Game Preview: Bears at Checkers, 6 p.m.
March 9, 2024 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Hershey Bears News Release
(Charlotte, NC) - The Hershey Bears visit the Charlotte Checkers at the Bojangles' Coliseum for the final time this season as they look to snap a three-game winless skid (0-2-0-1).
Hershey Bears (41-11-0-4) at Charlotte Checkers (28-21-6-0)
March 9, 2024 | 6 p.m. | Game 57 | Bojangles' Coliseum
Referees: Jordan Samuels-Thomas (42), Jake Kamrass (3)
Linespersons: Kirsten Welsh (10), Justin Johnson (57)
Broadcast Information
Voice of the Bears, Zack Fisch, and Bears media specialist Jesse Liebman on the call
TELEVISION:Antenna TV (WPMT FOX 43.2, Xfinity Ch. 247 and 1178, Verizon FiOS Ch. 463, Blue Ridge Ephrata Ch. 91, and Blue Ridge Newberry/Duncannon Ch. 88)
RADIO: WFVY-100.1 FM, Fox Sports 1460-AM
WATCH LIVE: AHLTV
LISTEN LIVE: Fox Sports AM-1460 Stream
Radio pre-game coverage starts at 5:30 p.m.
LAST TIME OUT:
The Bears were unable to return to the win column last night as they were handed a 5-3 loss by the Charlotte Checkers. Hershey fell behind just 2:59 into the game on a goal by Zac Dalpe, and despite a goal credited to Dylan McIlrath at 17:23, Charlotte grabbed a 2-1 lead through 20 minutes on Will Lockwood's first of two goals at 19:35. Alex Limoges tied the game 2-2 just 1:37 into the middle frame, but Justin Sourdif scored for Charlotte on a breakaway to put the Checkers in front at 4:31. In the third period, Lockwood's second goal at 5:57 made it 4-2 for the hosts, but Hershey's Chase Priskie made things interesting at 15:26, scoring to make it a one-goal game. Hershey pulled netminder Clay Stevenson late, but Gerry Mayhew scored into the empty-net at 19:37 to seal the win for the Checkers. Shots favored Charlotte 36-22 as the Checkers posted a second straight win.
CHANCE TO CLINCH:
Despite Hershey's loss last night, the club's Magic Number to clinch a berth in the 2024 Calder Cup Playoffs was reduced to four due to Springfield's regulation loss to Bridgeport. Hershey can punch its ticket to the postseason tonight if they beat Charlotte AND if Springfield loses in regulation to Toronto this evening. If those results were to occur, Hershey would be the first team to clinch a playoff berth this season, and it would mark the franchise's 71st postseason appearance, the most in AHL history.
PHILLIPS TIME:
Forward Matthew Phillips has joined the Bears and could make his Hershey debut this evening. The forward recorded five points (1g, 4a) in 30 NHL games with the Capitals and Penguins this year. Last season, he posted 76 points (36g, 40a) in 66 games for the AHL's Calgary Wranglers, skated in the 2023 AHL All-Star Classic in Laval, and was named to the AHL's First All-Star Team. He has registered 237 points (103g, 134a) in 265 career AHL games with Stockton and Calgary. Phillips will wear #11 for Hershey.
ADVERSITY BUILDS CHARACTER:
Hershey is winless (0-2-0-1) in three straight games for the first time this season. This marks the first time Hershey has been winless in three straight games in over a year. The previous occurrence was March 4-12, 2023 when Hershey dropped three straight regulation decisions to the Providence Bruins. The club will look to avoid back-to-back regulation losses tonight, something that has not occurred this season. The Bears are 9-0-0-1 this season in games following a regulation loss.
BEARS BITES:
Before he could play a game for Hershey, forward Evgeny Kuznetsov was traded by the Washington Capitals to the Carolina Hurricanes ahead of yesterday's NHL Trade Deadline...Hershey forwards Ethen Frank and Riley Sutter returned to the lineup last night after being sidelined by injuries. Frank missed eight games with a lower-body injury while Sutter missed six games with an upper-body injury...Last night's loss snapped a four-game point streak at the Bojangles' Coliseum for Hershey (3-0-0-1)....Chase Priskie's goal last night gave him the third 30-plus point season of his AHL career...Hershey forward Bogdan Trineyev has four points (3g, 1a) over the past six games...The Bears have surrendered the game's first goal in six straight contests.
ON THIS DATE:
March 9, 1990 - Hershey visits Utica at the Utica Memorial Auditorium and in a rare penalty-free game, the Bears are upended by the Devils, 6-2. Referee Dennis Larue kept his whistle in his pocket as Hershey squandered a 2-0 lead, surrendering six unanswered goals, including four tallies in the third period. Brian Dobbin had a goal and an assist for Hershey in the defeat.
American Hockey League Stories from March 9, 2024
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- Barracuda Outshined by Stars, 6-3 - San Jose Barracuda
- Belleville Sens Keep Hold Of Third Place In The North After A Loss In Utica - Belleville Senators
- Amerks Doubled up in Rematch with Crunch - Rochester Americans
- Ads Snap Skid With Win Over Griffins - Milwaukee Admirals
- Blumel and Becker Score Twice, Stars Split with Barracuda - Texas Stars
- Wolves Fall Short to IceHogs 4-1 - Chicago Wolves
- Moose Take Down Wild, 4-1 - Manitoba Moose
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- Ex-Marlies & Ellis Dazzle in 5-1 T-Birds' Rout of Toronto - Springfield Thunderbirds
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- Crunch Top Americans, 4-2 - Syracuse Crunch
- Penguins Fall to Phantoms in St. Pat's Game, 4-2 - Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins
- Comets Use Third Period Surge to Defeat Senators, 3-2 - Utica Comets
- Huntington, Phillips Pace Bears to 3-2 Win over Checkers - Hershey Bears
- Silver Knights Shut Down by Abbotsford, 6-0, in Second of Back-To-Back - Henderson Silver Knights
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- Checkers Fall Just Short in 3-2 Loss to Hershey - Charlotte Checkers
- Monsters Tripped up in 5-2 Loss to Rocket - Cleveland Monsters
- Capitals Loan Hunter Shepard to Hershey - Hershey Bears
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- The Canucks Fall 4-2 Against The Henderson Silver Knights - Abbotsford Canucks
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