The Hershey Bears are hard at work preparing for the Atlantic Division Semifinal. Hershey earned a bye from the first round courtesy of their first-place finish. It’s perfect timing for the Bears to be idle as they look to get healthy in time for puck drop in the playoffs. Between bumps and bruises, the Bears are also watching their National Hockey League affiliate in Washington closely.
Day-to-Day in Hershey, PA
The Bears hit the ice for a spirited practice on Tuesday that featured a lot of skating. It was enough to make the cast of the movie Miracle shudder with a distinct focus on conditioning. A few key faces were missing with the likes of Matthew Phillips and Hardy Haman Aktell not on the ice. Phillips skated before practice but did not skate with the main group. Haman Aktell, meanwhile, was recalled to the Capitals to serve as an extra defender. Washington’s roster boasts six players who are eligible to return to Hershey, four of which are defensemen.
Bears head coach Todd Nelson is balancing all these factors while preparing his group for game action. He’s blending a mixture of conditioning and scrimmaging this week to get the blood pumping before the puck drops. He and his staff may have a short turnaround to prepare for their first opponent. Meanwhile, they’re watching a wealth of players live out their dreams at the NHL level.
“We’re taking it day-by-day,” Nelson said on Tuesday. “The hand that I’m dealt today, I’ll work with. Who knows what can happen, right? When the day comes, if we do get help, we’ll adjust accordingly.”
“We’re a close group, I got a few text messages from Dylan McIlrath and Hendrix Lapierre. I wished them luck to help out the Caps, but if it doesn’t work out, let’s try to win another Cup. They responded in a positive fashion, those guys have great character.”
Bumps and Bruises on Bears
It’s a perfect time for the Bears to rest some nagging injuries from the end of the regular season. In addition to watching the Capitals, the Bears are hoping to get back to 100% with their current group. A couple of Nelson’s key forwards weren’t able to get in the full skate on Tuesday. Their lineup is very uncertain, depending on how things shake out in the coming days.
“Actually, right now, (the break) is not a bad thing,” Nelson said. “We’re pretty banged up. Riley Sutter has an upper-body injury, Matthew Phillips has a lower-body injury. It gives us time to mend up, which I think is a positive thing. As a coaching staff, a negative is we don’t know who we’ll play. We could find out and play in three days, and it’s like cramming for a test. We have to do our homework and make sure the guys are fully prepared. For our team, the time off is needed.”
Despite the hard work, Nelson is allocating time to recreation and team building ahead of puck drop. One of the items on his agenda is a team golf outing with temperatures on the rise in south central Pennsylvania. Much like his signature pig roasts, Nelson’s recipe for success is a balanced one between work and play.
“The guys are motivated,” Nelson said. “It’s the best time of year, we’re going for a golf outing and some team building today. The guys will have a lot of fun with that, and we’ll get back to work in a couple days.”
First Round Fury
Both first round series in the Atlantic Division got underway this week, with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms and the Charlotte Checkers taking wins. If both teams advance, Hershey will play Lehigh Valley as they’ll play the lower seeded team. Both foes played the Bears down the stretch in the regular season. Should the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins turn the tables, the Bears would be heading to Charlotte in a rematch of last season’s second round.
There’s still much on the table and some great hockey to take in this weekend. That includes the Stanley Cup Playoffs, which will be worth watching for the Bears. The Capitals trail their series two games to none and could see their season end on Sunday at the earliest. It’d mean a significant influx of talent back to Hershey just in time for puck drop. The next few days will be important for the Bears on many levels to sort out the start of their playoff run.
