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AHL Hershey Bears

Bears Battle for Point But Fall in Shootout

December 4, 2015 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Hershey Bears News Release


HARTFORD, Conn. -Connor Carrick factored into all three regulation goals by the Hershey Bears,including setting up Chandler Stephenson's power play goal with 43 secondsremaining in regulation, but the Hartford Wolf Pack outlasted the visitors in ashootout by a score of 4-3 on Friday night at XL Center.

It took just 1:24 of play forthe Bears to open the scoring. Nathan Walker got open at the top of the crease to bang home a pass fromCarrick past Mackenzie Skapski for his fourth point of his last three games.

But the Wolf Pack answered backat 3:10 when Brady Skjei charged toward the net to deposit the rebound of aChad Nehring shot behind Justin Peters.

Hartford then took a 2-1 leadjust four minutes later when Nehring raced to the net to poke the puck,smothered under Peters, over the goal line. The hosts later nearly took a 3-1 edge but a goal by TylerBrown was waved off for being directed in with a skate.

Carrick tied the game with ahard one-timer from the left circle at 7:30 of the second period, whenChristian Djoos fed him with a perfect cross-ice pass for a shot that sailedinside the right post.

The Bears did not allow a shotuntil the final three minutes of the second period. On the first, Peters would stop Chris McCarthy, but NickTarnasky chopped at the rebound and banked it in at 17:18.

The teams battled through an excitingthird period, and the Bears got their third consecutive power play of the frameon a delay of game penalty against Travis Oleksuk with one minute remaining inregulation. On the advantage, ChrisBourque passed across the zone to Carrick, whose one-timer was kicked out bySkapski right to Stephenson for a slam-dunk equalizer at 19:17.

Another dominant performance inovertime puck possession gave the Bears an advantage until Jayson Megna washooked on his way to the Bears' net, earning him a penalty shot. Peters snuffed that chance with ablocker-poke check at 2:48 of the extra session.

Dustin Gazley gave the Bears theearly shootout lead, but Brian Gibbons and Adam Tambellini buried their chancesas well. At the other end, Skapskidenied Bourque and Carrick to seal the win.

Peters stopped 22 shots butfell to 5-3-3 on the season. Skapski improved to 2-4-0 with 33 saves in regulation and overtime andtwo of three in the shootout. Hershey finished the night 1-for-5 on the power play and 3-for-3 on thepenalty kill.

The Bears return home to hostthe Lehigh Valley Phantoms tomorrow, December 5 at 7:00 PM. The first 4,000 fans age 18 and olderwill receive a Pennsylvania Lottery coupon. Individual tickets for this and all Bears home games are onsale at the GIANT Center box office, by calling 717-508-BEAR or online atTicketMaster.com.

NOTES: The Bears scratched D Tyler Lewington,RW Garrett Mitchell, LW Liam O'Brien, D Ryan Stanton and LW Jakub Vrana...The WolfPack scratched G Cedrick Desjardins and D Raphael Diaz...The Bears made theirfirst successful penalty shot save since Pheonix Copley denied Syracuse Crunchforward Vlad Namestnikov on January 31, 2015 at GIANT Center...The Bears and WolfPack have played all three games beyond regulation this season.

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