The Bears returned to action tonight to take on the Laval Rocket on Hockey Fights Cancer Night.
Hershey came into the game looking to continue the good momentum from last night’s 6-2 swamping of the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, the Bears first win over their arch-rivals this season.
The Rocket enter with a 13-6 record straight up, as they have yet to lose in overtime or the shootout this season. They won 5-4 in the shootout against Lehigh Valley in Allentown last night. The Rocket also got some major forward help this weekend- Sammy Blais was claimed back off waivers by their parent club, the Montreal Canadiens, from the Toronto Maple Leafs, was sent down to Laval and scored two goals in his debut last night.
Hershey, still dealing with callups to Washington and injuries to Smallman, Mateiko and Strome, went with 11 forwards and 7 defensemen tonight as Alex Suzdalev had to miss out due to an illness. Garrett Pyke came in as the seventh defenseman, replacing the ill Suzdalev.
No other changes for the Bears from last night, even in net, as Clay Stevenson got the start in net for his second straight night.
Postgame Takeaways
- Hershey got started fast. A seeing eye shot from Louie Belpedio beat Laval goalie Kaapo Kahkonen blocker side to give Hershey a 1-0 lead less than three minutes into the first.
- That goal is Belpedio’s first as a Bear.
- Laval would dominate for much of the period, which would become commonplace throughout the game, as they hemmed in the Bears in their own zone on multiple occasions.
- Clay Stevenson was able to stand tall for much of the game, making back to back starts after getting the win last night against the Penguins.
- Ivan Miroshnichenko received an assist on the Belpedio goal, which gave him six points in his first five games back from injury.
- The second period is where things began to fall apart for the Bears. Laval put home two goals in 38 seconds, both shots that had eyes, as Alex Belzile and Marc Del Gaizo each put the puck home to give Laval the lead.
- Hershey would connect shorthanded to tie the game back up. Grant Cruikshank would get his second of the year, which is Hershey’s fourth shorthanded goal on the season. That places the Bears first in the East in that category.
- Corey Scheuneman would also get his 100th career professional hockey assist tonight on the Cruikshank shorthanded goal.
- Failure to clear the zone is something Hershey struggled with all night. It would cost them on Laval’s third and fourth goals, both of which came about after a failed clearance attempt.
- In between those two goals, Cruikshank would pot his second of the night, with newly called up Simon Pinard grabbing an assist, his first as a Bear.
- Tonight was Cruikshank’s first multi-goal game in the AHL.
The Chocolate Roar 