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AHL Hershey Bears

Bears Weekly: Hershey Fights to Get into Playoff Picture

February 27, 2018 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Hershey Bears News Release


(Hershey, PA)-The Hershey Bears are 11 points out of a playoff spot in the Atlantic Division with just 19 games to play. Hershey, who sits at 23-26-4-4 and in seventh place in the Atlantic Division, has made up ground in the playoff chase, and the club will play three games in three nights this weekend after going 1-1-1-0 last week in contests versus Hartford, Rockford, and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.

Hershey started last week with a 4-2 victory at Hartford to push the team's winning streak to a season-high five games. With the game tied 1-1 in the closing minutes, Joe Whitney scored for Hershey to give the Bears a 2-1 lead with just 2:03 on the clock. Hartford tied the game on the ensuing face-off, but Nathan Walker responded for the Bears to pull Hershey ahead 3-2 just nine seconds after the Wolf Pack tally. Jeremy Langlois added an empty net goal and Pheonix Copley stopped 21 shots as Hershey improved to 3-1-0-0 vs. Hartford.

On Saturday, the Bears returned to Giant Center after a four-game road trip. Hershey earned a critical standings point, but fell in overtime to Rockford, 4-3. The Bears rallied from a goal down three separate times to force overtime. With Hershey outshot 40-14 in the game, netminder Vitek Vanecek was sensational for Hershey, but he couldn't stop John Hayden's overtime winner as Rockford swept the season series with the Bears.

The weekend concluded on Sunday with a 3-2 loss at rival Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. Hershey got goals from Riley Barber and Tyler Graovac, but two goals from Adam Johnson, including the game-winner, gave the Penguins a league-leading 21st win on home ice this season. The loss snapped Hershey's point streak at six games.

UPCOMING GAMES/PROMOTIONS:

-Friday, Mar. 2 at Lehigh Valley, 7:05 p.m

-Saturday, Mar. 3 vs. Utica, 7 p.m.

Penn State Health T-Shirt Night (All Fans), Healthcare Night

-Sunday, Mar. 4 vs. Lehigh Valley, 5 p.m.

Dietz & Watson Dollar Dog Night, Girl Scout Night

HERSHEY BEARS NEWS AND NOTES

BOURQUE IS BACK: The Bears will get leading scorer Chris Bourque back this week. The forward has returned from the 2018 Winter Olympics where he posted two assists in five games for Team USA. Even after missing nine games with Hershey while in South Korea, Bourque remains the club's leader in assists (33) and points (45). He is tied for eighth in the AHL in scoring this season, and is the league's active career point leader with 684 points in 706 games.

BOYD GETS THE CALL: On Tuesday, Washington recalled center Travis Boyd from Hershey. Boyd is slated to join the Capitals for the club's push to the playoffs, which is a significant loss for Hershey. The club's top center had 44 points this season and had posted 14 multi-point games for the Chocolate and White. Boyd rejoins the Capitals after making his NHL debut with the club and skating in two games in December.

THE WALKER: Hershey forward Nathan Walker is in the midst of a five-game point streak (three goals, four assists). The streak is the longest of any Hershey skater this season. Walker scored the game-winning goal in back-to-back games on Feb. 19, and Feb. 23, a night in which the Aussie had his first three-point game since Mar. 23, 2016 at Lehigh Valley. Walker has collected 16 points (six goals, 10 assists) in just 24 games with the Bears this season.

THE BARBER: Forward Riley Barber has goals in back-to-back games entering this weekend. The third-year Bear has seven points (three goals, four assists) in his past six games with the Chocolate and White. His 10 power play goals are tied for third in the American Hockey League.

JOLTIN' JOE: Newly obtained forward Joe Whitney continues to add to Hershey's offense. He has nine points (two goals, seven assists) in eight games with the Bears since the Feb. 10 trade. Both John Albert and Hubert Labrie, the two players that went to Hartford in the deal, have zero points in eight games with the Wolf Pack.

BEARS BITES: Friday is Hershey's final visit to the PPL Center this season. They are 0-5-0-0 this season in Allentown...Hershey hopes to get forward Mathias Bau and defender Lucas Johansen back this weekend. Both missed time last week due to lower-body injuries.

Check out the Hershey Bears Statistics



American Hockey League Stories from February 27, 2018


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