By: John Sparenberg
jsheynow@gmail.com
Who knows what all of the reasons were for the Hershey Bears coughing up a two-goal lead last night in squandering game one of their Calder Cup playoff series against the Bridgeport Sound Tigers at Webster Bank Arena in double overtime, 3-2.
Special teams could be blamed, as each of the Sound Tigers' goals were struck on the power play, while the Bears went 0-for-3 and shot themselves in the foot on each of their chances, as a result not making the home club team exert precious, valuable energy, both in that game and later in the series.
But the Bears were having no part of excuses on Saturday night, grinding out a 2-0 win to even the the series behind a brilliant 39-save shutout performance from Vitek Vanecek, and getting goals from their top two marksmen, Riley Barber and Mike Sgarbossa.
It's important to not get too high emotionally after an exhilarating win, such as the Bears game two in, and not get too low after disappointing setbacks like their game one loss. The fact of the matter is, if you have another spring game to play, there is still hope to capture the crown.
With that in mind, Bears bench boss took no chances that the message would not get through to his players entering game two, taking it upon himself to convey the desperate, but not dire, situation his club faced after dropping the opener.
"We had a good conversation today about yesterday. I didn't think that was our best at all, and it was important for us to respond in game two of a short series. I just wanted to make sure that guys realized the urgency level that we needed to have tonight, and I thought that did great responding and playing at a real high level," said Carbery, whose club scored both of their goals off quick transitions from offense to defense.
Unlike game one where the Sound Tigers controlled most of the play from the opening faceoff and had the Bears on their heels early and throughout the night, tonight the Bears brought it all, with everyone buying in, and the results are obvious.
"We were skating tonight, moving the puck well, and we were way hungrier in the offensive zone. There were a lot of areas where it wasn't that the guys didn't want to do it last night, we just weren't as sharp, and tonight we hit the ground running from the start of the game. Obviously they pushed when we got up by a couple, putting it on us for the last 20 minutes, but we did enough to hang on."
Chris McCarthy, a late season addition to the Bears from the ECHL, and a player who is a skating testament to a guy who packs a lunch pail when he comes to the rink, is a player that Carbery and his staff obviously like, evidenced by putting him into the playoff lineup over Capitals' property players.
"He came late in the year and we were looking for some help down the middle, and he got an opportunity to play, and he ran with it. We liked the way he played in those last two games of the regular season, and we thought he earned a chance to play in game one, and he played well (scoring the first goal of the series), and has been great for us."
McCarthy, a Keystone state native, has been a force in all zones by using his sizable frame to muscle away loose pucks from the opposition, but he also has an offensive upside, averaging 20-goals a season in the ECHL in the last three campaigns. He put that soft touch on display in game one by picking the top corner last night to garner the first goal of the series. And while it's unlikely that the Bears' goaltending situation will require Carbery to put the pads on him, he displayed good form early in the third turning back a shot while covering for Vanacek who scrambled to get back in his crease after turning the puck over.
Now it's a best of three series as the locale shifts back to Hershey for games three and four, with the Sound Tigers holding a commanding 91-65 advantage in shots on goal. However, that's not a stat that concerns Carbery at this point, but it's certainly one that his charges can change if they continue the masterful puck possession game they played on Saturday.
"Generally, I thought their shots were a little bit elevated tonight for both sides. I though that both teams, even when there wasn't really an opportunity, they were just throwing it on net. But we don't look at it from a target number; we look at breaking it down from where those shots are from, are they carrying the play, are we hemmed up in the defensive zone, or are we not doing enough up top to block shots to get into the shot lanes, stuff like that."
Notes-Travis St. Denis sat out his one game suspension for his hit on Aaron Ness the previous evening.
Liam O'Brien returned to the Hershey lineup after serving a three game suspension for a hit against the Hartford Wolf Pack on April 12th.
Sunday, April 21, 2019
Saturday, April 20, 2019
Power play prowess sends Sound Tigers by Bears in double overtime
By: John Sparenberg
jsheynow@gmail.com
Entering the opening game of their Calder Cup Playoffs series against the Bridgeport Sounds Tigers at Webster Bank Arena last night, you could say that the deck was slightly stacked in the favor of the Tigers.
With Riley Barber and Garrett Pilon returning to the lineup, Liam O'Brien sitting out the final game of his suspension, and the late call-up to the Washington Capitals, head coach Hershey head coach Spencer Carbery shuffled the deck and iced the best lineup he could come up with. This lineup included four players, Chris McCarthy, Joe Snively, Dylan Steman, and Joey Leach on defense, all of whom were not even on the roster a month ago.
When the puck dropped for the opening faceoff, and it became immediately evident that the Bears would be facing long odds and would need to pull out an ace in hole to have any chance of overcoming the odds. That ace turned out to be Ilya Samsonov, who was making his North American playoff debut in the Bears net.
Samsonov, stellar throughout the night, was spectacular in the first period, stopping every salvo the Sound Tigers launched. Samsonov finished the frame with 15 saves, with several of them being of the spectacular variety, as the teams headed into the second stanza locked in a scoreless tie.
