AHL Hershey Bears

Conference's Top Teams Toppled, New-Look Bears Roll into March

March 1, 2016 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Hershey Bears News Release


The Hershey Bears Hockey Club swept its three-game week and, after 21 weeks of battling, has taken over the Atlantic Division's top spot.

The week started with a Tuesday tilt at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, the first meeting in two months with the arch-rival Penguins. Riley Barber set up a second-period power play goal from Travis Boyd and moments later scored on a penalty shot, helping the Bears to a 4-1 victory. Nathan Walker opened the scoring with a first-period strike, while Dan Ellis settled into an early groove, turning away all nine shots in the opening 20 minutes. Boyd's goal came on an early second-period power play handed to the Bears after the Penguins were guilty of unsportsmanlike conduct at the end of the first. The goal would end up as the game-winner, as Penguins forward Carter Rowney would be the only player to solve Ellis with his goal in the middle stanza. Liam O'Brien then buried his second breakaway chance of the period with a backhander over goaltender Tristan Jarry, and the Bears locked down the Penguins the rest of the way to take their first win at Mohegan Sun Arena since December 6, 2014.

On Friday, the Bears faced their biggest test of the year, heading north of the border for a matchup with the league-leading Toronto Marlies. A total team effort saw the Chocolate and White hand the Marlies only their 10th regulation loss of the year, a 5-2 decision. Dustin Gazley scored twice in the contest, while Chris Bourque and Jakub Vrana each tallied a goal and an assist. Sean Collins tallied a key power play goal for third-period insurance, while Ellis posted 37 saves on 39 Toronto shots for first-star honors. The Bears also killed all four Toronto power plays on the night.

Ellis was once again the star of the show on Sunday as the Bears returned to GIANT Center for a battle with the Utica Comets. Facing 33 Utica shots, Ellis denied 32 of them and earned his second straight number one star as the Bears rode his work to a 5-1 victory. Barber, Boyd, Bourque and Nathan Walker all recorded one goal and one assist for the Bears, while Vrana posted two assists on the night. With an assist on Boyd's second game-winning goal of the week, Bourque became the AHL's first 60-point producer of the season. Alexandre Grenier netted a second-period power play goal for Utica, the only blemish on Ellis' night. Forward Zach Sill scored on a shorthanded breakaway in the third period to cap off the scoring, giving Hershey shorthanded goals in back-to-back games.

Hershey visits Binghamton on Friday before playing a key home-and- home against Wilkes-Barre/Scranton this weekend. The set opens at GIANT Center on Saturday.

HERSHEY BEARS NEWS AND NOTES

HONORS TIMES TWO: For the second time this month, a Bears player has received an AHL honor. Riley Barber has been named the CCM/AHL Rookie of the Month of February, after posting a league-high 18 points (8-10-18). Barber is tied for third among AHL rookies with 43 points (19-24-43).

SIXTY TIMES SIX: Forward Chris Bourque tallied a goal and an assist on Sunday against Utica, and became the first player in the AHL to exceed 60 points (24-37-61). Bourque has also locked up the sixth 60-point season in his AHL career. In Hershey, Bourque has recorded 454 points (155 goals, 299 assists), ranking seventh in all-time points and assists. His goal on Sunday tied him with Myron Stankiewicz for 13th in all-time goals. Clicking at over a point-

per-game in his career, Bourque ranks 21st in Hershey games played (446).

BOURQUE TIMES TWO: The Bears will have Chris' younger brother Ryan reunited with him in Chocolatetown after his acquisition by the Capitals from the New York Rangers on Sunday night. Ryan, who served as captain of the AHL Hartford Wolf Pack, produced 122 points (57 goals, 65 assists) in 324 games in the Connecticut capital, where he spent his entire pro career.

FIVE TIMES TWO: Five different players recorded two-point games on Sunday in the team's win over Utica: Bourque (1-1-2), Nathan Walker (1-1-2), Riley Barber (1-1-2), Travis Boyd (1-1-2) and Jakub Vrana (0-2-2).

FORTY TIMES THREE: With Travis Boyd's two-point game on Sunday, he became the third Bears player to eclipse 40 points this season (18-23-41), joining Riley Barber and Chris Bourque.

WIN, TIMES THREE: Goaltender Dan Ellis won all three of his starts last week, posting an incredible save percentage of .960 (95 saves on 99 shots faced) and a goals-against average of 1.34. He is 6-1-0 in February and has four consecutive victories.

WINNERS, TIMES TWO: Rookie Travis Boyd picked up his first career game- winning goal on Tuesday at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. It took him two more games to record his second, on Sunday against Utica.

BEARS NEWS AND NOTES: Forward Scott Gomez departs with 24 points (4- 20-24) and the fourth-most assists on the Bears, after exercising his release option on Monday...Hershey's Friday win at Toronto marked the first time this season that the team won three consecutive road games...Hershey's 19 home wins rank tied for second-most in the AHL...Hershey's 44 home points lead the AHL...The Bears' 112 goals scored at home lead the AHL...The Bears' 196 total goals and 3.44 goals per game average rank third overall...The Bears' 75 second-period goals lead the AHL...The Bears once again pace the AHL attendance lead with 297,850 fans (average 9,608) through 31 games at GIANT Center.

Check out the Hershey Bears Statistics



American Hockey League Stories from March 1, 2016


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