The Hershey Bears keep on banking points. The Chocolate and White played one of their toughest stretches of the season last week, five games in eight days including travel through Canada. Most notably, they traveled 500 miles from Laval, Quebec, back to the Sweetest Place on Earth. How’d they do? They posted a record of 4-0-0-1, moving their point total to 85 even in the absence of numerous top scorers. It’s the latest test the team has passed and an uphill battle that will continue as long as the team is playing.
Missing Faces
Hershey has been without the likes of Ethen Frank due to injury and Pierrick Dubé to recall. Both players have already tallied 20 or more goals this season and are staples of the power play. Leading point scorer Mike Sgarbossa is up in Washington with a strong likelihood of staying there for the duration of the year. Other top absent players included injuries to versatile forward Riley Sutter and skilled defenseman Lucas Johansen. Captain Dylan McIlrath missed time to a suspension, jumping back into the lineup Saturday with fellow blue liner Jake Massie sustaining injury.
Hershey’s NHL affiliate in Washington has had some tough sledding due to injuries. They lost one player in four consecutive games, with the likes of TJ Oshie, Anthony Mantha, Nic Dowd, and former Bear Martin Fehervary falling victim. The Bears are hoping their recent break will allow for their injuries to heal. In the meantime, they might get some good news from the Nation’s Capital.
How Do They Do it?
It’s been success by committee for the Bears in this stretch with three of their top five point producers out. They’ve allowed two or fewer goals in all five games on this recent point streak. Goaltenders Clay Stevenson and Hunter Shepard continue to pace the AHL as numbers one and two (respectively) in the league. Players previously reserved for depth roles have stepped up in a major way. Among them, Bogdan Trineyev had goals in three straight games. Henrik Rybinski has three assists in his last five games. Rookie forward Ryan Hofer had a timely goal on Friday as another big contribution.
The team’s remaining top players have understood the assignment. Joe Snively has quietly evened Sgarbossa’s point total with 43 (ten goals, 33 assists). He’s had a point in seven of his last nine games. Alex Limoges continues his climb atop the team lead with the overtime goal on Saturday. He has three goals in overtime and six game-winners overall to provide that clutch factor. Chase Priskie has five points (two goals, three assists) in his last four games including the game-winner on Friday and two assists on Saturday.
Extreme Teams
Hershey had its work cut out for them on special teams in both games at home. The Chocolate and White faced 12 total penalty kills over two games at home. Impressively, the Bears only surrendered one goal in that stretch, a goal down two men against Rochester. That span includes a full two minutes down two men later on in Saturday’s game. Players like the ones mentioned offensively have taken shifts on these units where they may not have otherwise.
Although the Bears are listed as going just one-for-eleven on the power play, it’s a stat taken at face value. Alex Limoges tallied the game-winner in overtime on Saturday moments after a power play had ended. The boxed player was not able to get back into the play before the goal, making it a power play goal in everything but name. That goal, as well as Priskie’s game-winner on Friday, were clutch goals that made a difference. Many players on the team’s power play units had not seen those most of the season, like Strome and Garrett Roe.
A Work of Art
“It was huge, a total team effort,” Head coach Todd Nelson said on Friday. “We had players playing in different spots. The power plays tonight, it wasn’t as fluid as we’d like because we have guys in different spots who don’t normally play on the power play. That’s why it looked a bit clunky, but we still ended up getting that power play goal to go ahead. All in all, it was a great effort from everybody. As I always say, they can’t all be Picassos.”
“This is a tough stretch for our hockey team. Played five on the road, came back for two back-to-back. Getting three guys called up and three guys injured. There’s adversity, but as I said earlier in the year, we have to go through these tough times and be able to push through it, which we did. My assessment is right on by the guys, they played hard.”
The Road Ahead
Hershey kicks off another tough slate of games this weekend against the Utica Comets on Saturday at Giant Center. The Chocolate and White will line up without any assistance from their NHL affiliate in Washington. Despite that, there’s been some good news as Ethen Frank will likely return to the lineup. Riley Sutter and Lucas Johansen have skated in non-contact jerseys as they near a return. The team will still be tested as Nelson said, but it’s a stride in the right direction.
Players on recall to the Washington Capitals have made a splash recently. Hendrix Lapierre has been on a tear with three goals in his last two games for the big club. He is set to center Alex Ovechkin on the team’s top line when they host the Philadelphia Flyers on Friday night. Other graduates from Hershey’s 2023 Calder Cup squad have acquitted themselves well. Mike Sgarbossa tallied points in his last two games and Pierrick Dubé has gotten more minutes in recent time. While Washington’s playoff hopes are still slim, the future is bright for the young talent looking to make the next step.