Steve Whitney won a board battle against a much bigger opponent behind the Bridgeport goal line, and then fired a centering pass that was gathered in by McCarthy, who then cruised into the slot undetected before launching a "rocket wrister" by goaltender Christopher Gibson to strike for the first goal of the series.
The Bears made it 2-0 less than five minutes later when Jayson Megna motored by defenseman Sebastian Aho after spotting him a half-zone head start, and then outraced him to a loose puck between the circles before going top shelf on Gibson with the Bears shorthanded.
Unfortunately, the Sound Tigers finally found a way to beat Samsonov before the end of the second period, with Kieffer Bellows potting a rebound while the Sound Tigers were on their fifth power of the night.
Aaron Ness Hershey's power play quarterback, alternate captain, and defensive leader, suffered a scary injury 8:58 into the period after being belted from behind in the goal area by Travis St. Denis. After the impact, Ness slid into the end boards head first, and he did not move on his own the entire time he laid on the ice face down. After a long delay caused by the attending medical crew understandably being extremely cautious in moving Ness, the former Sound Tigers captain was stretchered off the ice and to the hospital for observation.
St. Denis’ penalty was ruled a major penalty, and the Bears then went on what could have been a five minute power play, but, like the Bears' only previous power play, it was interrupted by a Nathan Walker minor penalty. The major resumed after Walker's sentence, but the Bears failed to capitalize on it.
The Bears would then get into penalty trouble late in the game when Tyler Lewington committed an infraction when during the kill, a Bears player lost his stick. Megna guided it back to his teammate, which resulted in a 5-on-3 power play for the home club. Technically what Megna did was illegal, but the teammate was with an arm’s length of him, and normally in a playoff game, things of that nature are either overlooked or a lot of leeway is given, especially with the team involved in the stick shuffling already shorthanded. But that wasn’t the case during this game, and veteran Steve Bernier burned the Bears by tying the goal with his two-man advantage goal at 17:52.
Neither team was able to score in the first overtime, but the fatigue was obvious in the Bears, particularly their defense, which was taxed heavily due to Ness' absence.
In the second overtime, Mike Sgarbossa tripped a Tiger in their defensive zone, giving them their 8th power play of the night, and Bellows was once again able to strike to give the Sound Tigers a 3-2 double overtime win which spoiled Samsonov's stellar 49-save effort.
The Bears finished the game 0-for-3 on the power play, while the Sound Tigers, who were awarded the final four power plays of the game, finished 3-for-8.
Notes- The Bears lineup consisted of a combined 287 games of North American playoff experience, while Sound Tigers' lineup had a combined 349 games, with former Bears, the Bourque brothers, Chris and Ryan, possessing over 50% of that total (180 games).
jsheynow@gmail.com
Entering the opening game of their Calder Cup Playoffs series against the Bridgeport Sounds Tigers at Webster Bank Arena last night, you could say that the deck was slightly stacked in the favor of the Tigers.
With Riley Barber and Garrett Pilon returning to the lineup, Liam O'Brien sitting out the final game of his suspension, and the late call-up to the Washington Capitals, head coach Hershey head coach Spencer Carbery shuffled the deck and iced the best lineup he could come up with. This lineup included four players, Chris McCarthy, Joe Snively, Dylan Steman, and Joey Leach on defense, all of whom were not even on the roster a month ago.
When the puck dropped for the opening faceoff, and it became immediately evident that the Bears would be facing long odds and would need to pull out an ace in hole to have any chance of overcoming the odds. That ace turned out to be Ilya Samsonov, who was making his North American playoff debut in the Bears net.
Samsonov, stellar throughout the night, was spectacular in the first period, stopping every salvo the Sound Tigers launched. Samsonov finished the frame with 15 saves, with several of them being of the spectacular variety, as the teams headed into the second stanza locked in a scoreless tie.
Steve Whitney won a board battle against a much bigger opponent behind the Bridgeport goal line, and then fired a centering pass that was gathered in by McCarthy, who then cruised into the slot undetected before launching a "rocket wrister" by goaltender Christopher Gibson to strike for the first goal of the series.
The Bears made it 2-0 less than five minutes later when Jayson Megna motored by defenseman Sebastian Aho after spotting him a half-zone head start, and then outraced him to a loose puck between the circles before going top shelf on Gibson with the Bears shorthanded.
Unfortunately, the Sound Tigers finally found a way to beat Samsonov before the end of the second period, with Kieffer Bellows potting a rebound while the Sound Tigers were on their fifth power of the night.
Aaron Ness Hershey's power play quarterback, alternate captain, and defensive leader, suffered a scary injury 8:58 into the period after being belted from behind in the goal area by Travis St. Denis. After the impact, Ness slid into the end boards head first, and he did not move on his own the entire time he laid on the ice face down. After a long delay caused by the attending medical crew understandably being extremely cautious in moving Ness, the former Sound Tigers captain was stretchered off the ice and to the hospital for observation.
 |
| Both clubs and their coaching staffs watch as Ness laid on the ice after the hit. |
The Bears would then get into penalty trouble late in the game when Tyler Lewington committed an infraction when during the kill, a Bears player lost his stick. Megna guided it back to his teammate, which resulted in a 5-on-3 power play for the home club. Technically what Megna did was illegal, but the teammate was with an arm’s length of him, and normally in a playoff game, things of that nature are either overlooked or a lot of leeway is given, especially with the team involved in the stick shuffling already shorthanded. But that wasn’t the case during this game, and veteran Steve Bernier burned the Bears by tying the goal with his two-man advantage goal at 17:52.
