Hershey controlled play early, but key mistakes and missed chances shifted the momentum to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton late.

WILKES-BARRE, Pa. — The Hershey Bears’ chances of keeping pace in the Atlantic Division took a significant hit Wednesday night. Despite outplaying the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins for two periods, the Bears collapsed in the third period and fell 4-1 at Mohegan Arena at Casey Plaza. The loss dropped Hershey’s record against their division rival to just 1-5-0-1 this season.

The game remained scoreless through two periods, with both teams generating chances but unable to find the net. That changed quickly in the third. Aaron Huglen put Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on the board at 1:39, and the Penguins never looked back. Grant Cruikshank tied it for Hershey at 4:08 with an unassisted goal, but Avery Hayes answered with a power-play goal at 7:55 that proved to be the game-winner. Tanner Howe and Aidan McDonough tacked on insurance markers to seal the victory.


The Bears’ special teams were unable to capitalize on their opportunities. Hershey went 0-for-5 on the power play, including a two-man advantage early in the second period. The Bears used their timeout, but failed to convert. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton finished 1-for-2 on the power play.

Despite the loss, the Bears showed they belonged on the ice. Hershey outshot Wilkes-Barre/Scranton 31-29 and dominated the first period with 17 shots, a new season-high for an opening frame. Mitch Gibson made 25 saves in the loss, while Sergei Murashov stopped 30 of 31 shots for the Penguins.

Bears head coach Derek King acknowledged the performance had merit, but pointed to the breakdowns that proved costly. “I think we did,” King said when asked if the team deserved a better fate. “We played hard, we worked hard, but we had a few lapses there and let them off the hook. I just mentioned it to our guys after the game that to compete with those top teams, especially a Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, you have to play three periods pretty much flawlessly. We had a couple lapses in the third and let them have their chances to score, and they buried theirs, and we couldn’t bury ours.”

The loss marks part of a larger trend for the Bears this season. Hershey has managed to stay in games and pick up points even when trailing, a marked improvement from earlier in the year. King sees progress in that regard, noting the team has won only three of its last 10 games but has points in all of the other contests.

 “We’re playing well. We’re taking teams, whether we’ve got the lead or they tie it up and we go to overtime, but we’re still in the game, and that’s huge for us,” King said. “10-15 games into the season, if we were in that position, we probably would have walked out with our heads down. It would’ve been a 4-1 game because we pulled our goalie, couldn’t score, empty-net, empty-net, and it would just suck the life out of us, but our guys are battling, we’re staying in the games, we’re involved.”

The Bears get a quick chance for redemption. They will host Wilkes-Barre/Scranton again Saturday in Hershey, a game King hopes will show a different result. “We know this team. I believe we’re good enough to beat them, but we need to be solid for all three periods. We can’t have lapses or give up a bad goal,” King said. “We have another chance to go at them again at home Saturday, and I’m hoping to see our guys respond and play a solid three-period game.”

With the All-Star Break approaching and the regular season nearing its final stretch, King’s message centers on preparing for what feels like a playoff push. “The message after the game will be to get some rest, because now it’s almost like our playoffs are starting early. We have to keep our head above water and squeak into the playoffs,” King said.


Upcoming TV Schedule

Saturday, Feb. 7 vs. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, 7 p.m., Antenna TVFriday, Feb. 13 at Laval, 7 p.m., Antenna TVSaturday, Feb. 14 at Belleville, 7 p.m., Antenna TVMonday, Feb. 16 at Belleville, 3 p.m., Antenna TVWednesday, Feb. 18 at Toronto, 11 a.m., FOX43Friday, Feb. 27 at Rockford, 7 p.m., Antenna TVSaturday, Feb. 28 at Rockford, 7 p.m., Antenna TV