The Hershey Bears look to snap a two-game skid as they play for the final time before Christmas as they host the rival Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins at GIANT Center.
Hershey Bears (18-8-3-0) vs. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (15-8-1-0)
Dec. 22, 2024 | 5 p.m. | GIANT Center
Referees: Jake Kamrass (3), Jim Curtin (22)
Linespersons: Jeremy Faucher (85), Richard Jondo (55)
Tonight's Promotions:
Berks Holiday Ham Shoot Night- All fans are welcome post game to take part in the Berks Holiday Ham Shoot.
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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 FOX 43.2, Xfinity Ch. 247 and 1178, Verizon FiOS Ch. 463, Blue Ridge Ephrata Ch. 91, and Blue Ridge Newberry/Duncannon Ch. 88)
RADIO: WFVY-100.1 FM, Fox Sports 1460-AM, In-arena on 88.9 FM
WATCH LIVE: AHLTV on FloHockey
LISTEN LIVE: Fox Sports AM-1460 Stream
Radio pre-game coverage starts at 4:30 p.m.; Television coverage starts at 5 p.m.
LAST TIME OUT:
The Bears played host to the Toronto Marlies last night, and while the game entered the third period tied 2-2, it was the Marlies coming away with a 7-3 victory at GIANT Center. The seven goals allowed by Hershey was a season-high, and the five goals surrendered in the final stanza were the most the Bears have allowed in any period this season. Brad Hunt, Riley Sutter, and Bogdan Trineyev scored for the Bears in the loss. Toronto's Cedric Pare led the way with four points (1g, 3a), while Kyle Clifford (2g, 1a) and Joseph Blandisi (1g, 2a) recorded three-point nights. The Penguins scored a 7-2 win over the Lehigh Valley Phantoms on home ice last night. In a game that saw 132 combined penalty minutes despite no fights, the Penguins went 3-for-8 on the power play and got three-point performances from Emil Bemstrom (1g, 2a) and Boris Katchouk (1g, 2a).
BANGED-UP BEARS:
Four Bears players were listed as unavailable in last night's game due to injury: Pierrick Dube (lower-body), Jake Massie (lower-body), Alex Limoges (upper-body), and Mike Sgarbossa (upper-body). Additionally, defenseman Ethan Bear left last night's game with a lower-body injury. So far this season, Hershey has lost 89 man-games due to injury and illness. For comparison, the club lost 107 man-games due to injury/illness for the entirety of the 2023-24 regular season.
ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS:
Hershey's power play is looking for a shot in the arm tonight as the club has been held at bay on the man advantage for the past four games, going 0-for-13. The Bears are just 1-for-20 (5%) on the power play over the past seven games, and Hershey now sits 10th in the league on the man advantage at 19.6%. With injuries to Ethan Bear, Pierrick Dube, Alex Limoges, and Mike Sgarbossa, as well as the NHL recalls of Ivan Miroshnichenko and Henrik Rybinski, Hershey is missing 53% of its offense on the power play, as the players unavailable attribute for 35 total points on the man advantage (14g, 21a). Despite that, Hershey's top two power-play goal scorers Chase Priskie (5) and Ethen Frank (4) remain available. The Bears have gone 1-for-6 on the power play in two games versus Wilkes-Barre/Scranton this season.
PENGUIN POINTS:
Tonight marks the third of 12 head-to-head games between Hershey and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. The Penguins delivered the first blow in the season series, winning 5-4 at GIANT Center on Nov. 30 as Rutger McGroarty tallied the winning goal late in regulation. Hershey returned the favor in the latest matchup, blowing by the Penguins with a sizable 6-1 win at Mohegan Arena at Casey Plaza on Dec. 4. Hershey's Ethen Frank (2g, 1a) and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton's Filip Kral (2g, 2a) lead their respective teams in scoring in the season series, which continues with Hershey's first outing after Christmas on Dec. 28 at GIANT Center.
GETTING IT GOING AT GC:
The Bears continue an eight-game homestand tonight, but the club enters this evening's game having dropped the first two contests of that stretch. Hershey will look to turn the tide on home ice as the Bears are just 7-7-1-0 at GIANT Center this season. Only Bridgeport and Henderson have more losses at home than Hershey this season as both of those clubs have dropped 10 games in their own buildings. Additionally, Hershey's seven losses at GIANT Center this season equal the club's total losses on home ice during the 2023-24 season as the Bears went 29-7-0-0 in Chocolatetown during a record-setting campaign.
BEARS BITES:
With his goal last night, Bogdan Trineyev has eight tallies on the season in just 22 games after potting nine goals over 63 games during his rookie year in 2023-24...Luke Philp's two points last night gave him his third multi-point game of the season...Defenseman Brad Hunt had his first goal in 12 games last night and enters tonight with points in two straight and in three of his past four outings...Fellow blueliner Vincent Iorio comes into tonight's game with assists in three straight outings and four of his past five contests...Bears head coach Todd Nelson's next victory will mark his 425th as an AHL head coach, moving him past John Anderson for sole possession of sixth in league history for wins by a head coach.
ON THIS DATE:
Dec. 22, 1945 - Armand Gaudreault turned in a hat trick, including the game-winner, in a 7-4 Bears win over the New Haven Eagles. Harry Frost made his return to the lineup for Hershey after spending the last three years in the armed services due to World War II by putting home two goals for the crowd of approximately 6,500 at Hershey Sports Arena.
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