The Hershey Bears close out their four-game road trip tonight in the Empire State with their final meeting of the season with the Utica Comets.
Hershey Bears (42-11-0-4) at Utica Comets (24-24-4-4)
March 15, 2024 | 7 p.m. | Game 58 | Adirondack Bank Center
Referees: Chris Rumble (65), Chad Ingalls (39)
Linespersons: Shawn Oliver (56), Donovan Ott (84)
Broadcast Information
Voice of the Bears, Zack Fisch on the call
RADIO: WFVY-100.1 FM, Fox Sports 1460-AM, SportsRadio 98.9-FM & WOYK 1350-AM, Capitals Radio
WATCH LIVE: AHLTV
LISTEN LIVE: Fox Sports AM-1460 Stream, Caps Radio 24/7
Radio pre-game coverage starts at 6:30 p.m.
LAST TIME OUT:
The Bears faced the Charlotte Checkers last Saturday and snapped a three-game winless streak with a 3-2 win over their Atlantic Division opponent. Matthew Phillips, making his Bears debut, opened the scoring on his first shot with Hershey, then assisted on Jimmy Huntington's goal. Huntington netted a power-play goal in the second period that stood up as the eventual game-winner. Utica was in Belleville on Wednesday night, falling 5-2 to the Senators. Utica had built a 2-1 lead by the midway point of the first period with goals from Chase Stillman and Nolan Stevens, but Kyle Betts scored an unassisted shorthanded goal at 19:18 to tie the game at 2-2, and the Senators added three more goals to deal the Comets their second consecutive loss.
PILING UP THE POINTS:
Following Sunday's win by the Providence Bruins over the Springfield Thunderbirds, the Bears saw their Magic Number reduced to zero, officially clinching a berth in the 2024 Calder Cup Playoffs for a league-leading 71st time in franchise history. Hershey will now be afforded its remaining 15 games in the regular season to prepare for a postseason run to defend its 2023 Calder Cup, add to its league-leading 12 Calder Cup titles, and give the team its third overall set of back-to-back championships (1958, 1959; 2009, 2010). Hershey can now shift its focus in the regular season towards locking up the Atlantic Division title (Magic Number of 18 points) and Macgregor Kilpatrick Trophy for the regular season championship (Magic Number of 24 points). The Bears need to earn seven points out of their remaining seven road games to ensure they surpass the franchise mark for best road points percentage (.675, 2006-07), 23 points out of their remaining 15 games to best the franchise mark for overall points percentage (.769, 2009-10), and 24 points out of their remaining 15 games to best the 1992-93 Binghamton Rangers' league record for points percentage (.775).
JIMMY EAT WORLD:
Jimmy Huntington's three-point game (2g, 1a) on Saturday was his second three-point outing of the season and the sixth overall in his career. His pair of goals gives him 13 on the season, matching his previous AHL single-season high, split between the Syracuse Crunch and Milwaukee Admirals during the 2021-22 campaign. Hershey is 8-1-0-0 when Huntington lights the lamp this season, and 14-3-0-0 when he gets onto the scoresheet.
CRASHING THE COMETS' PARTY:
Hershey will look to light the lamp against the Comets for the first time since the team's home opener for the 2022-23 campaign on Oct. 15, 2022. Since Riley Sutter's empty-net goal with 30 seconds remaining in regulation in Hershey's 3-1 win on that date, the Bears have been shutout over their last two games against Utica, including a 1-0 loss at home this season on March 2. Following last Friday's NHL Trade Deadline, the Comets' parent club, the New Jersey Devils, acquired forward Nathan Legare from the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for Arnaud Durandeau, and loaned Legare to Utica. Legare has nine points (6g, 3a) in 40 combined games with Utica and Laval this season. The Bears are 8-3-0-1 against North Division clubs this season.
BEARS BITES:
The Bears lead the AHL with a penalty kill that has given up the fewest power-play goals (24) and an overall PK percentage of 88.3 percent (182-for-206)...Second-year defenseman Vincent Iorio's plus/minus of +22 is sixth among league blueliners and 10th overall in the AHL... Defender Hardy Haman Aktell's next game will be his 200th professional game. The blueliner has played in 48 combined games in his first season in North America, adding to his 151 career games in the Swedish Hockey League...Pierrick Dube has four assists over his last three games...Hershey leads the AHL with a 15-0-0-1 road record when leading after two periods... Hunter Shepard's next victory will be his 50th career win in the AHL and as a Bear. The goalie is currently tied with Darren Jensen and Don Edwards for 18th on the franchise wins list...The Bears are averaging the fewest penalty minutes among Eastern Conference teams with 9.72 PIMs per game...Hershey boasts a league-leading 31 wins when scoring first...The Bears lead the league with the fewest goals against per game (2.12) and are second in shots against per game (26.23).
ON THIS DATE:
March 15, 1947 - The Bears closed out the home portion of their 1946-47 regular season schedule at Hershey Sports Arena in the penultimate game of the campaign with a 13-1 walloping of the Indianapolis Capitals. After a scoreless first period, Hershey exploded for seven goals in the second period - highlighted by Gordon Bruce recording a natural hat trick in a club-record span of 2:54 - and added another six in the third period for a franchise-record 13 consecutive goals in one game. Indianapolis' Fern Gauthier spoiled the shutout bid for Gordon "Red" Henry with 23 seconds remaining in regulation. Henry finished with 28 saves as the Bears prepared for an eventual run through the Calder Cup Playoffs that culminated in the first championship for the Chocolate and White.
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