Game Preview: Bears at Marlies, 11 a.m.

March 29, 2023

The Hershey Bears continue the 2022-23 season, presented by Penn State Health, as they begin a five-game road trip with a morning clash with the Toronto Marlies.

Hershey Bears (38-16-5-4) at Toronto Marlies (40-19-3-2)
March 29, 2023 | 11 a.m. | Game 64 | Coca-Cola Coliseum
Referees: Carter Sandlak (#47), Riley Brace (#90)
Linespersons: Nick Arcan (#22), Andre Grougrou (#41)

AHL STANDINGS

Broadcast Information
Voice of the Bears, Zack Fisch, and FOX43’s Todd Sadowski on the call
TELEVISION: FOX43
RADIO: WFVY-100.1 FM, Fox Sports 1460-AM, Capitals Radio Network
WATCH LIVE: AHLTV
LISTEN LIVE: Fox Sports AM-1460 Stream, Caps Radio
Radio pre-game coverage starts at 10:30 a.m.

LAST TIME OUT: 
The Bears hosted the Lehigh Valley Phantoms on Sunday to complete a three-in-three stretch of games, and after Hershey built 2-0 and 3-1 leads with goals from Garrett Pilon, Sam Anas and Julian Napravnik, Lehigh Valley’s Ryan Fitzgerald and Artem Anisimov scored less than four minutes apart in the third period to tie the game at 3-3 to force overtime. Hershey failed to score in the skills competition while Jordy Bellerive and Bobby Brink scored to let the Bears come away with only one point. The Marlies are coming off a 4-0 defeat to Cleveland on Saturday, as Cleveland erupted for three goals in the second period, while Jet Greaves stopped all 32 Toronto shots to secure the clean sheet for the Monsters.

IN PURSUIT OF THE BYE:
The Bears and Marlies are already assured of playoff hockey; both clubs now look to secure the highest-possible seeding and a first-round bye. Hershey, currently in second place in the Atlantic, has a nine-point edge on the Charlotte Checkers (85 to 76). With both the Bears and Charlotte having nine games remaining, not including tie-breakers, Hershey needs to currently earn at least 10 points to lock up a first-round bye.

MCMICHAEL STREAK HOLDING AT SEVEN:
A late scratch prior to this past Sunday’s game against Lehigh Valley due to illness, Connor McMichael enters the week riding a season-high seven-game point streak (3g, 4a). The streak began on March 11 at Providence, with Hershey going 3-2-0-2 with McMichael in the lineup over that time. This season, the Bears are 20-5-0-2 when McMichael gets on the scoresheet.

RUNNING THROUGH THE SIX:
The Bears get set to take on the Marlies Wednesday morning at the Coca-Cola Coliseum after picking up a 4-3 win over the Maple Leafs affiliate at home on March 3. Over the past five seasons, Hershey has gone 2-2-0-0 at Toronto, with its last victory coming on April 4, 2019 in a 3-0 win; Jayson Megna scored the game-winner 1:18 into the first period, Mike Sgarbossa and Brian Pinho scored 14 seconds apart later in the frame, and Ilya Samsonov made 17 saves for a clean sheet.

NESS SET TO PLAY 300TH WITH CHOCOLATE AND WHITE:
Veteran defender Aaron Ness is slated to play in his 300th career game as a Bear on Wednesday morning against Toronto. The former 2008 draft selection of the New York Islanders is in his second stint with Hershey after previously skating for the club 2015-19. Ness will become only the 15th Bears blueliner to log at least 300 regular season games with the club, a list that tops out at Ralph Keller’s 737, and most recently added defender Patrick McNeil, who reached 325 games with Hershey. Ness is tied with Kevin McCarthy at 144 points for 12th in franchise scoring among defensemen.

BEARS BITES:
The Bears are second in road penalty killing at 86.3%...Mike Vecchione needs two goals to reach 100 in his pro career…Sam Anas is four assists away from 200 in his pro career…Hershey is second in the league and first in the Eastern Conference with 2.57 goals-against per game…Jake Massie is two games away from 100 in his AHL career…Julian Napravnik has a four-game point streak (4g, 1a)…The Bears have three players who hail from the province of Ontario on their roster: Connor McMichael (Ajax), Mike Sgarbossa (Campbellville), and Matt Strome (Mississauga).