Neither team was able to score in the first overtime, but the fatigue was obvious in the Bears, particularly their defense, which was taxed heavily due to Ness' absence.
In the second overtime, Mike Sgarbossa tripped a Tiger in their defensive zone, giving them their 8th power play of the night, and Bellows was once again able to strike to give the Sound Tigers a 3-2 double overtime win which spoiled Samsonov's stellar 49-save effort.
The Bears finished the game 0-for-3 on the power play, while the Sound Tigers, who were awarded the final four power plays of the game, finished 3-for-8.
Notes- The Bears lineup consisted of a combined 287 games of North American playoff experience, while Sound Tigers' lineup had a combined 349 games, with former Bears, the Bourque brothers, Chris and Ryan, possessing over 50% of that total (180 games).
Tuesday, April 16, 2019
Megna a center of stability for Bears
By: John Sparenberg
jsheynow@gmail.com
Looking up and down the Hershey Bears' roster from top to bottom as they launch their quest for the Calder Cup, there are a few things that are very evident and jump right out.
The goaltending is rock solid with youngsters Vitek Vanecek and Ilya Samsonov, both of whom were members of 20-win club in the regular season and are surely destined for regular NHL duty in the future.
On the backline are Tyler "Tough as Nails" Lewington, who has grown from being a rough around the edges fringe player into a solid defender who gives opposing players headaches and body aches, and veteran Aaron "Assist Machine" Ness, who collected 50 helpers in the regular season and causes headaches for the opposition with his outstanding skating ability.
Up front, Riley Barber and Mike Sgarbossa are both established AHL snipers who reached the 30-goal in the regular season and grabbed the goal scoring headlines.
But it's the veteran centerman, Jayson Megna, who often gets overshadowed by his teammates but never goes unnoticed by the opposition, who is the glue that helps bring all together with his versatility and lead-by-example style of play.
Megna, who has played a combined 113 games in the NHL with the Pittsburgh Penguins, Vancouver Canucks and New York Rangers, signed with the Bears' parent club the Washington Capitals last summer. He made the Caps out of training camp, but was ultimately assigned to the Bears early in the season before appearing in any games with them.
After arriving in Chocolatetown, Megna became a roster mainstay, appearing in every regular season game after he arrived, with the exception of the meaningless season finale in which he sat out along with many other roster regulars.
Despite often being put into a checking role by the coaching staff, where his focus is more on stopping the opposition from scoring, the crafty Megna, who possesses a smooth skating stride and an abundance of speed, still found a nose for the net in garnering 20 goals for the Bears, a mark that he says means a lot to him.
"This one of the toughest leagues in the world to score goals in,” said Megna, whose career high is 26 set in 2014-15 with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. "When you get 20, it says a lot about your team and your linemates, and I’m very happy to have achieved that mark this season."
Not possessing a particularly hard shot but obviously a pair of soft hands, Megna is normally positioned just outside the crease area where he is often seen dueling in intense one-on-one battles for position with burly blueliners who often outsize him. This all means there is normally a heavy price to pay for each of the career high eight times he lit the lamp on the PP, but even in enduring the pain to reach the new personal high, he still was right back down to ice level, acknowledging it as a team effort and attributing his increased production to more ice time and capitalizing on more chances than he has in the past when afforded extra-man time.
"It’s a combination of the personnel that we have, and I think we’ve been really solid all year on the PP. We’ve got a lot of good playmakers on our power play, and depending upon the spot that you’re in, you just need to keep your stick on the ice and be ready. I give a lot of the credit to the playmakers that we have on this squad."
On the other side of the special team coin, Megna is also heavily counted upon to shut down the opposition power play on the penalty kill. It would figure that with a PK unit that features him along with fellow speedsters Beck Malenstyn, Shane Gersich and Nathan Walker, that the Bears would have registered more than three shorties on the season.
"I don’t think it’s from a lack of chances though”, said Megna, born in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. “I wouldn’t necessarily say we’ve dialed it down, but we changed things up on the from what we did earlier in the season when we were in that rut, and we’re definitely playing a little more conservatively on the kill than we did then. I’d agree I think we should have more with the guys we have on the PK, but it’s been just about the lack of execution and not the absence of opportunities."
The Bears' regular season, from a first half free-fall, to a steady and, at times, meteoric second half rise has been well documented, but it's a merely a memory now as they enter the post-season.
"The odds surely were not in our favor after the first half of our season, but we had a belief that things would get better, and if we stuck to the game plan and started to get to the place where we knew we could play, we would have success. That 17-game run is certainly one of the craziest runs I’ve ever been on. It was a special year, it was a lot of things that I haven’t seen in my career, and I’ve been around for seven years. We have a really special group in here and we have great things ahead of us,” said Megna, hungry for his first playoff action since the spring of 2015.
