HERSHEY, Pa. — The Hershey Bears have been in control. After back-to-back losses against Providence on December 10 and 12, the Bears haven’t trailed for a second in their last two games, and they’ve totaled 113 minutes, 55 seconds with a lead in their last two against Charlotte, and now Bridgeport in the Bears’ latest win, a 3-0 win against their neighbor in the Atlantic Division standings.

On Saturday night at GIANT Center, it was a Grant Cruikshank rebound goal that got the Bears on the board early. Cam Allen, who scored the opening goal of last Saturday’s 4-0 rout of Charlotte, fired a shot at Bridgeport goalie Henrik Tikkanen. Tikkanen made the save with his leg pad, but set up Cruikshank perfectly to fly in for the loose puck and finish it.

Hershey began the second period with 57 seconds remaining from a power play. Under 3 minutes later, the Bears had possession, as Jon McDonald fired one from the point at Tikkanen. He made the save, but once again, the rebound ended up in Hershey’s hands, this time at the stick of Louie Belpedio. Belpedio found a perfectly placed Graeme Clarke, who seemingly had no other option but a strong finish to extend the lead to 2-0.

“We talk about being simple and simplicity,” said Belpedio. “Just being simple, low to high. (Jon McDonald) shoots it, I creep down the backside, and you know, it just comes right to me. I just poke at (Graeme Clarke), and he taps it in an empty net.

“Obviously, Protas’ goal is a little different, that doesn’t happen too often.”

Belpedio’s sentiment is correct. Ilya Protas scored his goal with 6:29 remaining in the game. It wasn’t the most important goal, making the difference three rather than two, but it certainly was the most head-turning.

Protas weaved through the defense and found himself lodged in the net, as well as the puck, for a Bears goal. It’s Protas’ twelfth goal this season, leading the team.

“He’s going to be a special player,” said head coach Derek King, after joking that if Protas scores impressive goals like that any more, he won’t be in the AHL much longer. “I like how (Washington) is patient with him. It’s not like, ‘Oh, he scored two goals? Let’s call him up right away.’ They’re doing it the right way with this kid and if they stick to that, he’s going to be a special player.”

Before that, Protas had an assist to Andrew Cristall to finish the second period. Cristall, with 17, is the team’s leader in assists. Protas is the squad’s leading goal scorer, with 11 at the time, and now 12. This time it was Protas feeding Cristall.

“He’s a great player, and an even better person,” said Protas of Cristall. “We have good chemistry. He’s a really good goal scorer. If I see him open, I got to pass it to him ten times out of ten.”

It was another impressive outing for goalkeeper Mitch Gibson, making his second start in a row for Hershey. Spanning three seasons, Gibson has been Hershey’s netminder six times, and has never lost. He’s the only goalie in Bears history to start 6-0-0.

The Phoenixville, Pa. native came up just 4:45 short of a second straight shutout. Gibson recorded his first AHL career shutout last Saturday against Charlotte, and let up a late bang-bang goal on a quick play. Chris Terry fired a pass into a mass of skaters near the goal, and a deflection off Joey Larson’s stick did the trick for Bridgeport.

“It was kind of just the weird flow of the game,” said Gibson. “It was quite a few penalties and you know, at times not getting too many shots (at me). Really, it was just kind of working the ebs and flows of the game. I thought it was a little bit strange.”

On Sunday afternoon, the Bears will be back in action against the top team in the Atlantic Division, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. As Hershey seems to be playing some of their best team hockey together, the challenge against the Pens will be a good one to see where they stack up against the division’s best on the road.