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AHL Hershey Bears

Bears On Top In East With One Week To Go

April 6, 2009 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Hershey Bears News Release


The HERSHEY BEARS Hockey Club will look to win its second East Division title in three seasons this weekend, facing Philadelphia Friday and Saturday in a home-and-home series before a visit by Wilkes- Barre/Scranton at GIANT Center. Friday's game in Philadelphia will be the last regular season game ever played at the Spectrum.

Tickets for HERSHEY'S two remaining regular season games are on sale now at the GIANT Center box office, or by calling (717) 534-3911.

Down the stretch they come: Three teams still harbor hopes in 2008-09 of winning an East Division championship, but HERSHEY is the one team of the three that controls its own fate. The BEARS have a two-point lead over second place Bridgeport and a five-point cushion over Wilkes- Barre/Scranton. The Chocolate and White need just four points in three games this weekend to clinch its second East Division crown in three seasons, even if Bridgeport and Wilkes- Barre/Scranton win all their remaining games. HERSHEY last won the East in 2006-07 under head coach Bruce Boudreau.

A tie at the top: With one week to go, the BEARS are days away from having the top two scorers in the league for the first time since the 1968-69 season. Keith Aucoin and Alexandre Giroux are tied for the league lead with 94 points apiece heading into the final three games of the regular season. Aucoin led the AHL in scoring every day since opening night on October 8 until Saturday night when Giroux tied him at the top of the charts. Jeannot Gilbert and Michel Harvey finished one-two back in 68-69, with Gilbert netting 100 points and Harvey 93. Giroux long ago wrapped up the goal scoring title in the AHL this season, with 57 going into play Friday. Kyle Greentree of the Quad City Flames is second in the league with 38 goals.

Chasing 60: Left wing Alexandre Giroux, already possessing the HERSHEY club record for most goals in a season with 57, will try this week to become the first AHL player since Brad Smyth to score 60 goals in a single season. Smyth achieved the mark back in the 1995-96 season for the Carolina Monarchs.

Washington update: The Capitals clinched the Southeast Division championship Friday, and will finish the regular season on the road this week at Atlanta, Tampa Bay and Florida.

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