Game Preview: Bears at Crunch, 5 p.m.

November 11, 2018

Hershey Bears (7-7-0-1) at Syracuse Crunch (4-5-1-0)
November 11, 2018 | 5:00 PM | Game 16 | OnCenter War Memorial
Referees: Kenny Anderson (66), Sean MacFarlane (46)
Linesmen: Tory Carissimo (54), Rob Sauda (66)

Broadcast Information (Pre-game 4:30 p.m.)
RADIO: WQIC-100.1 FM, Fox Sports 1460-AM, Zack Fisch, the Voice of the Bears on the call.
LISTEN LIVE: Fox Sports AM-1460 Stream
WATCH LIVE: AHLTV

ATLANTIC DIVISION STANDINGS

LAST TIME OUT:
The Hershey Bears pulled their record to .500 for the first time since Opening Night with a 3-2 win last night over the Springfield Thunderbirds. Hershey snapped an 0-for-23 home ice power play skid with three power play goals. Jayson Megna opened the scoring with a snipe from the right wing at 6:46 of the first period. Nathan Walker added his first goal of the season at 12:13 after tipping a Garrett Pilon rebound attempt following a right point shot from Riley Barber. Jayce Hawryluk cut Springfield's lead to 2-1 at 14:17 in the first period after blasting a shot past Ilya Samsonov high-glove side on a transition. Following a scoreless second period, Barber scored the eventual game-winner on a 5-on-3 power play chance at :24. Thomas Schemitsch brought the Thunderbirds within 3-2 after cleaning up a loose rebound in the blue paint after Samsonov stopped a semi-breakaway. Samsonov went onto stop 17 of 18 third period shots for the win. The Syracuse Crunch return to the ice following an off day on Saturday. The Crunch last played on Friday and dropped a 3-2 overtime decision to the Rochester Americans. Taylor Raddysh and Cory Conacher both scored for the Crunch.

AN APPLE A DAY:
Connor Hobbs leads the Bears with eight assists in 15 games this season. The Regina, Saskatchewan native is already more than halfway to his previous season's point total. In 2017-18, Hobbs finished an injury shortened season with 16 points (three goals, 13 assists) in 44 games. Hobbs recorded an assist in last night's game and currently has a three game assist streak, along with four in his last five games.

BARBER AND WILLIAMS X 2:
The last time the Bears and Crunch met on, both Riley Barber and Colby Williams tallied two assists on Oct. 6 at Giant Center. Barber and Williams both received helpers on Hershey's lone goals scored by Liam O'Brien and Mike Sgarbossa in the opening period. Last night, Barber received his third, multi-point game of the season after tallying a goal and an assist en route to his team's 3-2 win over Springfield. Barber's goal stood as the game-winner on a 5-on-3 power play only 24 seconds into the third period. 

UNFAMILIAR TERRITORIES:
Should Bears goaltender Parker Milner receive the start in goal, it will mark his first ever appearance against the Syracuse Crunch in his AHL career. Milner has appeared in 27 career games and possesses an 11-11-1 record with a 3.15 goals against average and a .898 save percentage. Milner recorded his first win with the Chocolate and White in over a year after defeating the Hartford Wolf Pack, 2-1 in a shootout last weekend. Milner is 3-5-1 in his career on Sundays with all three wins versus Hartford.

WALK THIS WAY:
On Monday, the Washington Capitals re-assigned forward Nathan Walker to Hershey. The Aussie had one assist in three games with Washington. In his Hershey career, Walker has 102 points in 243 career games with the Chocolate and White. Walker scored in his season debut with the Bears last night in the first period after deflecting a Garrett Pilon shot from the low-slot.

MR. PERFECT:
The Hershey Bears penalty kill unit continues their impressive streak of not allowing a power play goal. Following a perfect 6-for-6 performance last night against the Springfield Thunderbirds, the Bears penalty kill has successfully killed 37 straight penalties. The last time the Bears allowed a power play goal was on Oct. 19 against the Charlotte Checkers.