In a game with playoff implications contested in a playoff like atmosphere, the Hershey Bears came out on top, grounding the Wilkes-Barre\/Scranton Penguins Saturday night at Giant Center, 3-2. <\/p>\n
The fast-paced first period, which featured a combined 13 shots on goal, was the first time in the seven games between the inter-state rivals this season that a goal had not been scored by either team.<\/p>\n
The best chance in the period came near the end when Penguins\u2019 leading goal scorer, Kris Minard, who entered the game with four goals in four games against the Chocolate and White this season, beat Varlamov from close range; however his shot rang off the goal post and bounced harmlessly away from danger.<\/p>\n
Special teams played a vital part in the second period. After Hershey\u2019s low-ranking penalty kill unit neutralized the Pens\u2019 fifth power play of the evening, Graham Mink\u2019s goal from the doorstep gave Hershey a 1-0 lead at 13:30. <\/p>\n
After drawing a penalty to Penguins\u2019 defenseman, Alex Goligoski, Mink doubled his second period goal scoring pleasure, converting a pass from Alexandre Giroux to net his 30th goal of the season at 19:45 with the Bears in the midst of their fourth power play.<\/p>\n
\u201cI saw him coming and he actually called for it,\u201d said Giroux. \u201cI saw him going to the net, and I knew he was coming, so I just put it there.\u201d<\/p>\n
Former Penguin, Grant McNeill, who punched his way to a narrow victory in a first period fight against Paul Bissonnette, punched home his second goal of the season, with the help of Steve Pinizzotto and Andrew Joudrey, past Pens\u2019 goaltender, John Curry at 3:40 of the third period.<\/p>\n
\u201cI like getting a fight out of the way early; it sets the tone. It\u2019s a release for me, then I can just play the game,\u201d said McNeill of his throwdown with Bissonnette.<\/p>\n
McNeill\u2019s line relied on a lot of grit, and not so much glamour to get the job done.<\/p>\n
\u201cJoudrey threw it to the net, and that\u2019s a key for the whole team. If our line throws the puck to the net, and get a couple guys banging and crashing, we\u2019re hard to handle. It\u2018s a simple game, but it works.\u201d<\/p>\n
After the Penguins scored two quick goals to waddle back into the game and close the gap on the scoreboard, Hershey head coach, Bob Woods, utilized his time out to rally the troops.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey had the momentum, and we just needed a few shifts back in their zone, and I thought we did that,\u201d said Woods. \u201cI thought we went out there and we took the play to them a little bit and snuffed it out. That\u2019s what you have to do in those situations. We were in control of the game, and they got a couple of quick goals and you just want to make sure that everybody\u2019s positive and not panicking, and just getting back to what got us the three goal lead.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Bears regained their composure, limited their opponents to just two shots the rest of the evening, and holding on for their second win against the Penguins this season.<\/p>\n
Although hitting the 30-goal plateau for the 2nd time in his career was a personal milestone for Mink, the Bears\u2019 alternate captain displayed his leadership abilities, choosing to focus on his team\u2019s accomplishments, rather than his own.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou always love to get the round numbers, but at this point in the year, you kind of put that stuff aside. I was more happy to get the win tonight. That\u2019s a great thing you can look back on later, but the important thing is that we got two points against Wilkes-Barre, and they didn\u2019t get any.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"