If the Hershey Bears could circle any divisional opponent to snap their recent losing ways, it would most likely be the Norfolk Admirals, a team with a league low of six road wins who they had defeated seven times already this season. However, some things don’t play out in reality as they do on paper, as the Admirals, rebounding from an early 3-0 hole, climbed back to beat the Bears, 5-4.
Norfolk pressed the attack in the first minute of the game, forcing Hershey goaltender, Kris Mayotte, in his second AHL start, to warm up very quickly. According to Mayotte, those early saves helped to settle his nerves and get him in the game.
“At the very beginning, guy dumps it in from the red line, and then Bochenski had that good chance,” said Mayotte, who turns 26 on February 20th. “It forced me to be sharp early.”
Norfolk goaltender, Craig Kowlaski, making his 2008-09 AHL debut and his 1st AHL start since Jan. 2, 2008, felt the full force of the Bears’ offense early in the game, thanks to his team’s penalty troubles.
Entering the game without a power play goal in their last 18 opportunities, the Bears quickly turned things around when Keith Aucoin started the scoring parade for the Bears, tallying his 18th goal of the season at 3:17 while the Bears enjoyed a 5-on-3 manpower advantage. Aucoin, stationed in his customary spot in the right faceoff circle, converted the rebound of a shot by Alexandre Giroux to give Hershey an early lead.
Still enjoying a 5-on-3 advantage, the Bears quickly tacked on another goal at 4:31, when Giroux rifled a shot behind Kowalski. Aucoin assisted on the goal, and picked up his 500th AHL point.
Not content with the two power play strikes, the home team added their third power play goal of the night at 4:54 when Patrick McNeill potted his third goal of the season on the Bears‘ 9th shot of the game. McNeill, who has been scratched in seven of the last nine games, also scored in the Bears’ victory in Norfolk on January 21st.
“I liked the power play because we were challenging,” said Hershey head coach, Bob Woods, who saw his team score three power play goals in a period for the third time this season. “I talked with everybody on the power play and we watched the video. We looked and we were too spread out, we had no support and we weren’t challenging teams. I thought we scored those three goals and guys were taking advantage of what was given to us and shooting the puck and when you do that, good things happen.”
The second period began with Hershey killing off the last 1:42 of a Steve Pinizzotto penalty. Though they survived the kill, they surrendered Norfolk’s first goal just 22 seconds after the penalty expired when Brandon Segal beat Mayotte to get Norfolk on the board.
Just over two minutes later, with captain Bryan Helmer in the sin bin, Norfolk needed just 12 seconds of power play time to register their second goal. Brandon Bochenski, a longtime Bears’ nemesis who has made a career out of scoring against Hershey, did the damage.
After Mayotte snuffed out a Zenon Konopka wrap around attempt, Bochenski was able to chip the rebound home, scoring his 20th goal of the year at 12:52 to tie the game at three.
With less than a minute left in the period, Radek Smolenak took advantage of yet another Ads’ power play, giving Norfolk their first lead of the game. Norfolk’s sudden second period outburst doubled their goal total for the last three games combined, when they scored only 2 goals in their last 3 games, including back-to-back shutout losses in their last two outings.
Woods was understandably upset with his team’s second period collapse.
Woods was understandably upset with his team’s second period collapse.
“The second period, we played like the color of our jerseys. We got out to that early lead and it’s just like guys thought it was going to be easy and that team over there, they’re tired of losing, but we gotta be more tired of it right now.”
After Kowalski made 39 consecutive saves following the McNeill goal, Aucoin was finally able to break the invisible wall that his former teammate, Kowalski, had put up, tying the game at four at 7:37 of the third period. Aucoin, on a 2-on-1 break with Giroux, partially fanned on the shot, but managed to flutter it into the net.
Kowalski quickly recovered, denying quality scoring chances from Chris Bourque and Graham Mink within 40 seconds of the Aucoin goal.
Controversy ensued at 15:47 when Kowalski, while staring down the barrel of Giroux’s gun, managed to knock the net from its moorings before Giroux fired a shot. Kowalski later denied any wrongdoing or underhanded tactics.
“He (Giroux) went to my right and I tried to get over to the post because I figured he was going to go there,” Kowalski said, proclaiming his innocence. “He made an unbelievable move and I tried to push off to get back over, and happened to push the net off.”
However, Woods had other theories.
“He (the referee) said the guy just got caught up in the net, but to me he’s coming across, there’s no way. I know what the kid does. I’ve heard he’s done it. He’s been in the coast (ECHL) and that’s kind of his reputation. He knocks the net off. I’ve coached against him,” said Woods.
Shortly after the incident, Segal, after pick pocketing Dean Arsene in the neutral zone, uncorked a shot that whizzed by the glove hand of Mayotte to give the Admirals another lead. After the game, a somber Mayotte took full responsibility for the game winning goal.
“The last goal’s a shot you just have to stop, a shot from the top of the circles,” Mayotte said. “Anything from there out, you have to stop, and I got beat. That was the difference.”