Bears Weekly #16: Red-Hot Hershey Opens Busy Week in Charlotte
January 13, 2020 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Hershey Bears News Release
(Hershey, PA) - The Hershey Bears earned a pair of wins last week to move the club's record to 23-11-2-3, good for 2nd in the Atlantic Division, and just two points off the Atlantic Division lead. The Chocolate and White will look to continue the winning ways amid a busy week that sees them play two games, including skating in Charlotte on Tuesday and Wednesday, before returning home to Giant Center to host division leading Hartford on Saturday, and Rochester on Sunday.
Last week, the Bears dropped a 2-1 decision to the Hartford Wolf Pack on Wednesday evening. Philippe Maillet scored for Hershey, but the Wolf Pack won the game on a goal in the final minute from Vinni Lettieri.
Hershey bounced back on Friday evening, earning a 2-1 win via the shootout at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. Pheonix Copley turned aside 33 shots, then went 6-for-6 in the shootout before Shane Gersich ended the stalemate with a goal in the bottom of the 6th round to win the game for Hershey.
The Bears closed the week with a 4-2 win over Cleveland on Sunday at Giant Center. Axel Jonsson-Fjallby and Bobby Nardella scored power play goals in the victory. It was Beck Malenstyn who broke a 2-2 tie with 2:40 remaining to secure the win for Hershey. Chris McCarthy had two assists in the victory.
UPCOMING GAMES:
Tickets to all home games are on sale now at the Giant Center Box Office, or online via Ticketmaster.
-Tuesday, Jan. 14 at Charlotte, 7 p.m.
-Wednesday, Jan. 15 at Charlotte, 7 p.m.
-Saturday, Jan. 18 vs. Hartford, 7 p.m.
GIANT Food Drive Night
-Sunday, Jan. 19 vs. Rochester, 5 p.m.
PSECU Knit Cap Night (First 4,000 fans)
ANOTHER 17 GAMES TO REMEMBER: Last January, the Bears started an impressive run, going 16-0-0-1 from Jan. 12-Feb. 23. The 17-game point streak established a new franchise record. This season, the Bears nearly replicated that run. From Dec. 1 to present, the Bears have won 15 of 17 games, going 15-2-0-0 in that stretch. Each of Hershey's two losses have come by slim 2-1 margins. In this current streak, the Bears have outscored its opponents, 52-29. The Bears started the streak one game below .500.
FLOW ON FIRE: Forward Axel Jonsson-Fjallby had a strong weekend for the Chocolate and White. The forward tallied three goals over the two home games on the weekend, including striking twice versus Cleveland for the second multi-goal game of his AHL career. The Swede is third on the team in goals with 10, trailing veteran snipers Matt Moulson and Mike Sgarbossa.
BRICK WALLS STAND TALL: The Bears continue to get sensational goaltending. Vitek Vanecek ranks 7th in the league in goals against average at 2.30, while Pheonix Copley is 10th at 2.42. League-leading Milwaukee is the only other team with two goalies in the top-10. Copley has won six straight starts for Hershey, and the goaltender earned his 100th professional win at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton last Friday. Bears netminders have allowed two or less goals in eight straight games, and the Bears now rank 2nd in the league in goals allowed at 2.49 per game.
ONE-GOAL WONDERS: The Bears continue to find ways to win tight games. The Chocolate and White have played the most one-goal games in the AHL at 23, with the club posting an impressive 12-6-2-3 record in those close affairs. In this current 17-game stretch of strong play since Dec. 1, the Bears have won nine one-goal games, while losing just two.
BEARS BITES: Defender Christian Djoos was re-assigned to Hershey by Washington last Saturday. He leads all Chocolate and White defenders with 18 points this season, and the next time he finds the scoresheet will mark the 100th point of his AHL career...Beck Malenstyn and Shane Gersich each skated in their 100th pro games this past weekend...Hershey enters this week's road contests having won five straight games away from the Giant Center...On home ice, Hershey's 15 wins only trail Hartford's 16 for the most in the AHL.
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