AHL Hershey Bears

Hershey Weekly

January 27, 2015 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Hershey Bears News Release


The Hershey Bears Hockey Club picked up all four points in its two-game week, maintaining the East Division lead and moving into 10th place in the AHL overall standings.

The Bears began their week with a Wednesday visit to play the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, a team which suffered just three regulation losses on home ice all season. Petr Straka would put the hosts ahead on a power play 3:15 into the game. Hershey then struck for seven unanswered goals all scored by different players - Casey Wellman, Stan Galiev (PP), Jim O'Brien (SH), Chris Brown (PP), Connor Carrick (PP), Kris Newbury and Tim Kennedy - to cruise to a 7-2 victory. Brandon Manning would net a goal on a two-man advantage with 7:49 left to play to round out the scoring. It was Hershey's highest single-game offensive production of the season. Philipp Grubauer made 23 saves in the win. Carrick (1-2-3), Galiev (1-2-3) and Kennedy (1-2-3) all recorded three points in the game.

On Saturday, the Bears hosted a Binghamton Senators team which gave up five third-period goals to the St. John's IceCaps on their home ice one night earlier. The Senators, who defeated the Bears 4-3 in overtime in the club's December 27 meeting at GIANT Center, went ahead on a Buddy Robinson conversion off of a turnover. A goal which would have given Liam O'Brien his first Hershey point would be waved off shortly afterward, but the Bears got the equalizer on Chris Conner's ninth of the season in the middle frame. Jim O'Brien netted the go-ahead goal on a power play, but Carter Camper would snap home his fifth of the year just 37 seconds later to tie things up again. Binghamton backstop Peter Mannino and Grubauer each denied eight shots in the third period, sending the game to overtime. Just 54 seconds in, Connor Carrick ripped a wrist shot that deflected off of the stick of Senators defenseman Fredrik Claesson and into the net, extending the Bears' win streak to a season-best four games.

HERSHEY BEARS NEWS AND NOTES

ALL-STAR GRUBAUER: G Philipp Grubauer went into the All-Star break a winner of three consecutive games, including his two decisions on the week. Grubauer's wins over Lehigh Valley and Binghamton moved him to 14-9-4 on the season. He then went on to earn top goaltender honors in the skills competition at the 2015 AHL All-Star Classic on Sunday.

ALL-STAR CARRICK: D Connor Carrick had one of his best weeks of the year. The native of Orland Park, IL tallied three points (1-2-3) on Wednesday at Lehigh Valley and was named the game's first star. His two assists came on the power play, moving his total power-play assists to 14 and his power-play point total to 17. Both numbers lead all AHL defensemen. Carrick's 27 points (6-21-27) lead all Bears blueliners, rank third among his teammates and seventh among AHL defensemen. He went on to score the overtime winner against Binghamton on Saturday and then left for Utica, where he chipped in one assist in the 2015 AHL All-Star Classic on Monday.

ALL-STAR KENNEDY: Despite being held off of the score sheet in Monday's AHL All-Star Classic, C Tim Kennedy went into the break by extending his point streak to three games. He recorded five points last week, including three (1-2- 3) on Wednesday at Lehigh Valley and two (0-2-2) on Saturday vs.

Binghamton. Kennedy's second assist on Saturday was on the overtime winner, and pulled his season total to 31, which ranks second overall in the AHL. His point total (4-31-35) ranks tied for 10th in the league, and he leads all skaters in power-play assists (17) and is tied for the lead in power-play points (18).

JUMPIN' JIM: C Jim O'Brien kept his perfect record intact by scoring a power- play goal on Saturday against his former Binghamton Senators team. O'Brien still has a point in every game he has played in Hershey (one shorthanded game-winning goal, one power play goal, four assists, plus-six rating, six GP).

COUNTDOWN TO 20,000: On Saturday, the Bears jumped three goals closer to a total of 20,000 scored in the club's 77-year history. The total stands at 19,997 heading into Friday's game at Lehigh Valley.

BEARS BULLETS: Hershey still leads the league with 27 first-goals, and is 17-7-3-0 when scoring first...The Bears have 37 power-play goals, third-most in the AHL...Hershey has allowed the fewest goals (91) in the AHL...The Bears rank third in goals against per game (2.22) and in shots against per game (27.17)...The Bears have the most home wins (16) and home points (34) in the AHL...Hershey maintains the AHL attendance lead (9,427 through 23 games).

Check out the Hershey Bears Statistics



American Hockey League Stories from January 27, 2015


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