Think it’s foolish to think that if at the end of this post-season journey that the Bears are about to embark on culminates with them capturing their 12th Calder Cup with Jayson "Man in the Middle” Megna leading the charge? If so, ponder this, who would have been foolish enough a few months ago to gamble that they would even be on this playoff road that will ultimately end with the crowning of the Calder Cup Champion?
jsheynow@gmail.com
Looking up and down the Hershey Bears' roster from top to bottom as they launch their quest for the Calder Cup, there are a few things that are very evident and jump right out.
The goaltending is rock solid with youngsters Vitek Vanecek and Ilya Samsonov, both of whom were members of 20-win club in the regular season and are surely destined for regular NHL duty in the future.
On the backline are Tyler "Tough as Nails" Lewington, who has grown from being a rough around the edges fringe player into a solid defender who gives opposing players headaches and body aches, and veteran Aaron "Assist Machine" Ness, who collected 50 helpers in the regular season and causes headaches for the opposition with his outstanding skating ability.
Up front, Riley Barber and Mike Sgarbossa are both established AHL snipers who reached the 30-goal in the regular season and grabbed the goal scoring headlines.
But it's the veteran centerman, Jayson Megna, who often gets overshadowed by his teammates but never goes unnoticed by the opposition, who is the glue that helps bring all together with his versatility and lead-by-example style of play.
Megna, who has played a combined 113 games in the NHL with the Pittsburgh Penguins, Vancouver Canucks and New York Rangers, signed with the Bears' parent club the Washington Capitals last summer. He made the Caps out of training camp, but was ultimately assigned to the Bears early in the season before appearing in any games with them.
After arriving in Chocolatetown, Megna became a roster mainstay, appearing in every regular season game after he arrived, with the exception of the meaningless season finale in which he sat out along with many other roster regulars.
Despite often being put into a checking role by the coaching staff, where his focus is more on stopping the opposition from scoring, the crafty Megna, who possesses a smooth skating stride and an abundance of speed, still found a nose for the net in garnering 20 goals for the Bears, a mark that he says means a lot to him.
"This one of the toughest leagues in the world to score goals in,” said Megna, whose career high is 26 set in 2014-15 with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. "When you get 20, it says a lot about your team and your linemates, and I’m very happy to have achieved that mark this season."
Not possessing a particularly hard shot but obviously a pair of soft hands, Megna is normally positioned just outside the crease area where he is often seen dueling in intense one-on-one battles for position with burly blueliners who often outsize him. This all means there is normally a heavy price to pay for each of the career high eight times he lit the lamp on the PP, but even in enduring the pain to reach the new personal high, he still was right back down to ice level, acknowledging it as a team effort and attributing his increased production to more ice time and capitalizing on more chances than he has in the past when afforded extra-man time.
 |
| Stick on the ice, Megna prepares to net his 20th. Photo by: Cory Lyons Twitter: @CoryLyonsAHL Instagram: @corylyonsphoto |
On the other side of the special team coin, Megna is also heavily counted upon to shut down the opposition power play on the penalty kill. It would figure that with a PK unit that features him along with fellow speedsters Beck Malenstyn, Shane Gersich and Nathan Walker, that the Bears would have registered more than three shorties on the season.
 |
| Megna's speed backs off a Bridgeport defender. Photo by: Cory Lyons Twitter: @CoryLyonsAHL Instagram: @corylyonsphoto |
The Bears' regular season, from a first half free-fall, to a steady and, at times, meteoric second half rise has been well documented, but it's a merely a memory now as they enter the post-season.
"The odds surely were not in our favor after the first half of our season, but we had a belief that things would get better, and if we stuck to the game plan and started to get to the place where we knew we could play, we would have success. That 17-game run is certainly one of the craziest runs I’ve ever been on. It was a special year, it was a lot of things that I haven’t seen in my career, and I’ve been around for seven years. We have a really special group in here and we have great things ahead of us,” said Megna, hungry for his first playoff action since the spring of 2015.
Think it’s foolish to think that if at the end of this post-season journey that the Bears are about to embark on culminates with them capturing their 12th Calder Cup with Jayson "Man in the Middle” Megna leading the charge? If so, ponder this, who would have been foolish enough a few months ago to gamble that they would even be on this playoff road that will ultimately end with the crowning of the Calder Cup Champion?
Sunday, April 14, 2019
Bears Shoot Down Comets
By: John Sparenberg
jsheynow@gmail.com
Entering Saturday night's game at Giant Center against the Utica Comets, the Hershey Bears knew who their playoff opponents would be, the Bridgeport Sound Tigers. They also knew there was virtually no chance chance of overtaking Bridgeport due to the fact that they were playing just up I-81 at the same time against the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins who had virtually nothing to play for, having no chance to reach the post-season.
So, that left the only certainties to be great opportunities for the home club to improve on personal career highs at the expense of the visitors who will not be reaching the post-season, and an opportunity for some new faces to find their way into the lineup.
