Returning to action on home ice for the first time in 13 days, Hershey welcomed cross state rivals Lehigh Valley.
It was a hard fought road trip through Canada for the Bears, as they split the four game stretch 2-2, taking losses against Laval and Belleville, while beating Toronto and Belleville as Hershey split the two game set against the Senators last week.
The Bears also had some injury updates and moves before the game. In bad news, Aaron Ness, Spencer Smallman and Cam Allen were all designated with long term injuries this morning. Ness, who had to have surgery on his ankle, could return to action in the playoffs if his recovery goes well or the Bears go on a run in the playoffs, allowing Ness to come back in early May. Spencer Smallman and Cam Allen both have 4-6 month recovery times, both for shoulder surgery. That will take them out for the year.
Hershey also sent Zac Funk down to South Carolina, while calling up Kaden Bohlsen. Bohlsen is tied for second on the Stingrays for goals this season with 17 and will wear the number 38.
The Bears will also be without Assistant Coach Brent Thompson, but for good reason as Thompson is on leave to watch his son Tage Thompson, who playing for Team USA in the Olympics currently. Brooks Orpik will replace Thompson behind the bench for the weekend set.
Only one actual lineup change for the Bears tonight from Wednesday’s game against Toronto, as Jon McDonald returns to the lineup, coming in for Reilly Webb. Andrew Cristall and Alex Suzdalev swapped spots in the forward group, and Clay Stevenson got the start in net.
Postgame Takeaways
- In a year where slow starts have been the issue for Hershey, that wasn’t the Bears main issue tonight. Hershey started well, dominating offensive zone time and outshooting the Phantoms 6-1 through the first eight minutes.
- As it has gone this season, that stretch of good hockey did not pay off for the Bears. The Phantoms converted on their first power play opportunity of the night as Alex Bump put the puck home from in front after Clay Stevenson couldn’t keep a hold of it.
- Then 33 seconds later, the Bears would have a moment of awful luck. A wild bounce off the back glass near the Zamboni entrance saw Cooper Marody collect the puck with a wide open net to make it 2-0 Phantoms.
- The Bears have just had too many moments like that, bad moments made worse by situations with putrid puck luck. They say you have to create your own bounces, but there are many examples, including tonight’s incident, where I don’t know what the Bears could have done.
- Hershey has struggled with the long change all season in the second period. It killed them again for the Phantoms third goal, as an icing led to some tired legs on the ice, which led to Tucker Robertson being left all alone in front, and he made no mistake.
- It’s been the little things like that which have really hurt Hershey all season. Poor decisions at inopportune times has hurt this team over and over again. I get it’s a part of a younger team sometimes, but too often this year it’s been veteran players who have been making the really critical mistakes.
- It was a veteran connection that got Hershey on the board for their only goal tonight. Brett Leason with a nice move to find Corey Schueneman, who ripped one past Kolosov, getting the Bears back into the game.
- I thought Leason was the Bears best player tonight, and he had the most chances. Two breakaways just didn’t go home for him though, and even just one of the two going in would’ve made a huge difference. Still a great game from one of the few veteran presences left healthy in Hershey as it stands.
- It was turnovers and poor coverage that cost the Bears late in the second for the Phantoms fourth. This was really the backbreaker, as a turnover in the neutral zone saw the Phantoms get the advantage on the rush and Phil Tomasino ends up uncovered (not someone you want to leave open from this Lehigh Valley group) and he beats Stevenson to make it 4-1.
- The third period was then full of shenanigans and extracurriculars. Fifteen penalties were called in the third period alone, and a combined total 84 penalty minutes between the two teams tonight. Tomorrow could get interesting.
- I’ll leave this on one of Coach King’s comments from his postgame tonight (which you can watch below): “We need more. Most teams have veteran problems, we don’t have that problem right now. It’s a shame those guys (Smallman and Ness) are out, but it’s an opportunity for the young guys to step up and show us what they’ve got.”
- The first part of King’s answer is the most interesting to me. We need more could mean a lot of things, but saying it in an answer about the veteran presence on the team with the loss of Smallman and Ness… that intrigues me with the NHL trade deadline coming up and Washington having to make a roster decision on Monday, as they’ll need to send someone down along with Garin Bjorklund with both Connor McMichael and Charlie Lindgren expected to come off IR.
Postgame Comments
Derek King: https://youtu.be/qrVUATp3JNs?si=lKWxWRjo_tJkJiuV
Corey Schueneman: https://youtu.be/J8VFATO-ATM?si=KfvAz6lVzShEe0tm
Brett Leason: https://youtu.be/jPYQ5pQ47gQ?si=y4T7v3712-Hbdr-z
The Chocolate Roar 