Tampa Bay GM and Hockey Hall of Famer Steve Yzerman attends Hershey Bears game
It’s not every day an NHL General Manager attends a Hershey Bears game, let alone one that’s also regarded as one of the greatest players of all time.
VIDEO: Adam Erne whiffs a puck on a breakaway chance and scores his body instead
It was the missed chance of the year. After sitting for the Syracuse Crunch for a too many men on the ice penalty against the Hershey Bears Wednesday night, Adam Erne got a breakaway opportunity to possibly score his first goal of the season.
PHOTOS: Bears Drop Tough Game in Shootout to Syracuse
HERSHEY, PA – Jonathan Marchessault scores on Pheonix Copley in the shootout during Syracuse’s win on Saturday night (Kyle Mace / Chocolate Hockey)
Saturday night was a chance for the Hershey Bears to extend their winning streak to six games and hopefully extend their lead in the East Division. Unfortunately for Hershey, standing in their way was a tough Syracuse Crunch team who was looking to sweep the season series between these two teams with their fourth win against the Bears.
PHOTOS: Bears Split Weekend Series with Syracuse and St. John’s
HERSHEY, PA – Stan Galiev celebrates his goal against Syracuse Saturday night. Galiev has had the last three goals for Hershey (Kyle Mace / Chocolate Hockey)
After a huge win against archrivals Wilkes-Barre Wednesday night, the Hershey Bears looked to take that momentum into a two game weekend series. The Bears took on the Syracuse Crunch Saturday night, losing 4-1. They bounced back the next night against the St. John’s IceCaps and former Bears goalie Peter Budaj, with a 1-0 win.
DiSalvatore, Syracuse Squeeze Past Bears in OT
Syracuse, NY – Jon DiSalvatore celebrates the overtime game winner against his former team only 1:50 into the extra frame. (Kyle Mace / Sweetest Hockey on Earth)
We are in a crucial point of the regular season where every game is a playoff game. At this point it’s undeniable the Hershey Bears are on the outside looking into the Eastern Conference playoff bubble, and are a better hockey team than indicated by their record.
Friday, the Chocolate and White began their weekend with its lone away tilt in Syracuse, New York. Seeking revenge after getting embarrassed in the AHL Showcase, the Bears fell to the Crunch by a 3-2 overtime count in the debuts of Chris Brown and Kris Newbury.
2014 AHL Showcase: The Photos
Washington, D.C. – Bears center Michael Latta takes the opening face off of the 2014 AHL Showcase in Washington, D.C (Kyle Mace / Sweetest Hockey on Earth)
Sunday night, the Bears faced off against the Syracuse Crunch in the 2014 AHL Showcase. Despite the outcome not being what the Chocolate and White wanted, the game was still a site to see with Hershey sporting special Capitals jerseys. Below the jump, check out 25 photos from the game and warm-ups.
Defensive Woes: Hershey Drops AHL Showcase Game, 5-2
Washington, DC – Casey Wellman prepares for a faceoff in Hershey’s 5-2 defeat in the 2014 AHL Showcase at Verizon Center (Kyle Mace / Sweetest Hockey on Earth)
The Giant Center goal horn was held silent on Saturday night when the Syracuse Crunch blanked the Bears by a 5-0 count. It ended a 12 game Giant Center win streak for the Chocolate and White, but eyes quickly turned towards an opportunity for revenge the next night.
Sunday was the second annual AHL Showcase held at Verizon Center in our nation’s capital. Last year Ryan Potulny was the hero en route to a 2-1 win over the Norfolk Admirals.
This year the Bears-Crunch battled in Washington D.C. only days before resumption of National Hockey League play. The Tampa Bay Lightning lead affiliate potted five more goals on Philipp Grubauer for the second consecutive night and topped Hershey, 5-2.
Watch the Hershey Bears Game from Verizon Center Online
Tonight the Bears will take on the Syracuse Crunch from Verizon Center in Washington, D.C., and you can watch the game for free online!
Crunch Blank Bears 5-0, Snap Giant Center Win Streak
HERSHEY, PA – Michael Latta and Joey Mormina have a friendly discussion during Saturday night’s game between Hershey and Syracuse (Kyle Mace / Sweetest Hockey on Earth)
Although the Hershey Bears entered Saturday ten places above the Syracuse Crunch in the Eastern Conference standings, four of their five previous meetings this season were decided by a lone goal.
Seeking their 13th consecutive victory on Giant Center ice, the winning streak snapped with a 5-0 defeat to the Syracuse Crunch.
Michael Latta Shines, Bears Sweep Home-and-Home Against Syracuse
HERSHEY, PA – Michael Latta celebrates his first goal of the night with Matt Watkins in Hershey’s 3-2 win (Kyle Mace / Sweetest Hockey on Earth)
We can all appreciate a sports season that is evenly split between two calendar years. It provides every team with a chance to start fresh and turn the page if it’s felt necessary.
In 2013, the Hershey Bears struggled to stay above the .500 mark in the AHL standings, had a power play unit ranked near the league’s worst and floated near the bottom of the Eastern Conference.
But into the final Saturday of 2014’s opening month, the Bears suddenly hit a power surge bringing them to 20 wins at the 40 game mark. A sudden six game Giant Center win streak and a climb in the special teams rankings has helped Hershey to their recent success. Entering Saturday’s contest against Syracuse, the Chocolate and White had the best point percentage (.750%) in their previous ten games compared to all other Eastern Conference teams.
An impressive angle on Friday’s win in New York was winning by a three goal margin despite going 0-for-5 on the improving power play unit. In the next night’s rematch, the power play was blanked once more, but Michael Latta’s two goals lifted Hershey to a thrilling 3-2 win.