Bears netminder Vitek Vanecek, who played in his 100th AHL contest in March in Providence,and entered the game with a career high 20 wins, found himself in the thick of things early in the game, starting with a penalty being whistled against him for delay of game when he played the puck in the no-play zone. Showing an obvious objection to the call, not in a verbal manner, but with his play and aggression which featured him utilizing some of his goaltending paraphernalia to whack at the back of a Utica player who took up residence in front of his crease on the subsequent power play, Vanecek went on to stop all eight shots he faced in the frame, several of which were high quality chances.
"I thought he was, and a tough situation too, said Bears head coach Spencer Carbery, when asked if he could sense from the bench that his goaltender was tuned in early. "If you think about Vitek, he hasn't played back-to-back in a long time, especially with travel. We get in a t 3:30 in the morning yesterday travelling from Hartford. So it was a little bit of a situation he hadn't seen in a few months at least. I thought, I knew it was going to have to dig in a little bit today and really battle. There were some scrambles at the net front, there was some traffic there and he was getting bumped around. You could tell he was really battling tonight."
Nathan Walker tallied the only goal of the first period, providing "thunder from down under", when he launched a shot from an "extreme Australian angle" that somehow eluded Utica goalie Ty Reichenbach. Walker's goal was his 17th of the season, which matched his career high set with the Bears in 2015-16.
In the eight minute of the second stanza, Jayson Megna reach the 20-goal plateau for the second time in his career to give the Bears a 2-1 lead when he tallied on the power play, eventually converting a sensational, but sizzling pass from Mike Sgarbossa for an easy lay-up goal at 8:03.
"It was a great play by him, said Megan of Sgarbossa, who being the goal scoring threat that he is forced Reichenbach to contest what he thought would be a shot, but was cleverly disguised as a pass. "It actually hit the toe of my skate and then it kind of settled there for me, and it's tough to miss on opportunities like that, and Mike has made plays like that all year on the power play."
Rookie Shane Gersich added the 8th goal of his rookie season at 10:44 of the third period, assisted by Aaron Ness, who mesmerized the Utica defense with his stick-handling prowess to run his career high assist total to 50. Chris McCarthy, who was making his Bears debut, collected the secondary helper on Gersich's goal.
Lucas Johansen went on the add an empty net goal to finish out the scoring, giving the Bears back-stooped by Vanecek's 31 saves, a 4-1 victory.
Megna, who played for the Comets last season when he was property of the Vancouver Canucks, spoke after the game in the dressing room area after being warmly greeted by many of his former teammates, on whether he had a little extra incentive to score against them.
"Yeah, said Megna, whose previous 20-goal season was with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in 2014-15. "Obviously even more against this team due to me playing for them just last year, there are a lot of familiar faces on that squad. It's a good rivalry, and you always find yourself up and ready to go for these types of games."
Note- Defenseman Bobby Nardella also made his pro debut for the Bears. Nardella finished with two penalty minutes, and came within inches of netting his first goal when his third period shot rang off the post.
jsheynow@gmail.com
Entering Saturday night's game at Giant Center against the Utica Comets, the Hershey Bears knew who their playoff opponents would be, the Bridgeport Sound Tigers. They also knew there was virtually no chance chance of overtaking Bridgeport due to the fact that they were playing just up I-81 at the same time against the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins who had virtually nothing to play for, having no chance to reach the post-season.
So, that left the only certainties to be great opportunities for the home club to improve on personal career highs at the expense of the visitors who will not be reaching the post-season, and an opportunity for some new faces to find their way into the lineup.
Bears netminder Vitek Vanecek, who played in his 100th AHL contest in March in Providence,and entered the game with a career high 20 wins, found himself in the thick of things early in the game, starting with a penalty being whistled against him for delay of game when he played the puck in the no-play zone. Showing an obvious objection to the call, not in a verbal manner, but with his play and aggression which featured him utilizing some of his goaltending paraphernalia to whack at the back of a Utica player who took up residence in front of his crease on the subsequent power play, Vanecek went on to stop all eight shots he faced in the frame, several of which were high quality chances.
"I thought he was, and a tough situation too, said Bears head coach Spencer Carbery, when asked if he could sense from the bench that his goaltender was tuned in early. "If you think about Vitek, he hasn't played back-to-back in a long time, especially with travel. We get in a t 3:30 in the morning yesterday travelling from Hartford. So it was a little bit of a situation he hadn't seen in a few months at least. I thought, I knew it was going to have to dig in a little bit today and really battle. There were some scrambles at the net front, there was some traffic there and he was getting bumped around. You could tell he was really battling tonight."
Nathan Walker tallied the only goal of the first period, providing "thunder from down under", when he launched a shot from an "extreme Australian angle" that somehow eluded Utica goalie Ty Reichenbach. Walker's goal was his 17th of the season, which matched his career high set with the Bears in 2015-16.
In the eight minute of the second stanza, Jayson Megna reach the 20-goal plateau for the second time in his career to give the Bears a 2-1 lead when he tallied on the power play, eventually converting a sensational, but sizzling pass from Mike Sgarbossa for an easy lay-up goal at 8:03.
