It’s been a hot start to the season for your Hershey Bears. The Bears find themselves at a record of 4-1 through their first five games of the year and came into the afternoon tilt with Providence on a four game winning streak.
Hershey looked to make it five in a row today, which would secure this start to the season as one of the best in Bears history. The perks to starting at home, right?
The Bears also received some good roster news today. Matt Roy is seemingly set to return to action for the Washington Capitals, as the Capitals sent Justin Holl back to Hershey this morning. Holl will not play tonight, but it is good to have him back on the roster.
Four changes for Hershey from last nights group. Rookie Terik Parascak comes in for Alex Suzdalev, making his second appearance of the season. Dalton Smith also makes his season debut, coming in for Theodor Niederbach. That move sees Eriks Mateiko move up to the third line and Spencer Smallman shift to center.
David Gucciardi returned to the lineup, coming in for Jon McDonald. And, as expected, Mitch Gibson gets the starters net after backing up Cal Petersen last night.
First Period
Hershey started out of the gates pretty well. The pressure was on early and the Bears outshot the Bruins 4-0 through the first four minutes of the game. That’s about where the good things would stop.
I really don’t want to hammer him, but the talk around Ryan Chesley has been about how he needs to limit his turnovers. He gave it up softly to Mikey Eyssimont at his own blue line, which is the last player on the Bruins you want to give the puck up to, and Eyssimont buried it to make it 1-0 Bruins 4:30 into the game.
Providence would start to control the game and tempo from there. Just like last night, the Bruins forecheck hampered the Bears in their own zone for long stretches of time. Unlike last night, the Bears were not able to keep pucks away from the middle and Providence had high quality chance after high quality chance.
Mitch Gibson stood strong for much of the period, but another failed clearance would kill the Bears on Providence’s second. The Bruins got possession down low and a lovely passing play found Jake Schmaltz, who had a beautiful finish shoreside to make it 2-0 Bruins after one.
Second Period
It would continue to devolve for the Bears in the second period. Early momentum was snuffed out quick for the Bears, and while you have to credit him with trying to bring some energy back into the building, the Bears were cycling in their zone when Sam Bitten dropped the gloves.
I do truly understand what Bitten was trying to do there, but it was not the time with the Bears having strong possession in their zone. You have to be smart with your fights when chasing the game and Bitten was not smart with his there.
From there, it would be Mikey Eyssimont again, this time on the power play. Credit to the Bruins on this one, a great pass from Lukas Reichel would find Eyssimont in front and that’s not a place you want to leave him. That’d make it 3-0 Bruins.
We would have a bit of back and forth hockey from there, but Dalton Smith and Eyssimont would get penalties at the same time. Eyssimont would get his for a high hit on Andrew Cristall, and as both exited the box at the same time, Smith tried to get Eyssimont to fight.
Eyssimont said no and Smith proceeded to get beat by Eyssimont to the front of the net, as the veteran would get his hat trick goal and put the Bruins up 4-0 right before the end of the period.
Third Period
If there was any hope of pushing for a comeback, it went away quickly at the start of the third. Another turnover down low would see the puck find Brandon Gaunce in front of the net. The long time AHL veteran would make no mistake from in front and officially put the game out of reach at 5-0 Bruins.
The third would then get testy. Continued pushing and shoving after the whistles, plus frustration from both sides from this weekend’s series of games boiled over when Alex Steeves slashed Louie Belpedio high behind the play. Belpedio would take down Steeves afterwards and Steeves would get a game misconduct and a five minute major for slashing, getting kicked out for good measure. Belpedio would also get a ten minute misconduct of his own for the fight and was sent down the tunnel himself.
On that five minute power play, the Bears would find their one consolation goal. Joey Anderson would put home a Lynden Lakovic shot that would sneak through Jiri Patera, his first as a Bear.
Providence would find one more and Spencer Smallman would get his own game misconduct for slashing at the end of the night. Providence takes this one 6-1
Joe’s Thoughts
The first rough one of the year. It happens to every team, but it always sucks to see it happen no matter what.
The lineup changes did not pay off this week like they did for Hershey last week. Parascak was mostly ineffective, Gucciardi struggled with Chesley as they were paired together tonight and Dalton Smith did not bring much to the table.
I get Derek King thought it could be a really physical game today. I just didn’t see Smith add a lot tonight that Sam Bitten already doesn’t bring. Again, I understand why Coach King made that decision, it’s just one that did not worm out for the type of game today ended up being.
Hershey will once again have a full week of days off and practice, their last one until the week of Christmas, before taking on Belleville next Saturday and then hitting the road for the first time this season, traveling to Rochester and Toronto at the end of the month.
Postgame Comments
Derek King: https://youtu.be/jVnMwpQ24fE?si=RoFLdi94wJsa4IkW
Louie Belpedio: https://youtu.be/jVnMwpQ24fE?si=UPxL8X-kwFHV8Msk
