It was a long five-month offseason, but hockey officially came back to the Giant Center tonight as the Hershey Bears kicked off season number 89 in their history in an opening night matchup with the Charlotte Checkers.
Expectations feel higher for Hershey this season compared to last. While not a disaster season, a record that middled around .500 for most of the year plus a rare losing record at home, brought out some frustrations among the Hershey fanbase. Management has responded with a roster that has significantly more depth on both offense and defense on paper compared to the start of last season. The addition of high-end veterans like Justin Holl and Jacob MacDonald on defense, plus Jonny Brodzinski and Josh Dunne on offense, makes this an exciting group.
However, the waiver claim against Clay Stevenson leaves Hershey with goalie questions to start the year. Cal Petersen has been signed to an AHL contract to help the Bears with Stevenson now a Winnipeg Jet, but this is not a saga that feels it has reached its completion just yet.
With that in mind, Petersen gets the start on opening night. The main surprise comes in terms of a scratch for Capitals 2024 first rounder Terik Parascak on opening night.
Bears fans also booed Derek King as he was introduced on opening night. I personally don’t think those were deserved.
First Period
It was obvious from the jump that this is a significantly more serious Bears team this season compared to last. The top three lines played awesome from the jump. The forechecking was good, the pressure was good, the chemistry, for a bunch of guys playing together for the first time, was good. The depth already seems better.
Standouts included the two rookies in Lynden Lakovic and Petr Sikora. Both looked settled from the jump and were making an immediate impact. Lakovic showed incredible speed for a 6’4 winger, while Sikora showed the skill and grit that has suddenly made him an intriguing prospect in Capitals land.
And it would be Hershey who struck first and early. A lovely zone entry by Jonny Brodzinski saw him get a puck on net and Josh Dunne was the beneficiary. A first goal in chocolate and white for Dunne and a first Hershey point for Jonny Brodzinski.
When we talked about Ryan Chesley this offseason, much of that conversation was based around him needing to clear up the mental mistakes. Sadly, it was one of those mental mistakes that gave Charlotte their first goal.
Chesley decided to throw a soft backhand pass around the boards, but it went straight to a Checker, who found a charging Nate Smith, who beat Petersen clean, to tie the game at one.
Second Period
It was a much more physical second period. The Checkers brought a heavier forechecking presence in the middle frame it started to turn the game in their favor. Hershey made more errors in both the second and third and it was definitely in part due to Charlotte’s accelerated forecheck.
The second also went at a much quicker pace. Hershey got two power plays, while Charlotte got one, where neither team was able to convert. This was the first time the Bears power play got in game action with their main guys and boy did it show. The kinks will be ironed out, but Hershey being unable to get any real chances on the man advantage really hurt them in the end.
Those mental mistakes Hershey made would come back to kill them for Charlotte’s second. It would once again be Chesley, as he fumbled the puck on the blue line that led to a breakaway for Nate Smith. It put Cal Petersen in no man’s land where he had to make a call. He decided to come out for the puck and Smith was just able to get it around him, though he did pull off an impressive finish as Petersen did take an angle away. But the result was still 2-1 Charlotte.
Chesley would be benched for the last two minutes of the period after his second mistake leading to a goal and it would see Derek King shake up the lines for the third period. Hershey would respond quickly after giving up the second goal though, as a nice zone entry from Lakovic saw some extended offensive pressure from the Bears. That would be converted into a goal from Jacob MacDonald. The veteran defenseman is expected to produce offense from the blue line and he ripped a wrist shot past Cooper Black to make it all evens at two.
Third Period
The third would just end up not being Hershey’s period. It was a fairly even back and forth period until Charlotte would break through halfway into the third. And it would be Nate Smith again, with an opening night perfect hat trick for the Checkers. Three straight goals for Smith and the third was the nicest. A picture perfect deflection put Petersen the wrong way and gave Charlotte a lead they wouldn’t give up.
It would be another one of those mental mistake that gave the Checkers their fourth. Two failed clearance attempts would lead to admittedly, another picture perfect tip, this time by Jack Devine, who tipped a low shot up and over Petersen’s shoulder to make it 4-2 Checkers.
Charlotte would add on an empty netter from Will Bitten, after Cooper Black held strong against a few good Bears chances with the extra attacker after Derek King pulled Petersen.
Joe’s Thoughts
The scoreline didn’t show how actually close the game was. A few bounces go the other way for Hershey and they would’ve taken this one. A much improved opening night showing compared to last year in my opinion. A few bounces go the other way, or one of two pucks that sat right on Charlotte’s goal line go in, and Hershey I think takes this one.
Compared to the introduction we got to last seasons opening group, this one already looks much improved. The problem was truly the mental mistakes. Because of Washington sending a lot of guys down late, this was the first game action 90% of these guys had together as a group. With that in mind, I have full confidence that most of those kinks will be ironed out.
The breakout passing from all the defensemen must be better, but once again particular focus has to be placed on Ryan Chesley. I truly do not want to put more on his shoulders, but you cannot make either error he made, particularly the first one where he was not under pressure and needed to just throw that on his forehand around the boards. He has all the physical tools to be a successful professional players. He just needs to fix the mental errors. If he does that, he will be great. But he has to do it.
Good opening performances by the two rookies playing tonight in Lakovic and Sikora. They should continue to get consistent minutes. Also, props to Cal Petersen, who was also booed a bit during introductions and I thought played well tonight. A new hockey commandment for everyone: “Thou Shall Not Boo the Goalie After One Preseason Game.”
I’ll see you all tomorrow night as Hershey looks to bounce back.
Postgame Remarks
Derek King: https://youtu.be/KxhBADXI9M0?si=4dvYsgYxr9kOiGSm
Louie Belpedio: https://youtu.be/ruuZZlQAPUs?si=pXl-qkgkG3Z-Xr5S