"It was a great play by him, said Megan of Sgarbossa, who being the goal scoring threat that he is forced Reichenbach to contest what he thought would be a shot, but was cleverly disguised as a pass. "It actually hit the toe of my skate and then it kind of settled there for me, and it's tough to miss on opportunities like that, and Mike has made plays like that all year on the power play."
Rookie Shane Gersich added the 8th goal of his rookie season at 10:44 of the third period, assisted by Aaron Ness, who mesmerized the Utica defense with his stick-handling prowess to run his career high assist total to 50. Chris McCarthy, who was making his Bears debut, collected the secondary helper on Gersich's goal.
Lucas Johansen went on the add an empty net goal to finish out the scoring, giving the Bears back-stooped by Vanecek's 31 saves, a 4-1 victory.
Megna, who played for the Comets last season when he was property of the Vancouver Canucks, spoke after the game in the dressing room area after being warmly greeted by many of his former teammates, on whether he had a little extra incentive to score against them.
"Yeah, said Megna, whose previous 20-goal season was with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in 2014-15. "Obviously even more against this team due to me playing for them just last year, there are a lot of familiar faces on that squad. It's a good rivalry, and you always find yourself up and ready to go for these types of games."
Note- Defenseman Bobby Nardella also made his pro debut for the Bears. Nardella finished with two penalty minutes, and came within inches of netting his first goal when his third period shot rang off the post.
Wednesday, April 3, 2019
Keefe's Captivating Climb Continues
By: John Sparenberg
jsheynow@gmail.com
In a sense, the Toronto Marlies' recent overtime win over the Hershey Bears in Chocolatetown was a perfect summation of their head coach Sheldon Keefe's career in hockey.
The game started out with Keefe's club dominating the game and taking the lead, much like he did in the early stages of his playing career in junior hockey, beginning with the Toronto St. Michael's Majors in the OHL.
Then, midway through the game, relying on pure talent and determination, much like Keefe did through the rest of his junior career after he departed from Toronto, the Marlies took a commanding lead and success seemed assured as they settled in and seemingly turned on the cruise control.
But later, turbulence struck out nowhere, and before Keefe and company knew what had happened, the Marlies found them back on the tarmac having relinquished their once comfortable cushion, only to get their feet back under them after pausing to regroup, and then outworking the Bears and soaring to an eventual victory.
Coming back to Hershey as the opposition, something he has done five times as a head coach with the Marlies, stirs up some bitter sweet memories for Keefe of his days in the colors of the Chocolate and White.
"Not making the playoffs made it a tough season in that sense, in a place like Hershey and it’s storied history of success, it stung. I remember the Philadelphia Phantoms being a thorn in our side, even up until the last game of the season (which ended with the Bears, needing a victory to gain a playoff berth, put the puck into their own empty net with an errant pass on an overtime power play opportunity). That was a tough way to end it, but I have nothing but positive and great memories of my time here. I was treated very well by Doug Yingst and the whole Hershey Bears’ organization. My time here with the fans and playing in this building was exceptional,” said Keefe, who etched his place in Giant Center history by being the first Bear to tally a hat trick at the venue. "I only got to spend that one season here unfortunately, but that’s all I needed to be able to know that this is a gem of a league and it was a privilege to play here. I was fortunate to play here and have those memories."
Despite tying his professional career high by lighting the lamp sixteen times with the Bears, Keefe's Tampa Lightning tenure, which started with him being selected as their 1st pick and the 47th overall pick in the 1999 NHL Entry Draft and consisted of 125 Tampa tilts and 129 games with their various minor league affiliates including Hershey, came to end following his only season in Hershey.
"After I left Hershey, the next year was the lockout year, and that off-season, I signed with the Phoenix Coyotes. During that lockout I tore up my knee- I blew out my ACL. So I missed virtually that entire season (he played only four games for the Coyotes' AHL affiliate), and then rehabbed through that and came back the next year in the Coyotes’ training camp. The knee didn’t quite feel the way that I hoped that it would, and it didn’t respond the way that I expected it to. It didn’t feel great throughout that camp."
Keefe continued, "I then took some time to reflect and figure out what I wanted to do next and let my knee settle in. Over that time, I began coaching and helping out a junior “A” team that I owned in Pembroke, Ontario. I got a little bit of an itch to coach there and did that for the remainder of that season. I continued to let my knee settle down and continued to work at it, but over that time, I just decided that I was really enjoying the coaching thing and decided to jump full-on into that."
Keefe's coaching career which has included multiple league championships with Pembroke, three post-season appearances in his two-plus seasons guiding the OHL's Saulte Ste. Marie Greyhounds, and three post-season berths leading the Leafs' top prospects in T.O., including the capturing of the Calder Cup last spring, can aptly be described in one word: success. As Todd Crocker, the voice of the Marlies and someone who has seen virtually every game that Keefe has coached and probably knows him better than anyone in the organization, with the exception of the Leafs' top brass, sums up what is the trademark of a Keefe coached team, also in one word.
