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

November 29, 2023

The Hershey Bears take on the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins tonight, as Hershey will spend the next four games away from home. The Bears are 3-2-0-0 in games against their I-81 rival this season, and currently sit in first place atop the AHL standings.

Hershey Bears (15-4-0-0) at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (9-7-2-0)
November 29, 2023 | 7:05 p.m. | Game 20 | Mohegan Sun Arena
Referees: Stephen Hiff (46), Laura White (5)
Linespersons: Tyler Loftus (11), J.P. Waleski (14)

Broadcast Information 
Voice of the Bears, Zack Fisch, former Bears captain Garrett Mitchell, and FOX43 sports director Todd Sadowski on the call
TELEVISION: Antenna TV (WPMT 43.2, Xfinity Ch. 247 and 1178, Verizon FiOS Ch. 463, Blue Ridge Ephrata Ch. 91, Blue Ridge Newberry/Duncannon Ch. 88) 
RADIO: WFVY-100.1 FM, Fox Sports 1460-AM, SportsRadio 98.9-FM & WOYK 1350-AM (joined in-progress), Capitals Radio
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 Bears picked up their sixth consecutive win on Sunday, a 2-1 triumph over the Iowa Wild. Ethen Frank tallied his team-leading eighth goal of the season at 9:47 of the first period when he one-timed a Chase Priskie pass at the left circle above the blocker of Zane McIntryre for a power-play goal. Alex Limoges scored for the second time in as many nights, this time on the power play, off a face-off play at the left circle, knocking in a Mike Sgarbossa rebound at 13:31. The Wild got on the board in the second period thanks to a Jake Lucchini redirect at 10:31, but Clay Stevenson shut the door the rest of the way for Hershey, going 26-for-27 to secure his sixth win of the season. The Penguins are coming off a 4-1 win over the Charlotte Checkers on Saturday at Bojangles' Coliseum, in which Wilkes-Barre/Scranton raced out to a three-goal edge by the 12:06 mark of the first period, then made it 4-0 late in the second period with a John Gruden power-play goal. The Checkers finally broke through Joel Blomqvist's armor in the third period, but the Penguins netminder made a career-high 44 saves to preserve the win.

SWEET 16:
Tonight's contest at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton offers the Bears the opportunity to make some history - with 15 wins through 19 games, the 2023-24 Hershey team is currently tied with the 1957-58 Bears squad (15-2-2) for the most wins in club history through the first 19 games of the season; a 16th win for the Bears tonight against the Penguins would give this season's group the most wins by a Bears team through the first 20 games of a season in team history.

NOVEMBER SO FAR:
Hershey has gone 9-2-0-0 in the month of November, earning 18 of a possible 22 points (.818). The Chocolate and White have been bolstered by the play of top-line center Mike Sgarbossa, who leads the club with 10 points - all assists - in the month. Three players have a share of the team goal-scoring lead for the month, as Alex Limoges (4g, 2a), Mike Vecchione (4g, 1a), and Pierrick Dube (4g, 0a) have all lit the lamp four times. Dube and Ethen Frank have each put up a team-leading 27 shots on goal for the month, while Frank leads Hershey in plus/minus for November with a +6.

PEDAL TO THE PENS: 
The Bears get set to face their I-81 rivals for the sixth time this season on Wednesday, with Hershey leading Wilkes-Barre/Scranton with a 3-2-0-0 record. Joe Snively leads the Bears with six points (4g, 2a) in five games against the Penguins, while several Wilkes-Barre/Scranton players have three points against Hershey. Hunter Shepard has earned all three Hershey victories against the Penguins this season, posting a 1.98 goals-against average and a .914 save percentage over four outings. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton acquired forward Peter Abbandonato and defenseman Owen Headrick from the Chicago Wolves on Monday in exchange for future considerations.

BEARS BITES:
Defenseman Nicky Leivermann was loaned to the South Carolina Stingrays on Tuesday...Hershey entered the week leading the Eastern Conference and tied with the Ontario Reign for the most wins in regulation this season (11)...The Bears are 11-0-0-0 this season when leading after the second period...Hershey is 9-1-0-0 this season in games decided by one goal...Defender Chase Priskie's 11 points (2g, 9a) is tied for 16th in league scoring among blueliners...Aaron Ness is three points away from passing Patrick McNeill (152 points) for eighth all-time in Bears scoring among defensemen...Jimmy Huntington's next point will be the 100th of his professional career.

ON THIS DATE:
Nov. 29, 2009 - Michal Neuvirth stopped 42 shots for the Bears to earn a 5-0 shutout over Wilkes-Barre/Scranton at GIANT Center. Despite being outshot 42-21, Hershey scored five times on Penguins goalie John Curry, including two goals from Boyd Kane. The win marked the start of a league-record 24-game home winning streak.