Injuries Impacting, But Not Yet Hurting Hershey

HERSHEY, Pa. -  Sometimes it is not how you start, but how you finish, which was the case for the Bears on Tuesday night when they fell behind the visiting Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins 2-0 at the end of the first period but responded with six unanswered goals through the remainder of the game.

Garrett Pilon recorded his 13th goal of the season to open the floodgates early in the 2nd period. Later in the period, Marcus Vela found the loose puck and tied the game at 2-2.

Christopher Brown turned on the jets, chased down the puck, and sent it high-blocker side to make it 3-2 before the period ended, recording his first AHL goal.

In the third, Joe Snively scored a pair of shorthanded goals with an even-strength goal from Kale Kessy sandwiched between.

Phoenix Copley recorded the “W'' with 26 saves on 28 shots.

Hershey did not have a power play opportunity on the evening, but Drake Rymsha, who just signed a contract, was credited with turning the momentum Hershey’s way with an early period 2 fight. Additionally, a late game melee broke out between the teams after a boarding penalty against Eddie Wittchow. Jonathan Gruden was assessed a game misconduct as was Wittchow for being the aggressor in the subsequent line brawl.

Hershey was back on the ice Saturday evening against the Bridgeport Islanders who escaped New England ahead of the winter storm that blanketed the northeast with several inches to feet of snow.

After a defensive battle through two periods, the Islanders finally managed to get on the board in the 3rd, but two Hershey powerplay goals, one in regulation from Shane Gersich and the overtime PP game-winner from Mike Vecchione helped the Bears to a 2-1 victory putting the club just ten wins shy of 3000 in franchise history.

Unfortunately for Hershey, the win came at a huge price as the Bears lost Alex Alexeyev, Brian Pinho, and Mike Sgarbossa to injury during the game.

On Sunday, Kody Clark and Riley Sutter returned to the lineup for the ailing Bears, but it was Mike Vecchione who nearly stole the show in his return to Allentown, scoring a pair of goals which ultimately would not be enough as the Phantoms struck twice shorthanded and went on to earn a 3-2 victory over the Bears. Zach Fucale suffered the loss in net for Hershey, recording 19 saves.

Special Teams Weekly Recap

Hershey PP was 3-for-10 (Gersich-Bridgeport, Vecchione Bridgeport and Lehigh Valley; Cal O’Reilly of Lehigh Valley scored twice shorthanded against the Bears)

Hershey PK was 8-for-9 (Snively scored shorthanded twice against Wilkes-Barre/Scranton)

Three Takeaways

1. Who ya gonna call? (Totally borrowed that from Ghostbusters)

Right now, the Bears are looking for an injury relief line. Nardella, Franson, Erkamps, and Moulson all with lower body injuries, Sgarbossa with upper body, and Alexeyev and Pilon both also left the Bridgeport game early with undisclosed injuries.

Alexeyev took a hit from MacLean behind Copley’s net with just over a minute to go in the first. He can be seen digging for the puck immediately afterwards, but did not remain on the bench following the line change.

Pilon’s injury appeared to come with 3:36 left in the second when Vande Sompel gave him a forearm to the neck area. Pilon fell backwards into the glass and struggled to regain his footing for the line change. He finished out the period but did not return for the third.

Sgarbossa was hit from behind into the boards in the 2nd and the boarding penalty appeared to have left the forward with a right shoulder/collarbone injury.

After the game Saturday, Scott Allen described the injuries to all three as likely "more than day-to-day unfortunately."

The South Carolina situation is also ugly as the Stingrays played three skaters down in Norfolk Sunday.

Hershey’s best bet is to get bodies back from the Taxi Squad, which is set to end this week, but in the hallway after the post-game presser, I asked Allen if he was going to be happy to see it end, and he replied, "Is it really going to end?"

For Hershey’s sake (and the collective sake of AHL and ECHL teams everywhere) - WE HOPE! But getting bodies back does not mean they are going to be able to step back in and pick up where they left off. Allen also noted that NHL clubs do not practice nearly as much due to their schedule, so it is a double whammy for taxi squad players who have to "work extra hard" to maintain their level of play.

2. It’s Vex-ing

With all of the lineup issues, it is abundantly clear that guys need to step up and fill voids. Gersich certainly has been one of those guys this year, but this past weekend Mike Vecchione ignited the powerplay with an overtime, game-winning goal Saturday night and then striking on the man-advantage to tie Sunday's game in Allentown. He also scored 5-on-5 against his former team, but it turned out to be for naught as the Bears allowed two shorthanded goals before the Phantoms notched the eventual game winner later in the 3rd.

**3. Eddie to the rescue

*"We need guys to step up in certain areas and in certain situations. Eddie, for sure, is one of those guys." - Hershey Bears head coach Scott Allen

Wittchow, a defenseman, has stepped up to play forward for Hershey most of the season. Previously, Allen has noted that Eddie takes practice reps at forward and defenseman. On Saturday, Wittchow perhaps showed his best hidden talent yet, making a save on the goal line as the puck got behind Pheonix Copley.

Quotable - "That might have been our best win of the season all things considered. Bridgeport came in here with one game to play this weekend; that's it - one," said Allen. "It's usually pretty easy to rally the troops. They threw the kitchen sink at us."

Notes - Hershey’s Lucas Johansen was recalled to the taxi squad. Joe Snively was placed on the taxi squad from Washington. The Bears signed South Carolina’s Tariq Hammond to a PTO.