The Hershey Bears retained their title as the teddy bear kings on Sunday. Hershey smashed their record and entered new territory with six figures. The Bears collected 102,343 plush items for charity on Sunday, nearly 30,000 more than a year ago. It’s the highest increase of teddy bears in a single season in the team’s illustrious plush history. Hershey took a dominant 5-1 decision to earn all four points this weekend. Clay Stevenson took the win with 18 saves.
Sweet, Cuddly Mayhem
Hershey fell behind early in the game as Providence’s Max Jones opened the scoring 1:20 into play. Fans anticipated the big goal with every good look and shot towards Bruins netminder Brandon Bussi. The Bears hit the crossbar with the puck going straight down and staying out. The missed opportunity fooled a section of fans who started tossing their teddy bears prematurely.
Thankfully, they wouldn’t have to wait long for the real thing. Mike Sgarbossa took a nifty feed from Pierrick Dubé and beat Bussi low to send the fur flying. Dubé’s helper is his 100th AHL point in a milestone for him as the sweet, cuddly mayhem took over Giant Center.
The piles of teddy bears grow taller and taller every iteration of the event. Players leaped into the plush as fans at the corners struggled to dig out of the bears and get them on the ice. The game time lasted a good way over three hours as a result, all collecting donations for a better cause. Giant Center’s tireless volunteers even got the count completed before the game’s conclusion.
“The guys were excited tonight,” Bears head coach Todd Nelson said. “The crowd was electric at the start of the game anticipating the goal. We rang one off the crossbar and it was a bit premature in the one end. It’s a great event; 102,000 plus is pretty amazing.”
Battle of the Bears
After a narrow shootout win a day prior, the Bears looked to earn two more big points over a hot Bruins team. The two teams completed the remaining 5:15 of the first period and immediately got set for the second. Hershey dominated the middle stanza with a 15-7 shot advantage along with three goals. Calder Cup hero Matt Strome tallied his first goal at Giant Center since the spring with a deflection.
Only thirty seconds later, the same line added another tally. Grant Cruikshank skated into the zone with space and let a shot fly that leaked through Bussi. Both Strome and Cruikshank scored their second goals of the season. Hershey jumped to a two-goal lead much as they had a day prior.
“It was a very good day,” Nelson said. “Obviously with the teddy bear toss, it worked out well to score with about five minutes left in the first. This was one of our more complete games we’ve played all year. Special teams were good, good defensively, and produced offense. Everyone contributed.”
Walking Small(man)
Hershey wasn’t done. A hardworking shift at the tail end of a power play saw Ethan Bear narrowly keep the puck in at the blue line. He’d find Luke Philp, whose shot laid loose in the crease for Spencer Smallman to jam into the net. It’s a hardworking shift for Hershey’s power play, which was rewarded with a goal just 12 seconds after the advantage expired.
Smallman got the unit on the board with a power play goal in the third period. He’d jam in the rebound of a between-the-legs shot by Chase Priskie for his second of the game. Smallman has been a jack-of-all-trades for the Bears this season and has three goals in his last two games. Since November 10, Smallman has 16 points (six goals, ten assists) in 19 games.
“The last 19, 20 games he’s really cranked it up a notch,” Nelson said of Smallman. “He’s played everywhere in the lineup from third line right wing to first line center. He’s a very versatile player, plays penalty kill and power play and added a few goals. Smallman’s really elevated his game and it’s good to have that versatility to the lineup.”
Building Momentum
Hershey looks to take the momentum from this game and get on a roll. Sunday’s margin of victory is the team’s largest in a month and their first win by more than a goal since then. The Bears looked like the capable team advertised in the summer with every line factoring in on the scoring. Suddenly, Hershey has wins in three of their last four games and will look to parlay their success into a winning streak.
The Bears will wrap up their homestand on Tuesday with a matchup against the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. It’s another tough opponent who has had success against the Bears this season and won two games preceding the tilt. After that, it’s off to Charlotte for a pair of road games against a Checkers team that’s won all three of the matchups this season. Both teams are chasing the Bears in the Atlantic Division race and represent important tests to pass for this team.
