AHL Hershey Bears

Offense Stymied - Team Looks To Get Back On Track

November 7, 2011 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Hershey Bears News Release


The HERSHEY BEARS Hockey Club had a light weekend to start November, but were unable to ignite their offense as the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins earned a 4-0 victory on Friday at Mohegan Sun Arena. Dany Sabourin allowed three goals on 13 shots before being replaced by Braden Holtby, who stopped all nine shots in relief. After playing seven of their first 11 games on the road, HERSHEY returns to the comfort of home for the next three contests and for five of the next six. The BEARS are 2-1-1-0 at Giant Center and will host two opponents for the second time this season, beginning with the Binghamton Senators on Wednesday. HERSHEY won both meetings by identical 3-2 scores against the Senators. Friday's contest against Wilkes-Barre/Scranton will be the fourth meeting in the 12-game season series, with the Penguins having claimed the last two while allowing a total of just one goal. The BEARS' 2-0-0-0 Sunday record will then be tested by the Bridgeport Sound Tigers, who were defeated last season in both meetings between the clubs. Forward D.J. King was assigned to HERSHEY on Sunday by the Washington Capitals, and will look to make his debut with the Chocolate and White this week.

Still Powerful

The BEARS' early power play success has kept the team near the top of the league rankings. Their 27.3% success rate (15-for-55) is good for fourth overall, while the team ranks second at home (9-for-26, 34.6%).

Nil on the Kill

HERSHEY continues to impress on the penalty kill, ranking fifth overall (46-for-54, 85.2%) and second at home (20-for-21, 95.2%).

Staying the Course:

Scoring 37 goals in 11 games (3.36 goals/game), the BEARS rank tied for sixth in the AHL heading into this week's action.

AHL Leaderboard Watch

Keith Aucoin remains tied for third overall in the AHL scoring race with 16 points (3 goals, 13 assists), while linemate Chris Bourque's 14 points (6 goals, 8 assists) place him in a tie for ninth overall. Aucoin's 13 helpers also tie for the league lead.

Variety Pack

Of the nine remaining games on the BEARS' November schedule, five will be against non-division opponents and one will be against a non-conference opponent. The BEARS will host Bridgeport and Albany (Northeast) on 11/13 and 11/19, Providence (Atlantic) on 11/23, and Lake Erie (North) on 11/26, and will visit Connecticut (Atlantic) on 11/29. HERSHEY is 1-1-1-0 against non-division opponents.

"Movember" is Ford Month:

Matt Ford is captaining the BEARS' "Movember" team, in which players will grow mustaches to raise funds and awareness for men's health.

Check out the Hershey Bears Statistics



American Hockey League Stories from November 7, 2011


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