Easter Game Preview: Bruins at Bears, 5 p.m.

April 17, 2022

The Hershey Bears continue the 2021-22 season, presented by Penn State Health, on home ice this evening versus the Providence Bruins. Puck drop is slated for 5 p.m. at GIANT Center. Hershey enters tonight's game with five straight wins on home ice, and a Magic Number of just 4 to secure a playoff berth. 

Providence Bruins (34-20-4-6, 3rd Atlantic) at Hershey Bears (33-28-6-4, 4th Atlantic)
April 17, 2022 | 5 P.M. | Game #72 | GIANT Center
Referees: Justin Kea (#44), Philip Kasko (#93)
Linespersons: Colin Gates (#3), Bill Lyons (#27)

AHL STANDINGS

Broadcast Information 
Voice of the Bears, Zack Fisch, Hershey Bears Hockey Club Hall of Famer Dave Fenyves, and Jim Jones on the call
RADIO: WFVY-100.1 FM, Fox Sports 1460-AM, SportsRadio 98.9-FM & WOYK 1350-AM, Caps Radio 24/7, In-arena at 88.9 FM
WATCH LIVE: AHLTV
LISTEN LIVE: Fox Sports AM-1460 Stream, Caps Radio 24/7 
Radio pre-game coverage starts at 4:30 p.m.

LAST TIME OUT: 
The Hershey Bears dropped a 3-2 overtime decision to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins on Friday night at the Mohegan Sun Arena. Kasper Bjorkqvist opened the scoring for the Baby Pens at 4:54 of the first period, but Hershey's Ethen Frank tied the game with his first professional goal on the power play at 10:48. The game remained deadlocked until the third period when Mason Morelli pulled Hershey ahead with a power play goal at 8:49. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton tied the game on a Radim Zohorna goal with 2:01 to play, and in overtime, Valtteri Puustinen struck on the power play at 1:45 to give the Baby Pens the extra point. The Bruins scored a 3-2 shootout win last night at Lehigh Valley. Georgii Merkulov had two assists and the shootout winner in his professional debut, while goaltender Brandon Bussi stopped 28 shots, and all three shootout attempts to win his first pro game. 

BATTLING THE BRUINS:
Tonight will mark the 94th all-time meeting between the Hershey Bears and the Providence Bruins. Hershey will look to down the Bruins for the second time this season in their sixth and final meeting. Hershey's lone victory against Providence came on Nov. 24, 2021 at GIANT Center, when Mason Morelli scored the game-winner in overtime for a 4-3 victory. Held to only five goals in five games and shut out three times in the season series, Shane Gersich, Garrett Pilon, and Morelli are the only active Bears to score against the Bruins. Among active Bruins, Cameron Hughes has seven points (2g, 5a) in five games, which paces his club against Hershey. Steven Fogarty is the series' leading goal scorer with three tallies. Currently on recall with the Boston Bruins, goaltender Troy Grosenick is responsible for two shutout wins against the Bears. 

HOME ICE ADVANTAGE:
Hershey has struggled away from home of late, winning just two of the past 14 games on the road, but Hershey has enjoyed great success at GIANT Center. The Bears enter tonight's game having won five straight games in Chocolatetown, outscoring opponents 19-5. The streak is the second longest active home winning streak in the AHL, only trailing the Syracuse Crunch who claimed an 8th straight home win with a 5-1 victory over Toronto last night. Hershey is 21-9-2-3 at the GIANT Center this season. 

HOLIDAY HOCKEY:
Tonight marks Hershey's first game on Easter Sunday in a decade. The last time the Bears played on Easter was Apr. 8, 2012 in a 1-0 loss to the Connecticut Whale at GIANT Center. Current Minnesota Wild goaltender Cam Talbot pitched a shutout for the Whale, stopping all 24 Hershey shots he faced. Hershey's last Easter Sunday victory came on Apr. 4, 2010. The Bears upended Norfolk 3-2 that day on an Alexandre Giroux game-winning goal. Future NHL goaltenders Braden Holtby (Dallas Stars) and Dustin Tokarski (Buffalo Sabres) dueled in goal, current Hershey assistant coach Patrick Wellar had an assist for the Bears that game, and current Hershey vice president of hockey operations Bryan Helmer also played in the contest.

BEARS BITES:
Hershey forward Aliaksei Protas had two helpers Friday, giving him points in two straight, and points in three of his past four games...If Hershey forward Julien Napravnik dresses tonight, it would mark his professional debut...Hershey netminder Pheonix Copley has allowed two or less goals in three of his past four starts...Hershey is just 1-for-18 (5.6%) on the power play in the season series versus the Bruins.