Final Three Games Of 2011 Loom
Published on December 26, 2011 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Hershey Bears News Release
The HERSHEY BEARS Hockey Club entered the holiday break with a 5-2 win over the Syracuse Crunch on Wednesday at GIANT Center. Matthew Ford posted his second three-point effort of the season, pacing the BEARS offense with a goal and two assists. Dany Sabourin turned in another stellar performance, stopping 38 shots and garnering first-star honors. Sabourin is now 4-0-0 in December with a goals-against average of 1.50 and a save percentage of .940, stopping 110 of 117 shots send his way. He is 5-1-1 in his last seven games. The AHL's leading scorer, Keith Aucoin, has found his way onto the score sheet in nine out of ten December games, posting four goals and 14 assists in the stretch. Wednesday's win vaulted the BEARS into sole possession of first place in the East Division and a tie for first place in the Eastern Conference. It doesn't get any more exciting than the final three games of 2011, as the BEARS will play a home-and-home set with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins on Tuesday (7:05 pm at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton) and Wednesday (7:00 pm at HERSHEY), before closing out 2011 with a 6:00 pm faceoff on New Year's Eve against the Norfolk Admirals.
Nuclear Power
The BEARS remain at the top of the AHL in overall power play success (42-for-134, 31.3%) and home power-play success (28-for-78, 35.9%), and rank second on the road (14-for-56, 25.0%).
Spreading the Wealth
Scoring a shorthanded goal on Wednesday made Patrick McNeill the 14th different BEARS player to register a game-winning goal this season, most of any AHL team.
Hot Red Light:
HERSHEY ranks second in the AHL in goals per game (111 goals/30 GP = 3.70/game).
P-Mac Attack:
Patrick McNeill has climbed into a tie for fifth among AHL defensemen in scoring with 19 points (4+15).
Lordy, Lordy, Keith's at 40
AHL leading scorer Keith Aucoin notched his 40th assist of the season on Wednesday against Syracuse. Aucoin currently ranks 12th on the BEARS' all-time assist list (236). HERSHEY's single-season assist record is 89, posted by George `Red' Sullivan in 1953-54.
QuadruPPlets:
All four of the top power-play points producers are from HERSHEY: Aucoin (4-19-23), Chris Bourque (8-14-22), Jacob Micflikier (5-14-19) & Graham Mink (9-7-16). Mink's nine power-play goals lead the AHL.
American Hockey League Stories from December 26, 2011
- Sharks Show Moore Heart in Portland - Worcester Sharks
- Power Play Helps Ads Defeat IceHogs 7-3 - Milwaukee Admirals
- B-Sens Dismiss Devils, 8-3 - Binghamton Senators
- Taffe's OT Winner Lifts Aeros over San Antonio - Houston Aeros
- Rivermen Battle Back in 4-3 Loss - Peoria Rivermen
- Never Enough WATTage - Manchester Monarchs
- Penalty Kill Kills Rockford in Milwaukee - Rockford IceHogs
- Sound Tigers Come Back to Sink Whale 3-2 - Bridgeport Islanders
- Rampage Earn Point in 2-1 Overtime Loss to Aeros - San Antonio Rampage
- Hurricanes to Recall Forward Zac Dalpe - Charlotte Checkers
- Schroeder's OT Goal for Wolves Plays in Peoria - Chicago Wolves
- Sound Tigers Get by Whale in Third - Connecticut Whale
- Devils Vetoed by the Senators - Albany Devils
- P-Bruins Winning Streak Snapped at Four - Providence Bruins
- Oilers Recall Alex Plante From Barons Roster - Oklahoma City Barons
- Oilers Assign Kytnar To Stockton - Oklahoma City Barons
- Bulldogs Defeat Marlies 6-3 - Hamilton Bulldogs
- Monarchs Announce Roster Moves - Manchester Monarchs
- Sound Tigers Sign Riopel to PTO - Bridgeport Islanders
- First Four-Game Slate Closes out 2011 for IceHogs - Rockford IceHogs
- Rampage Add Four to Roster - San Antonio Rampage
- Crunch Announce Roster Move - Syracuse Crunch
- Blackhawks Recall Pirri from Rockford - Rockford IceHogs
- Sharks Look to Close out 2011 with Eight Points - Worcester Sharks
- IceCaps Re-Assign Marto to ECHL - St. John's IceCaps
- Blues Recall Adam Cracknell - Peoria Rivermen
- Rivermen Sign Three to PTO's - Peoria Rivermen
- Falcons Sign Chad Costello to PTO Contract - Springfield Falcons
- Monarchs Weekly Report - Manchester Monarchs
- Sound Tigers Sign Mouillierat, Haddad to PTO's - Bridgeport Islanders
- Blue Jackets Recall Forward Dane Byers from AHL's Springfield Falcons - Springfield Falcons
- Week 13 - Crunch Alums Contributing for Ducks - Syracuse Crunch
- DiDomenico Reassigned to Rockford from Toledo - Rockford IceHogs
- Final Three Games Of 2011 Loom - Hershey Bears
- Albany's Keith Kinkaid Named Reebok/AHL Player of the Week - AHL
- Aeros Game Day, December 26: Aeros Vs. Rampage - Houston Aeros
- P-Bruins Add Forward - Providence Bruins
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