Series Questions

Will iron man Travis Boyd, who played has played in every Hershey game including the playoffs dating back to the beginning of last season, find his offensive game in this series?

If Boyd, who failed to score and registered only 2 shots in the Lehigh Valley series, both in game three, finds his offensive game in this series, that certainly bolsters the Bears' chances of conquering the Bruins. However, there is certainly a bit of cause for concern, when considering the fatigue factor, and the fact the Boyd has not found the score sheet in eight games dating back to the regular season. A check back to last seasons Calder Cup Playoff stats for the Minnesota native reveals that he only put 22 pucks on net in 21 outings and only lit the lamp twice, but both of his markers were game winners, including the OT goal in game seven against the pesky Penguins from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton in the second round that propelled the Bears on to the next series.

When will Jakub Vrana return to the lineup, and will he be effective when he ultimately does?

There is no doubt that Vrana, a former 1st round pick of the Capitals who played in 21 regular seasons with the Caps this season in addition to the 49 games he appeared in with the Bears, is a prized prospect who possesses superior talent and has the ability to be a game changer, even in the post-season. Last spring with the Bears in 21 contests, he finished with 14 points, which tied him 5th in league scoring, and his 8 goals led the club, but his inconsistent play, which was also a factor in the regular season leading to a couple of occasions where he was a healthy scratch, resurfaced in the first 3 games against Lehigh Valley, earning him a spot in the press box as a healthy scratch for the final 2 games of the series.

Which team will win the special teams battle?

The Bruins led the league in the first round in power play goals (6) and power play efficiency (27.3%) in their opening round duel with the baby Pens, but in 6 regular season outings against the Bears that consisted of 16 chances, they were able to strike only once on the power play.

On the other hand, the Bears' late regular season power outage, which saw them register only 3 goals on 31 opportunities in the final 10 games (9.7%), continued in their opening round win over the Lehigh Valley as the unit failed to put a charge into Phantoms' penalty kill during their 13 chances.

It should be noted however, that the Bears' post-season success is not totally dependent on a successful power play. During last years quest for the Calder Cup, which consisted of 21 games and saw them advance to the finals only to be slayed by the Lake Erie Monsters, the Chocolate and White netted only 10 extra man goals and never netted more than one in any game.

Which Stan Galiev will show up?

Galiev, a gifted goal scorer, finished the regular season with 21 goals, but also finished it in quite the scoring slump, failing to light the red light in his last 14 outings and collecting only 4 assists in the process . However, 5 of Galiev's 21 goals were scored at the expense of the Bruins, including a pair of multi-goal efforts, and he led the Bears in scoring against the P-Bruins in the regular season by posting 7 points (5+2).

Once the post-season started, the regular season woes have become nothing but a memory for the native of Russia. He paced the Bears' conquest of the Phantoms with a team leading 5 points, including the secondary assist on Nathan Walker's overtime winner in the series opener, and has potted a goal in 3 separate games, and each of his markers have been the Bears' first of the game.

Who will come out on top in the goaltending match-up between two of the AHL's top goaltenders, Providence's Zane McIntyre and Hershey's Pheonix Copley?

During the regular season, each of the net-minders registered 20+ wins, with McIntyre managing 21 wins in 31 apperances, and Copley coming out on top in 26 of his 41 appearances, including one victory at the expense of the Bruins in his only outing against them. Each of the keepers also finished in the top ten in save percentage with McIntyre's .930 leading the league, and Copley compiling a combined .924 with Chicago and Hershey.

In their clubs' opening round victories, both McIntyre and Copley continued their stellar work between the pipes. Both have played 306-plus minutes, and once again McIntyre's (.936) save percentage tops Copley's (.933), but Copley can boast of owning the only shutout between his goaltending counterpart, and he has also allowed one less goal against.