Hershey took the ice tonight looking for revenge after falling 4-1 last night to Lehigh Valley. The Bears were only four points up on the Phantoms heading into the game, and Hershey would need a win to keep their arms lengths distance from Lehigh Valley in the standings.
Couple of changes for the Bears tonight. Kaden Bohlsen comes in for Alex Suzdalev on offense, while Reilly Webb comes in for Leon Muggli on defense. Mitch Gibson also got the start in goal after Clay Stevenson had the start last night.
Muggli was listed on the injured list tonight with an upper body designation. That brings the Bears injured list back up to seven.
Postgame Takeaways
- The Bears benefited from some early puck luck. A wacky bounce off the stanchion befuddled everyone and snuck into the net to Jon McDonald’s benefit, as he got the credit for the goal.
- Everything then almost immediately fell apart. Corey Schueneman fumbled the puck on a break out, giving Lehigh Valley an impromptu two-on-one, which Alex Bump converted to tie the game at one.
- Brett Leason was called for goalie interference to put the Phantoms on the power play halfway through the first. I would like to point out Leason was pushed into Bjarnason. That is all.
- And as this sport goes, these situations usually lead to bad outcomes. It was Alex Bump again, who terrorized the Bears all weekend, and who got his third of the weekend with this power play goal.
- Hershey just looked generally outmatched throughout the rest of the first after that, and Oliver Bonk was able to sneak one past Mitch Gibson on the rush to make it 3-1 Phantoms.
- And then the second period. Man that second period. Let’s start with the bad. Mitch Gibson had to leave 36 seconds into the second due to an injury. Coach King hinted postgame that it was a concussion. Gibson was run over and struggled to get up. That really stunk to see for a player who’s had such a good season so far in the Chocolate and White.
- Then, Hershey let up a carbon copy goal of Lehigh Valley’s third goal from last night. Again getting hemmed in the defensive zone early in the period with a long change. Again a Phantom is able to get alone in front to put one home, this time Christian Kyrou. Frustrating to see that happen again on back to back nights.
- After that though, the Bears came back to life with the Henrik Rybinski show. First, Rybinski did it himself and was able to get in alone in front and threw a backhanded towards the net that beat Bjarnason high and got the Bears back in it.
- Then 39 seconds later, it was Rybinski again, who tipped home a shot from Louie Belpedio and suddenly we had a hockey game again.
- Kaden Bohlsen, the call-up from South Carolina who didn’t get his equipment until 3 p.m. today after it wasn’t transported from his flight to Hershey, tied this game up at four. I was impressed with Bohlsen today, who made his Hershey debut. He played physical and did not look out of place in an AHL game.
- But, it would be the Phantoms who got the last laugh. Alexis Gendron, another historical Bears killer, tipped his own goal home, and would have the game winner.
- Hershey would have their opportunities in the third, including two late power play chances, but it just didn’t come together.
- Just a tough weekend set for the Bears. Dropping both games puts the Phantoms only two points behind Hershey in the Atlantic. Wednesday’s game against Utica comes must win with that in mind.
Postgame Comments
Derek King: https://youtu.be/qwzpGvtK-Ms?si=jiDQ54CLwSn8RRo5
Henrik Rybinski: https://youtu.be/18UBry5bKS4?si=SouHdTyvQZEgSzJ2
Kaden Bohlsen: https://youtu.be/inGcmS0HLVM?si=-PgfT2MZg4QX344M
The Chocolate Roar 