"Prepared. That's what I've noticed more than anything else from his time here, from that first season when he had a tremendous hockey club,” said Crocker of the 2015-16 team that led the AHL with 54 wins but was beaten by the Bears in the post-season.
"I think a lot of people, when they see a talented hockey club, say that anybody could coach that team, but I think those types of teams are harder to coach. I think it’s been proven time and again that when you have good talented players, it can be a challenge making sure that they do all the things that make them turn out to be superstars. The William Nylanders the Kasperi Kapenens guys like that that went up. Zach Hyman, Connor Brown, they all went up to the Leafs, that’s when you prove yourself as a coach. Even with the record he had coming out of junior- it’s amazing."
Crocker, who earlier the season also "went up", calling his first NHL games for the Leafs, before eventually returning to the Marlies continued, "When he sat down and prepared his teams for those first games, I don’t think they had seen anything like it. It’s the level of attention to detail that he has and the commitment to the system that is employed throughout the Maple Leafs organization. I think that continues to be everything about the success that he has. Even when the lineup is then or maybe not as talented as it had been in the past, he still finds a way, and the reason he does is because he can take a team that is not the most highly talented team, and with good preparedness, they end up winning hockey games."
In the hockey mad town of Toronto where the players are under constant, intense scrutiny from a very knowledgeable fan base, various media members, in addition to social media, does Keefe, entrusted to tend the farm and nurture the Leafs' top prospects feel he is under the same blaring spotlight?
"Certainly not,” he chuckled. “We’re very fortunate to be in a world class city like Toronto, an NHL city and such a hockey hotbed, and to have all the resources of the Maple Leafs at our disposal. But we get to do our own thing and be under the radar a little bit and work with the players and develop the next wave of Maple Leafs. In terms of the pressure, we don’t actually don’t feel any of that. It’s a pleasure to coach this team and be a part of this organization. And to do it in the same city is extra special."
But enough about Keefe and his accomplishments. I wanted to get a deeper view of what he is like removed from the arena lights from someone other than himself, and fortunately, Crocker, with his unique vantage point, does exactly what he so artfully does game in and game out with his broadcasting- painting a picture that brings everything into perfect focus.
"First of all, he’s a lot of hockey, and I think you pretty much say that about most coaches. But he is really focused and dialed in and always thinking about his hockey team. When he gets away from that and is just the guy that he is, he is one of those who I would say is ‘undercover in the room.’ He likes a good joke and he likes kidding around with people."
Crocker continued his insight, "He’s also got an inquisitive nature about him. He’s always interested in things that are going on outside of hockey, because he doesn’t often get to spend time thinking about things outside of the game. He's generally curious and an investigative guy, so if he hears an idea, he’s thinking to himself, how does that make you better, what can you do to be better? I think in the beginning, he is a tough guy to get to know, but once you know him and enter into a circle with him where you are all working in the same direction, he’s the type of guy that there is no chance he abandons you."
For the present, Keefe is still property of the parent Toronto Maple Leafs and he and his mighty band of Marlies are about to defend their crown as the Calder Cup Playoffs get underway shortly. As for the future, unfortunately for Marlies fans, it's a certainty his time in the AHL is quickly coming to a close as he is front and center on the radar of future NHL coaches. When that day comes and he "abandons" the AHL for his first shot on top as a bench boss, his hockey career will have come full circle. From the Bolts, to the Bears, to the Big Show!
jsheynow@gmail.com
In a sense, the Toronto Marlies' recent overtime win over the Hershey Bears in Chocolatetown was a perfect summation of their head coach Sheldon Keefe's career in hockey.
The game started out with Keefe's club dominating the game and taking the lead, much like he did in the early stages of his playing career in junior hockey, beginning with the Toronto St. Michael's Majors in the OHL.
Then, midway through the game, relying on pure talent and determination, much like Keefe did through the rest of his junior career after he departed from Toronto, the Marlies took a commanding lead and success seemed assured as they settled in and seemingly turned on the cruise control.
But later, turbulence struck out nowhere, and before Keefe and company knew what had happened, the Marlies found them back on the tarmac having relinquished their once comfortable cushion, only to get their feet back under them after pausing to regroup, and then outworking the Bears and soaring to an eventual victory.
Coming back to Hershey as the opposition, something he has done five times as a head coach with the Marlies, stirs up some bitter sweet memories for Keefe of his days in the colors of the Chocolate and White.
"Not making the playoffs made it a tough season in that sense, in a place like Hershey and it’s storied history of success, it stung. I remember the Philadelphia Phantoms being a thorn in our side, even up until the last game of the season (which ended with the Bears, needing a victory to gain a playoff berth, put the puck into their own empty net with an errant pass on an overtime power play opportunity). That was a tough way to end it, but I have nothing but positive and great memories of my time here. I was treated very well by Doug Yingst and the whole Hershey Bears’ organization. My time here with the fans and playing in this building was exceptional,” said Keefe, who etched his place in Giant Center history by being the first Bear to tally a hat trick at the venue. "I only got to spend that one season here unfortunately, but that’s all I needed to be able to know that this is a gem of a league and it was a privilege to play here. I was fortunate to play here and have those memories."
