Game Preview: Bears at Penguins, 7:05 p.m.
Published on December 28, 2018 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Hershey Bears News Release
(Wilkes-Barre, PA) - Tonight, the Hershey Bears battle the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, AHL affiliate of the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Bears and Pens have previously met seven times this season, and Hershey leads the season series with a 4-2-0-1 record. Hershey enters 0-4-0-0 away from Giant Center in December.
Hershey Bears (12-17-0-2) at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (15-13-4-1)
December 28, 2018 | 7:05 PM | Game 32 | Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza
Referees: Dan Kelly (55), Olivier Gouin (54)
Linesmen: Tom DellaFranco (71), Tyler Loftus (11)
Broadcast Information (Pre-game 6:35 p.m.)
RADIO: WQIC-100.1 FM, Fox Sports 1460-AM, WOYK-1350 AM, Zack Fisch, the Voice of the Bears on the call.
LISTEN LIVE: Fox Sports AM-1460 Stream
WATCH LIVE: AHLTV, Caps Radio 24/7
ATLANTIC DIVISION STANDINGS
LAST TIME OUT:
The Hershey Bears last took the ice on December 22 in a 6-1 loss to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms at Giant Center. Tyrell Goulbourne opened the scoring for Lehigh Valley at 5:44, but Riley Barber evened the game for the Chocolate and White with two seconds to spare before intermission. However, the Phantoms took control in the second period, scoring three of an eventual five unanswered goals. Taylor Leier added two goals in the third period. Ilya Samsonov stopped 24 of 30 shots in the losing effort. The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins also battled Lehigh Valley in their last time out on December 26. Despite leading 3-1 after 40 minutes, the Phantoms rallied with four goals in the third to down the Pens, 5-3. Ben Sexton scored his first two goals in a Wilkes-Barre uniform in the first period, and Teddy Blueger tallied at 19:54 of the second period.
LAST TIME VERSUS WILKES-BARRE:
The Bears and Penguins last met on December 21 at Giant Center in a 3-2 win for the Chocolate and White in front of 10,545 fans. Jean-Sebastien Dea scored his first goal of the season only 67 seconds into the game to provide the Pens a 1-0 advantage. Mike Sgarbossa tied the game at 4:55 by scoring Hershey's first of an eventual three power play goals. Nathan Walker tallied to give the Bears a 2-1 lead at 8:34, before Teddy Blueger tied the score at 2-2 at 10:43. In the second period, Riley Barber scored the eventual game-winner with a power play snipe at 18:27.
WINNING AGAINST WILKES-BARRE:
The Bears hold an impressive 4-2-0-1 record versus Friday's opponent, the rival Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. Hershey has won two of the three meetings on the road at the Mohegan Sun Arena. Mike Sgarbossa's six points (three goals, three assists) leads all Bears in the season series, while Riley Barber (three goals, two assists) and Aaron Ness (five assists) each have five points. Netminder Vitek Vanecek holds a 3-1-1 record with a 2.76 goals against average and a .910 save percentage vs. the Penguins.
BARBER SHOP REMAINS OPEN:
Forward Riley Barber is set to skate in his 200th game in the AHL with the Chocolate and White this evening. Barber continues to be one of Hershey's top marksmen, collecting four points (two goals, two assists) in the Bears two games last weekend. The Bears have enjoyed great success when Barber has found the back of the net, as Hershey boasts a 7-3-1 record in games Barber has scored this season.
VITEK BOUNCES BACK:
In last Friday's victory, Hershey netminder Vitek Vanecek was named the second star after stopping 26 shots in the 3-2 win. For Vanecek, the win improved his record to 6-6-2 on the season, and earned him his first victory since Dec. 2, a span of four starts in which Hershey only scored a total of five goals. Vanecek ranks 14th in the AHL with a 2.69 goals against average. He has collected a 37-29-11 record in 86 career AHL games with the Chocolate and White.
American Hockey League Stories from December 28, 2018
- Heat Fall Friday in Tucson - Stockton Heat
- Monsters Rally for 3-2 Overtime Win against Griffins - Grand Rapids Griffins
- Rocket Take Down First Place Charlotte Checkers 4-2 - Laval Rocket
- Amerks Cruise to 5-1 Win over Defending Champs - Rochester Americans
- Lyon Makes 33 Saves as Lehigh Valley Beats Providence 3-1 - Lehigh Valley Phantoms
- Wolves Knock off Rockford, Remain in First - Chicago Wolves
- Crunch Extinguish Comets, 10-1 - Syracuse Crunch
- Bridgeport goes perfect on the power play en route to its 20th win this season - Bridgeport Islanders
- Checkers Stumble in Return from Holidays - Charlotte Checkers
- Bears Score Early and Often, Blast Pens 5-1 - Hershey Bears
- Penguins Lose to Bears, 5-1 - Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins
- Stenlund Nets Game-Winner in Overtime as Monsters Clip Griffins, 3-2 - Cleveland Monsters
- Comets Bested by Crunch - Utica Comets
- Lyon Leads Phantoms over P-Bruins 3-1 - Providence Bruins
- Sound Tigers Prevail over T-Birds in See-Saw Battle - Springfield Thunderbirds
- Game #29 Preview: Tucson vs. Stockton - Tucson Roadrunners
- Dallas Recalls Roope Hintz, Texas Loans Brady Norrish to Idaho - Texas Stars
- Marlies Visit Rochester Americans - Toronto Marlies
- Anaheim Ducks Recall Boyle - San Diego Gulls
- Monsters Sign Goaltender Eric Levine to Professional Tryout Contract - Cleveland Monsters
- Kings Assign Daniel Brickley to Ontario - Ontario Reign
- American Hockey League Announces Suspension - AHL
- Eagles Recall Herbert from Utah, Anderson Reassigned to Grizzlies - Colorado Eagles
- Flames Assign Alan Quine to Stockton - Stockton Heat
- Rangers Assign Lias Andersson to Hartford - Hartford Wolf Pack
- Dallas Stars Reassign Defenseman Gavin Bayreuther - Texas Stars
- Stockton Opens Two-Game Set at Tucson Friday - Stockton Heat
- Zach Sanford Assigned to Rampage - San Antonio Rampage
- Anaheim Ducks Acquire Trevor Murphy from Arizona - San Diego Gulls
- Sound Tigers Begin Six-Game Road Trip this Weekend - Bridgeport Islanders
- Minnesota Wild Assigns Forward Joel Eriksson Ek to Iowa - Iowa Wild
- Game Preview: Bears at Penguins, 7:05 p.m. - Hershey Bears
- Kevin Spinozzi Recalled from Wheeling - Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins
- Gulls Stay Hot at Home as Newcomer McParland Chips in - San Diego Gulls
- Condors Road Trip Ends with 4-3 Loss to San Diego - Bakersfield Condors
- Gleason Powers Stars Past Rampage - San Antonio Rampage
- McCarron Scores Twice in 6-4 Loss to Senators - Laval Rocket
- Stars Earn Fifth Straight Home Win in 5-2 Victory - Texas Stars
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
