had the poise of a player with ten times that count. Lehigh Valley tacked on one more on the power play with their All-Star Samu Tuomaala deflecting a shot into the back of the net. This time around, the Phantoms took a 4-1 decision.
Staying Alive, Staying Alive
The two points help the Phantoms to hang around in their pursuit of a playoff spot. They drew to within two points of sixth place Springfield with the win. The Thunderbirds dropped a 5-1 decision to the Bridgeport Islanders on Friday. The Phantoms could possibly pull even with some help on Saturday. Friday’s win pulls the Phantoms to one game above .500 (18-17-5-2) with the win.
For the Bears, it was a subpar performance that they failed to take a win in. Hershey missed out on a lengthy two-man advantage in the second period and failed to generate much in the third. The Chocolate and White will drop a game or two like this at times, but even when they weren’t playing their best, they were very much in this one. They’ll go back to the drawing board and look to end the weekend on a high note at Giant Center.