Despite tying his professional career high by lighting the lamp sixteen times with the Bears, Keefe's Tampa Lightning tenure, which started with him being selected as their 1st pick and the 47th overall pick in the 1999 NHL Entry Draft and consisted of 125 Tampa tilts and 129 games with their various minor league affiliates including Hershey, came to end following his only season in Hershey.
"After I left Hershey, the next year was the lockout year, and that off-season, I signed with the Phoenix Coyotes. During that lockout I tore up my knee- I blew out my ACL. So I missed virtually that entire season (he played only four games for the Coyotes' AHL affiliate), and then rehabbed through that and came back the next year in the Coyotes’ training camp. The knee didn’t quite feel the way that I hoped that it would, and it didn’t respond the way that I expected it to. It didn’t feel great throughout that camp."
Keefe continued, "I then took some time to reflect and figure out what I wanted to do next and let my knee settle in. Over that time, I began coaching and helping out a junior “A” team that I owned in Pembroke, Ontario. I got a little bit of an itch to coach there and did that for the remainder of that season. I continued to let my knee settle down and continued to work at it, but over that time, I just decided that I was really enjoying the coaching thing and decided to jump full-on into that."
Keefe's coaching career which has included multiple league championships with Pembroke, three post-season appearances in his two-plus seasons guiding the OHL's Saulte Ste. Marie Greyhounds, and three post-season berths leading the Leafs' top prospects in T.O., including the capturing of the Calder Cup last spring, can aptly be described in one word: success. As Todd Crocker, the voice of the Marlies and someone who has seen virtually every game that Keefe has coached and probably knows him better than anyone in the organization, with the exception of the Leafs' top brass, sums up what is the trademark of a Keefe coached team, also in one word.
"Prepared. That's what I've noticed more than anything else from his time here, from that first season when he had a tremendous hockey club,” said Crocker of the 2015-16 team that led the AHL with 54 wins but was beaten by the Bears in the post-season.
"I think a lot of people, when they see a talented hockey club, say that anybody could coach that team, but I think those types of teams are harder to coach. I think it’s been proven time and again that when you have good talented players, it can be a challenge making sure that they do all the things that make them turn out to be superstars. The William Nylanders the Kasperi Kapenens guys like that that went up. Zach Hyman, Connor Brown, they all went up to the Leafs, that’s when you prove yourself as a coach. Even with the record he had coming out of junior- it’s amazing."
Crocker, who earlier the season also "went up", calling his first NHL games for the Leafs, before eventually returning to the Marlies continued, "When he sat down and prepared his teams for those first games, I don’t think they had seen anything like it. It’s the level of attention to detail that he has and the commitment to the system that is employed throughout the Maple Leafs organization. I think that continues to be everything about the success that he has. Even when the lineup is then or maybe not as talented as it had been in the past, he still finds a way, and the reason he does is because he can take a team that is not the most highly talented team, and with good preparedness, they end up winning hockey games."
In the hockey mad town of Toronto where the players are under constant, intense scrutiny from a very knowledgeable fan base, various media members, in addition to social media, does Keefe, entrusted to tend the farm and nurture the Leafs' top prospects feel he is under the same blaring spotlight?
"Certainly not,” he chuckled. “We’re very fortunate to be in a world class city like Toronto, an NHL city and such a hockey hotbed, and to have all the resources of the Maple Leafs at our disposal. But we get to do our own thing and be under the radar a little bit and work with the players and develop the next wave of Maple Leafs. In terms of the pressure, we don’t actually don’t feel any of that. It’s a pleasure to coach this team and be a part of this organization. And to do it in the same city is extra special."
But enough about Keefe and his accomplishments. I wanted to get a deeper view of what he is like removed from the arena lights from someone other than himself, and fortunately, Crocker, with his unique vantage point, does exactly what he so artfully does game in and game out with his broadcasting- painting a picture that brings everything into perfect focus.
"First of all, he’s a lot of hockey, and I think you pretty much say that about most coaches. But he is really focused and dialed in and always thinking about his hockey team. When he gets away from that and is just the guy that he is, he is one of those who I would say is ‘undercover in the room.’ He likes a good joke and he likes kidding around with people."
Crocker continued his insight, "He’s also got an inquisitive nature about him. He’s always interested in things that are going on outside of hockey, because he doesn’t often get to spend time thinking about things outside of the game. He's generally curious and an investigative guy, so if he hears an idea, he’s thinking to himself, how does that make you better, what can you do to be better? I think in the beginning, he is a tough guy to get to know, but once you know him and enter into a circle with him where you are all working in the same direction, he’s the type of guy that there is no chance he abandons you."
For the present, Keefe is still property of the parent Toronto Maple Leafs and he and his mighty band of Marlies are about to defend their crown as the Calder Cup Playoffs get underway shortly. As for the future, unfortunately for Marlies fans, it's a certainty his time in the AHL is quickly coming to a close as he is front and center on the radar of future NHL coaches. When that day comes and he "abandons" the AHL for his first shot on top as a bench boss, his hockey career will have come full circle. From the Bolts, to the Bears, to the Big Show!
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