Injuries/Call Ups Test Bears' Depth

HERSHEY, Pa. -  Sometimes it's not how you start, but how you finish. Such was the case for the Hershey Bears in week four of the 2021-2022 season.

After an OT loss in Springfield Friday, the Bears were very flat in a 3-0 loss to Providence Saturday at Giant Center. But on Sunday, the Bears rebounded in a big way in their first 3-in-3 with a 5-3 victory, handing the Thunderbirds their first regulation loss of the season.

On Friday night in Springfield, the Bears took an early lead thanks to a Kody Clark goal, but the Thunderbirds responded in the first and took the lead in the 2nd on a powerplay goal. In the third, Cody Franson scored his second of the season late in the period to send the game to overtime where Sam Anas got the game-winner for Springfield. Zach Fucale stopped 19 of 22 shots. The Bears were 0-for-3 on the PP and 3-for-4 on the PK. They would also travel back to Giant Center short-handed as injuries and a recall left the team a bit depleted.

Without Mike Vecchione, Eddie Wittchow, and Brian Pinho, Hershey’s lineup changed once again as Washington reassigned Aliaksei Protas to Hershey, but even that transaction was tenuous at best as travel delays threatened to keep the Belarusian out of the lineup. Regardless of the lineup though, Providence’s Steven Fogarty scored in the second and third and assisted on an empty net goal as the Bruins handed Hershey a 3-0 loss. Phoenix Copley stopped 29 of 31 shots. The Bears were 0-for 2 on the PP and 5-for-5 on the PK

Despite the injuries and recalls (Axel Jonsson-Fjallby was recalled to Washington and played his first NHL game for the Caps on Monday night), the Bears played terrific in the first and third periods to hand the Thunderbirds their first regulation loss of the season, 5-3. Joe Snively scored a hat-trick while Mike Sgarbossa and Kale Kessy also recorded goals in the victory. Fucale stopped 28 of 31 shots. The Bears were 2-for-5 on the PP and 2-for-4 on the PK in a game that saw three roughing penalties and a fight between Dylan McIlrath and Griffin Luce.

Three Things

1. Big Brother

Hershey has no shortage of guys who will step in to defend a teammate. On Sunday following a knee-on-knee hit to Bobby Nardella, who was making his first start following an injury, both Michal Kempny and Kessy jumped in to send a message. The end result was an early powerplay opportunity for Springfield as the officials sat both Hershey skaters and Washkurak for the trip.

But, after the game, Scott Allen admitted he was not bothered by the actions of Kempny and Kessy in the least.

"We'll kill those off, said Allen. "That's a dangerous play, knee-on-knee. I don't think the kid did it on purpose. But Bobby's first game back...the way he went down was scary. I loved the response of both of those guys. Those are the penalties we have no problem killing off."

2. Injuries and Recalls

Leaving this one in spot #2 since it's a big takeaway again this week.

The aforementioned injuries and recalls along with another possible recall in the wake of an in-game injury to Dowd in Monday’s game, the Bears coaching staff has certainly had their fair share of lineup adjustments this season.

"It's been interesting, that's for sure," Allen said Sunday evening. "We went into Springfield with a couple of healthy scratches. Here we sit Sunday afternoon not so much so. Few guys on the IR. Another guy recalled today. These are exciting times for these young guys getting to play their first game in the NHL. We've had more in the last couple of weeks than I had in the three years that I've been here. That's certainly exciting. It's challenging. We've had a few extra staff meetings to figure out lineups...next-man-up is the mantra."

On Wednesday morning, more bodies headed to Washington with goalie Zach Fucale and forward Aleksei Protas called up to the Capitals.

3. Snively and Kessy Come Up Clutch

Joe Snively's hat trick certainly was a highlight of Sunday's game, but it's hard to tell which guy had the biggest smile after scoring their first goals of the season Sunday against Springfield.

Snively would go on to score two more including an empty-net goal that triggered hats raining down onto the ice.

Kessy’s goal tied the game at 3-3 in the 3rd.

Allen said, "Obviously a big night for Joe Snively... Kale Kessy? His teammates love him. He's a team guy. He does the necessary dirty work. I chuckle when I hear other teams complain about him that he's just running around out there. That's not the case at all. Kale Kessy is a very good hockey player. He adds a dimension to this team for sure. The bench was fired up when he scored."

Up Next

The Bears continue on with three games, beginning with a mid-week matchup with rival Lehigh Valley before traveling to Syracuse for a Saturday night showdown with the Crunch and finishing off the weekend with a Sunday home tilt against Charlotte.

Wednesday, November 10: Lehigh Valley at Hershey, 7:00 p.m. ETSaturday, November 13: Hershey at Syracuse, 7:00 p.m. ETSunday, November 14: Charlotte at Hershey, 5:00 p.m. ET