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AHL Hershey Bears

Bears Visit Penguins, Checkers

November 27, 2023 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Hershey Bears News Release


(Hershey, PA) -The first-place Hershey Bears (15-4-0-0) head out on the road this week for the first three games of a four-game road trip. Hershey visits the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins on Wednesday, Nov. 29 to close out the month, then journeys south for a pair of games against the Charlotte Checkers on Friday, Dec. 1 and Saturday, Dec. 2. The Bears enter the week riding a six-game winning streak, their longest such streak of the 2023-24 season.

TEAM LEADERS:

Goals: Ethen Frank (8)

Assists: Mike Sgarbossa (16)

Points: Mike Sgarbossa (19)

Power-Play Goals: Ethen Frank (5)

Shorthanded Goals: Bogdan Trineyev (1)

Plus/Minus: Alex Limoges (+8)

Wins: Hunter Shepard (8)

GAA: Clay Stevenson (1.67)

SV%: Clay Stevenson (.932)

Only includes qualified players

LAST WEEK'S RESULTS:

Wednesday, Nov. 22 - Hershey 2 vs. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton 1

Saturday, Nov. 25 - Hershey 2 vs. Iowa 1

Sunday, Nov. 26 - Hershey 2 vs. Iowa 1

LOCAL PRACTICE SCHEDULE FOR WEEK OF NOV. 27:

Monday, Nov. 27

DAY OFF

Tuesday, Nov. 28

Practice at 10:30 a.m. at GIANT Center

Wednesday, Nov. 29

Morning skate at 10:15 a.m. at GIANT Center

Thursday, Nov. 30

TRAVEL TO CHARLOTTE

All practices are open to the public. Practice dates and times are subject to change.

UPCOMING GAME SCHEDULE:

Wednesday, Nov. 29 - Hershey at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, 7:05 p.m.

Friday, Dec. 1 - Hershey at Charlotte Checkers, 7 p.m.

Saturday, Dec. 2 - Hershey at Charlotte Checkers, 6 p.m.

Friday, Dec. 8 - Hershey at Syracuse Crunch, 7 p.m.

Saturday, Dec. 9 - Hershey vs. Cleveland Monsters, 7 p.m. - BUY TICKETS

Hometown Heroes Night - The game will feature military-themed activities and recognition throughout the evening.

Video Coverage: AHLTV; Radio Coverage: Bears Radio Network, Capitals Radio Network; Tickets: HersheyBears.com

All times Eastern

TEAM NEWS AND NOTES:

SWEET 16:

Wednesday's contest at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton offers the Bears the opportunity to make some history - with 15 wins through 19 games, the 2023-24 Hershey team is currently tied with the 1957-58 Bears squad (15-2-2) for the most wins in club history through the first 19 games of the season; a 16th win for the Bears on Wednesday against the Penguins would give this season's group the most wins by a Bears team through the first 20 games of a season in team history.

FASTEST 20 WINS STILL ON THE TABLE:

Although the Bears will not be able to reach the 20-win mark this week, Hershey can still maintain its frenetic pace in pursuit of the club mark for the fastest 20 wins with a strong performance. The 2008-09 Bears team reached the 20-win plateau in their 26th game, a 3-0 victory over Norfolk on Dec. 7, 2009, to cap an 11-game winning streak.

FEAT OF CLAY:

Over the last month, Bears rookie goaltender Clay Stevenson has been one of the top-performing netminders throughout the American Hockey League. Since Oct. 28, the second-year pro has gone 5-1-0 for Hershey, with a 1.00 goals-against average, a .961 save percentage, and a league-leading three shutouts.

SHEP-HARD OF THE FLOCK:

Defending Jack A. Butterfield Trophy winner Hunter Shepard has been no slouch either between the pipes for Hershey - since Oct. 28, Shepard has gone 6-1-0 for the Bears; his six wins are tied for the most in the AHL in that span, and his eight wins for the season are tied for second-most in the league. Shepard made his NHL debut earlier this season with the Washington Capitals, and made his 100th professional appearance, a 2-1 win for Hershey over Iowa on Nov. 25, in which the fourth-year pro made 25 saves and earned his fourth consecutive win.

NOVEMBER SO FAR:

Hershey has gone 9-2-0-0 in the month of November, earning 18 of a possible 22 points (.818). The Chocolate and White have been bolstered by the play of top-line center Mike Sgarbossa, who leads the club with 10 points - all assists - in the month. Three players have a share of the team goal-scoring lead for the month, as Alex Limoges (4g, 2a), Mike Vecchione (4g, 1a), and Pierrick Dubé (4g, 0a) have all lit the lamp four times. Dubé and Ethen Frank have each put up a team-leading 27 shots on goal for the month, while Frank leads Hershey in plus/minus for November with a +6.

TURN THE POWER ON:

Sunday's victory over Iowa allowed the Bears to break out of their funk on the power play, as the Bears went 2-for-5 with the man advantage. The Bears had previously gone their last seven games without a power-play goal, including one contest in which Hershey did not have an opportunity with the man advantage. Hershey also had to contend with some bad bounces along the way, such as a Logan Day goal coming just as a power play expired in a game against Bridgeport on Nov. 4, and a disallowed power-play goal by Mike Sgarbossa on Nov. 25 vs. Iowa due to a dislodged net. The Chocolate and White enter the week with their power play tied for 13th in the AHL (12-for-66, 18.2%); Ethen Frank leads the Bears with five power-play goals.

WE MEET AGAIN:

The Bears get set to face their I-81 rivals for the sixth time this season on Wednesday, with Hershey leading Wilkes-Barre/Scranton with a 3-2-0-0 record. Joe Snively leads the Bears with six points (4g, 2a) in five games against the Penguins, while several Wilkes-Barre/Scranton players have three points against Hershey. Hunter Shepard has earned all three Hershey victories against the Penguins this season, posting a 1.98 goals-against average and a .914 save percentage over four outings.

WE MEET AGAIN, PART TWO:

This weekend's road set at Charlotte will mark the first time the Bears have faced the Checkers since dispatching of Charlotte in the 2023 Atlantic Division Semifinals, taking the best-of-five series in four games. In the 2022-23 regular season, Hershey was 1-1-1-1 in four games at Bojangles' Coliseum, and 3-3-1-1 against the Checkers overall; Mike Vecchione led the series with nine points (4g, 5a) in seven contests; since-departed netminder Zach Fucale was responsible for all of the Bears' wins against Charlotte. The Checkers enter the week with the league's top-ranked penalty kill, at 89.3% (67-for-75).

SHOOT TO THRILL:

While Hershey is around the league average for goals scored, the Bears are making the most of their shooting opportunities. Hershey is credited with 58 goals this season on 505 shots on goal (11.49%), which ranks seventh in the league (and third in the Eastern Conference) in team shooting percentage. Defensively, the Bears also enter the week having allowed the fewest goals against (2.11) and shots against (23.37) per game in the AHL.

BEARS BITES:

Hershey leads the Eastern Conference and is tied with the Ontario Reign for the most wins in regulation this season (11)...The Bears are 11-0-0-0 this season when leading after the second period...Hershey is 9-1-0-0 this season in games decided by one goal...Defender Chase Priskie's 11 points (2g, 9a) is tied for 15th in league scoring among blueliners...Aaron Ness is three points away from passing Patrick McNeill (152 points) for eighth all-time in Bears scoring among defensemen...Jimmy Huntington's next point will be the 100th of his professional career.

Check out the Hershey Bears Statistics



American Hockey League Stories from November 27, 2023


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