AHL Hershey Bears

Hershey Weekly

February 17, 2014 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Hershey Bears News Release


The Hershey Bears Hockey Club nabbed all six possible points this weekend for the second time this season, to move within two points of the East Division lead. The team began the weekend by erasing 1-0 and 2-1 deficits against the Albany Devils on Friday night, and claiming a shootout victory in a 3-2 final at Atlantic City's Boardwalk Hall. Matt Watkins and Michael Latta answered goals by Reid Boucher and Stefan Matteau to send the game to extra time. Ryan Stoa and Casey Wellman netted the shootout goals, while Philipp Grubauer added four saves on five chances to go along with a 33-save effort in the first 65 minutes. The Bears earned a sweep of their two games played in Atlantic City.

The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins came to GIANT Center on Saturday, and struck first on a Bobby Farnham tally. From there, Hershey rattled off five in a row - two goals from Dustin Gazley and one each from Wellman, Ryan Potulny and Dane Byers - en route to a 5-1 lead. The Penguins would make it interesting with late strikes from Nick Drazenovic, Brian Gibbons and Jayson Megna, but the Bears held on for their 12th straight home-ice victory. Grubauer won his fifth straight start with 31 saves.

In Sunday's rematch at Mohegan Sun Arena, goaltenders David Leggio and Jeff Deslauriers kept the game scoreless through 49 minutes of play. But the gates opened after Jeff Taffe tipped a Wellman shot home for a 1- 0 lead. Potulny would score his second in as many nights for necessary insurance, as a Gibbons shorthanded tally would bring the Penguins within one. But Peter LeBlanc stopped the rally quickly, scoring just 49 seconds later. Leggio finished with 26 saves in earning his 15th win of the season.

HERSHEY BEARS NEWS AND NOTES

POTULNY POTS PAIR: The stick of C Ryan Potulny heated up this weekend, as his goal on Saturday was one of five unanswered in the Bears' win over Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, while his goal on Sunday on the road against the Penguins ended up as the game-winner and earned him first-star honors.

HE'S GOT A LITTLE CAPTAIN IN HIM: Bears captain Dane Byers is now one game away from matching his season-best six game point streak, set from October 27 - November 10. Byers recorded five points (one goal, four assists) and a plus-four rating on the weekend, and has points in six of the eight games played this month (four goals, five assists).

GAZLEY GRAZING ON PENGUINS: RW Dustin Gazley struck twice in Saturday's win over Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, with his second of the game ending up as the game-winner. Of Gazley's eight goals, four are game- winners, which ties for the team lead. His last three straight have come against the Penguins. The Bears are 7-0-0-0 when Gazley scores.

A LATTA HARD WORK: C Michael Latta extended his point streak to four games, after posting four points (one goal, three assists) on the weekend. Latta's goal was the game-tying marker on Friday against Albany, while two of his three assists factored into Sunday's game-winner and insurance goals at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.

TAFFE'S TALLY TIES FOR LEAD: C Jeff Taffe's goal in Sunday's win at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton was his 14th of the season, which ties him with RW Brandon Segal for the Bears' goal-scoring lead.

GIANT GRUBAUER: G Philipp Grubauer won his fifth straight start on Saturday vs. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. The win was also his third in a row against the Penguins. Since his return from NHL duty, Grubauer is 7-1-0 with one shutout, a GAA of 1.98 and save percentage of .934 - and is 5-0- 0 at GIANT Center. Grubauer's overall 2.31 GAA ranks 11th in the AHL.

BEARS BULLETS:

- The Bears have racked up 12 consecutive wins at GIANT Center, and remain perfect on home ice (11-0-0-0) in 2014. The 12-game home winning streak matches the league's longest of the season and is halfway to the Bears' AHL record-setting 24-game streak of 2009- 10.

- Hershey's five-game winning streak is one shy of its season high of six, set January 18-31.

- The Bears have points in 17 of 21 games in 2014 (16-4-1-0).

- Hershey's record and late-month conference/division standings:

o October 28: 2-3-1-0, 12th, 5th

o November 25: 6-6-2-2, 12th, 5th

o December 23: 12-10-2-3, 9th, 4th

o January 27: 22-14-3-3, 8th, 4th

o February 17: 29-16-3-3, 4th, 2nd

Check out the Hershey Bears Statistics



American Hockey League Stories from February 17, 2014


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