QUICK START LEADS TO 5-3 HERSHEY WIN

WILKES-BARRE, PA - The Hershey Bears pounced for two goals in the opening six minutes of play, and went on to post a 5-3 win against the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins on Saturday night at the Wachovia Arena at Casey Plaza.

The loss dropped the Penguins to 28-18-0-3 on the year, and allowed the Bears (27-17-0-4) to creep within one point of the Pens in the East Division standings.

Penalties played a big part in the Bears success on Saturday, as Hershey went three for seven on the power play, while the Pens failed to register a goal in five tries with the man advantage.

The other advantage for Hershey seemed to be an extra amount of drive, perhaps instilled after blowing a 3-1 lead and losing 4-3 to the Portland Pirates on Wednesday night.

“They came out, they just had an edge that we didn’t have.  There’s really no excuse for that,” said Penguins defenseman Ryan Lannon, feeling the sting of the loss.  “We knew what to expect tonight.  We knew they were going to come out hard, we knew they were going to come out desperate.  Early on we got ourselves into some penalty trouble, which is never easy, especially against a team like that.

“We just kind of came out somewhat lackadaisical.  They were able to capitalize on their opportunities.  We kind of dug ourselves a hole early, and the frustration built up.”

The Penguins found themselves on the low end of a four-on-three power play three minutes into the game.  Ben Clymer’s shot from the point hit goaltender John Curry, popped up over his head and landed in the net for the opening tally.

Two minutes later, Curry got leather to a shot from Chris Bourque, sending it just outside the far post.  The Bears’ winger quickly picked up the loose puck though and stuffed home his first of the night tight against the bar.

Andrew Gordon added insult to injury, blasting a shot that found the far corner for a second power play tally of the first frame for Hershey.

Dave Gove got the Pens on the board with a shorthanded tally seven minutes into the second, but Andrew Joudrey regained the three-goal cushion for the visitors, one-timing a feed from Gordon who was camped out behind the Penguins net at 10:50.

Bourque’s second of the evening came on the power play early in the third period.  Connor James and Ned Havern added late goals for the Penguins, but the outcome was all but official by that point.

“Once a team like that gets up four or five one in the third period – we never quit in here, that’s the strength of this team, the character of these guys – but they’re too good of a team to come back from that,” said Lannon, who has seen his fair share of battles against the Bears during the past three seasons. “ There’s definitely been some games where they’ve had some success against us over the years.  Some of the tougher losses we’ve had have been at the hands of those guys.”