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AHL Hershey Bears

Game Preview: Bears at Penguins, 7:05 p.m.

December 14, 2021 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Hershey Bears News Release


(Wilkes-Barre, PA) - The Hershey Bears continue the 2021-22 season, presented by Penn State Health, on the road this evening versus the rival Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. This is the second of 12 meetings between the two clubs this season. Tonight's game is a make-up contest from the Dec. 8 game that was postponed due to COVID-19 protocol issues with both clubs. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton is the AHL affiliate of the National Hockey League's Pittsburgh Penguins, while the Bears are the AHL affiliate of the Washington Capitals.

Hershey Bears (9-7-2-1) at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (9-8-1-2)

December 14, 2021 | 7:05 PM | Game #20 | Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza

Referees: Mike Dietrich (#15), Jim Curtin (#90)

Linespersons: Jud Ritter (#34), J.P. Waleski (#14)

Broadcast Information

Voice of the Bears, Zack Fisch, and Matt Trust on the call

RADIO: WFVY-100.1 FM, Fox Sports 1460-AM, SportsRadio 98.9-FM & WOYK 1350-AM, Caps Radio 24/7

WATCH LIVE: AHLTV

LISTEN LIVE: Fox Sports AM-1460 Stream, Caps Radio 24/7

Radio pre-game coverage starts at 6:35 p.m.

LAST TIME OUT:The Hershey Bears were last in action on Sunday, dropping a 4-2 decision to the Laval Rocket at GIANT Center. For the first time since Nov. 14, Hershey opened the scoring as Cody Franson struck on the power play at 10:15 of the opening period. Alex Alexyev also scored for Hershey, notching his first goal of the season in the second frame to tie the game, 2-2. Early in the third, Hershey appeared to take a 3-2 lead, but Mike Vecchione's goal was disallowed after video review due to an apparent distinct kicking motion. Rafael Harvey-Pinard would score for Laval at 7:11 on a penalty shot, and he added an insurance marker at 18:26 to earn the Rocket the win. Hershey outshot the Rocket 40-21 in the loss. The Penguins blew out Springfield on Sunday, beating the T-Birds by a score of 6-0 at the Mohegan Sun Arena. Six different Penguins scored, and goaltender Matt Jurusik recorded a shutout in his AHL debut with 28 saves.

THESE GUYS AGAIN:

The Bears and Penguins played this past Saturday at Mohegan Sun Arena. Hershey claimed a 3-2 win in the first game of the I-81 rivalry series this season. Axel Jonsson-Fjallby scored the overtime goal to secure the victory, and forward Mike Vecchione had two assists in his return to the lineup after a nine game absence due to injury. Both teams will play each other three more times in the month of December, squaring off in Hershey on Dec. 18, in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on Dec. 27 and battling again at GIANT Center on Dec. 29.

COUNT ON CODY:

Hershey defenseman Cody Franson has scored a power play goal in each of his past two games. The veteran blue liner struck on the man-advantage in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton last Saturday, then added his second multi-point performance of the season on Sunday, tallying a goal and an assist versus Laval. Franson is tied for first on the club in power play goals (3) and leads all Hershey defenders in scoring with 11 points (4g, 7a).

ON THE RIGHT TRACK:

The Bears have taken a step in the right direction in the discipline department and on the penalty kill over the past week. In Sunday's contest, Hershey only faced two power plays, a season low. Prior to that, Hershey had killed five or more penalties in the previous seven games. The Chocolate and White have been perfect on the penalty kill in their last two outings, going 5-for-5 versus Wilkes-Barre/Scranton last Saturday, and 2-for-2 versus Laval on Sunday. Hershey will look to extend its streak of penalty kill perfection to three games for just the second time this year. From Oct. 17-Oct. 23, Hershey went 15-for-15 on the kill over a three-game stretch.

BEARS BITES:

With Laval's Rafael Harvey-Pinard scoring on a penalty shot on Zach Fucale on Sunday, an impressive streak of 11 straight penalty shot saves by a Hershey goaltender ended. In a stretch that lasted over five years, Vitek Vanecek (5), Pheonix Copley (2), Ilya Samsonov (2), Fucale (1), and Joe Cannata (1) kept opponents off the scoreboard on penalty shots. Prior to Harvey Pinard's goal on Sunday, the last time a Bears netminder allowed a penalty shot goal was on Nov. 11, 2016 when Albany's Joe Blandisi scored on Vanecek...Hershey is 5-1-1-0 when they are outshot in games this season....The Bears tied a season-high with 40 shots on Sunday. In both games with 40 shots, Hershey has come up on the losing end...Both Joe Snively (2g, 7a) and Mike Vecchione (7a) enter tonight's game with five-game point streaks. No Bear has had a six-game point streak this season.

Check out the Hershey Bears Statistics



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