Post-Game: Hershey Bears vs Albany River Rats

This was a very bad game from the start with the Bears giving up four goals in the first, and ended up losing 7-2 to the last place team in their division, the Albany River Rats.

• On a positive note, Alexandre Giroux scored his 29th of the season and is two games away from tying Brett Hull's record of 14 consecutive games with a goal.
• Simeon Varlamov didn't make it to the second period, getting pulled after stopping 11/15 shots through the first. He didn't look bad per se, but a change in net was necessary after a 4-0 deficit.
• Chris Bourque played hard the whole game...can't say the same about most of the Bears' players.
• The Rookie Line decided to play the third period, but not the first two.
• Scary moment when Jay Beagle went down awkwardly in the corner, but after about 30 seconds of lying motionless, face down, Beagle was on his feet and returned to the game.
• The defense struggled mightly clearing the puck out in front of the net with both Karl Alzner and Bryan Helmer suiting up for the Capitals tonight.
• Tim Clownboy and Tyler Sloan got major beef... Conboy was yelling at Sloaner in the penalty box after charging the Bears' 'D' man after the whistle, forcing him to fight. I'd call it a draw, but Sloan threw Conboy to the ground.

My man, Jerome Samoson (pronounced Sam-SONN), netted two goals including the game winner, but Michael Ryan stole the show with a hat trick by the 2nd period. Ryan finished with three goals on four shots, and two penalties (including diving). Ryan now has three hat tricks this year? Wow that seems kind of high. Even 'Rooster' only has one hat trick, and he's leading the league in goals...

Pre-Game: Hershey Bears vs Albany River Rats

So with everyone talking in anticipation about the Penguins against the Capitals, I am going to do the logical thing and miss that game to attend the Bears game as they take on the River Rats. Yeah I know I'll regret not watching the NHL game, but I'm sure the blog-happy Washington Capitals community will inform me on everything that happened during the rivalry game. I will offer up one prediction, and that is that a picture of Alex Ovechkin in the urinal will surface (pun intended) on the internet...just a hunch.

Hershey is 2-2 in their past four home games, but has an incredible season record of 15-4 at the Giant Center. The Bears still lead the league in goals for (159), and average almost five goals a game at home.

Alexandre Giroux leads the league in goals with 28 and is closing in on an AHL milestone. If Giroux scores tonight, he'll be two games short of tying Brett Hull for consecutive games with a goal. Giroux scored in his 11th straight in the Bears loss on Sunday, and is looking to surpass Hull's record of scoring in 14 consecutive games set back in the 1987 campaign.

On the River Rats side of things, they had a few players poached to the KHL earlier this year, and are one point out of last place in the Eastern Conference. I could do the "Two degrees of Keith Aucoin" who played two seasons there (including last year), but I have a life homework.

Albany is "led" by Michael Ryan and Jakub Petruzalek who have 27 and 25 points, respectively (remember Giroux has 28 goals). Maybe I'm being too harsh, Ryan has played in 29 games and Jakub has played in all 38 games for the Rats.

I'm going to keep an eye on Cane prospects Jerome Samson as well as Nick Dodge. I'll write a little about them tomorrow, as well as the young Bears that impress me...I'm just dissapointed I won't get to watch Michal Jordan play in person.

Here is a Jerome Samson teaser: