The Hershey Bears and the Hartford Wolf Pack met up for the first time this season on a snowy day in Hershey. The two teams met up for the first time since the Bears swept the Wolf Pack in the Atlantic Division Finals last spring. In a testy game, the Wolf Pack rattled off four straight goals to take a 5-3 win. The decision ends Hershey’s winning streak at nine games and is their first loss in nearly a month.
It was “Halfway to Summer” night at Hershey, with a tropical flair in the Sweetest Place on Earth. It was a welcome distraction from the couple inches of snow outside. Most fans got a nice Hawaiian-style shirt on their way in the door, with hockey action heating up inside. Saturday marked a milestone for the Voice of the Bears Zack Fisch calling his 500th game behind the microphone for the team.
Snow Place Like Home
It was a snowy day at Giant Center, but plenty of fans braved the elements to see the Chocolate and White in action on this day. Despite not playing each other yet in 2023-24, the two teams found animosity quickly in a physical contest. Hershey broke a 1-1 deadlock early in the second with two goals separated by 39 seconds. Jimmy Huntington scored on the power play for his seventh goal of the season.
The Bears followed that tally up with Henrik Rybinski’s second goal in as many games. Riley Sutter made a great pass to find the second-year Bear, who had a nifty backhand shot to light the lamp.
Chasing the Pack
Hartford knotted the game up before the intermission with a hearty diet of heavy offensive pressure. With the bench further away in the second period, the Wolf Pack hemmed the Bears in and rattled off two straight goals. Matthew Robinson scored just over halfway through the period to cut the deficit to one. Connor Mackey finished off another long stretch of pressure by burying a pass from Bobby Trivigno to send the game to intermission tied once more.
The difference in the game came down to a goal 23 seconds in on Brett Berard’s tenth goal of the season. Saturday was the first time since November 29 that the Bears have allowed more than three goals in a single game. Despite a late power play to try and tie the game, the Wolf Pack hit the empty net to seal a road victory. It’s their third straight win to maintain possession of second place in the Atlantic Division.
Teddy Bear Fever
“This is not a bad thing for our hockey team,” Nelson said of the loss. “We have to understand that we’re going to get everybody’s best game and Hartford played a really good game tonight. We’ve got to bounce back tomorrow, it’s a short turnaround. We’ll see how the guys react, it’s not a bad thing to go through.”
Saturday’s game marked the start of what might be a fierce rivalry between the two Atlantic Division foes. The teams have three more matchups in the regular season, with the next game in Hartford on January 19. There was no shortage of bad blood, with lots of heavy hits and scrums up to the final horn. Hershey owns a 15-point gap in the standings between the two, but each matchup should serve as a playoff-style test for both clubs.
It’s the second time this season the Bears have had a winning streak end at nine games, with nearly a month between losses. It sets the stage for the Chocolate and White to bounce back for Sunday’s Teddy Bear Toss, a marquee event on the calendar. After a disappointing event last season, the Bears will look to end the weekend on a high note by sending the fur flying early. They’ll welcome the Lehigh Valley Phantoms to town for the big event on Sunday afternoon.
