In part two of our Q/A with Andrew Gordon (part one can be read here), Gordo discusses his favorite NHL players and teams as a kid, if he reads blogs or newspaper articles about himself and what he did on his day with the Calder Cup this year. Mixed in is also a question submitted from a 9 year old reader, Cody, who asks Gordo what he thinks it would take for him to make it to the NHL someday.

In conclusion, all of us here at RMNB hope that you have enjoyed Andrew’s insightful responses to your questions over the past two days and his blogging throughout the Calder Cup Finals. Please join us in wishing him good luck for the upcoming season and a successful training camp. With that said, let’s get started with our first question.

Bill C. asks, “Andrew, who was your favorite player as a kid growing up and why?”

Thanks for the question, Bill. As a kid growing up I had all kinds of guys I really looked up to. When I became old enough to really follow hockey and understand the game, it was the 1992-93 season and I was 8 years old. This may have been the year that hockey took over my life, as my favorite team (brace yourself people…and I apologize in advance) the Montreal Canadians won the Stanley Cup and Teemu Selanne scored 76 goals on his way to a record-setting rookie season. Seeing as my father grew up in Winnipeg, the Jets were the other team I followed closely. So Teemu became my instant favorite. My father and I actually went to see a game in Winnipeg that season where the Jets faced Wayne Gretzky and the Los Angeles Kings. Although I don’t remember all the details of the game (aside from Seleane getting two goals), I remember being amazed by the stadium and the fact that the guys on the ice were real live NHL players! In the same room as me! It was a day I hope I never forget.

As I grew older (and Seleane got traded from the Jets to the Ducks), I grew fond of various different players. I always loved the character guys who were known as all around players and were more than just pure skill guys. I liked Kirk Muller, Cam Neely, Trevor Linden and Steve Yzerman to name a few. I always believed that there is a big difference between the kind of player you want to have on your team, and the kind of player you need on your team. Teams need leaders. Guys with guts. I wanted to be a player that is known for performing when the chips are down the way these guys were. I watched them carefully and learned how much every game and every shift seemed to mean to them. The way they played the game inspired those around them. It wasn’t because of their ability; It was because of their attitude and determination. Guys with skills and character were always my favorite players growing up instead of the guys constantly in the spotlight.

Meghan H. of The Hockey Chronicles asks, “Gordo, now that you’ve written for a blog, I feel we should ask if you (as some Caps prospects, e.g. Dmitry Kugryshev, have been known to in the past) read blogs and other internet news sources about yourself? Or do you prefer, like many people, to keep away from them (and their often negative) opinions?

Hi Meghan! I personally will read something here and there, but pretty much only if I stumble across it. I will never go buy a newspaper to see what somebody said about me. In all honesty though, I find it’s better to leave the media to the fans and worry about what’s going on inside the dressing room. No matter what you read, I feel it can do you no good as a player. If you read all kinds of good press about yourself, you might start to feel like you’re something special. Your habits might change, even just a little bit, and that can be enough to change your focus. Every player at some point is written about and glorified as a sure thing to play in the NHL. This just isn’t a reality. People in the media write articles so people will read them. They are not always that useful. I repeat, they are written for the interest of readers. Any topic that might get people’s attention is worth writing about. When articles are written about a team as a whole, the writers are sending the band wagon rolling down a hill with hopes of people jumping on. If you are winning, the team is great and all mighty. If they are losing, everybody becomes an armchair GM with a million things they would do differently. None of it matters to anybody in the dressing room.

As an individual player, you will never please everybody. Your style of play and what you bring to a team will never be recognized by fans and media officials the way it can be realized and appreciated by your teammates. If someone writes an article or posts something online about me that is negative, it will mean absolutely nothing. It won’t change the way I play, my attitude, work ethic, goals, dreams or any other aspect of my life whatsoever. At the end of the day it’s an article. It will be recycled in two days and forgotten about anyway, no matter if it’s good or bad. I always think about the people who write those negative comments or articles. 99.99% of the media that I have encountered have never played at this (or any) high level of hockey, so they don’t really know what it’s like out there on the ice. For an example, let’s say a defenseman tries to clear the puck and turns it over for a goal and the team loses as a result. The media has the right to talk about what a miserable play he made and how bad he has been playing for weeks, blah blah blah. Nobody at the game day media buffet could do any better. Yet they have the power to critique based on speculation as opposed to experience. Hockey is a game that can be learned, but without playing it you will never fully understand what it’s like. In my mind all that matters is what the players and coaches have to say.

Overall, I’m not afraid to read what’s written, but I understand what it is that I’m reading. Good or bad it always comes in one ear and out the other. It’s always nice to hear or see people saying nice things about you, don’t get me wrong. But I’m interested in what can help me make the NHL. Not a writer’s opinion of my personal play or that of my team. The media is an incredibly valuable means of exposing the game to fans and keeping people attached to hockey, but to me as a player, it has no direct benefit.

Bev asks, “Andrew, what did you end up doing the day you had the Calder Cup this year?

There's more photos of Gordo with the cup on his Facebook Page. Friend him. RMNB promises he'll instantly become the coolest guy you know on there.

Bev, this year when I had the Calder Cup, my family had a little get together that we probably should have had last year but didn’t. Last summer, I had the Calder Cup just long enough to take a few pictures (which you can see on my facebook page) around my parent’s house and a nearby Nova Scotia Beach. Then I brought it over to Andrew Joudrey’s place where he in turn had a little open house. Friends and family members were welcome to drop by to take some pictures and see the trophy up close. This year we did something similar at our house. My mother did a wonderful job of organizing food and drinks for everyone on extremely short notice, then we had the majority of the neighborhood drop by to share a nice summer evening with the Cup. This included some close friends, neighbors and a couple old coaches from my minor hockey days. Nothing too crazy, but a fun get together with many of the people who have watched me grow up and helped raise me into the player and person that I am today. The next morning I handed it over to Andrew Joudrey yet again, and I haven’t seen it since!

Cody B. writes, “Andrew-I am 9 years old and learning to play hockey. I eat, sleep, and drink it. I started by learning to skate this summer, in a clinic at my local rink, and have signed up for the Jr. Bears Inhouse Clinic. For my age, do you have any advice to keep me focused on my dream of becoming a professional hockey player? I am looking forward to seeing you this year at the Bear’s games. Thank you for your time.”

Cody, my advice would be to have fun and don’t let anybody push you but yourself. Hockey is a fun game. Even now I get all kinds of comments on how I always look like I’m having fun on the ice. The secret is…I am! My dad always tells the story of when I was about six years old and we were driving to or from a hockey practice (I can’t remember which). In the car, dad was giving me some instruction on what I had to do to become a better hockey player. You know, how to work harder, focus on what I was doing, and so on. I don’t remember this happening, but he tells me at one point I just interrupted him and said something along the lines of “Lay off dad! I’m just a kid trying to have fun!” That was the end of it. My dad never pushed me or instructed me again. From then on after practice or games he would ask me “Did you have fun today?” and based on my response we would move forward from there. Hockey was always the most fun activity I could possible do, because I only played it when I wanted to (which was a lot). I was never forced to go to hockey schools unless I asked for it. I never had to go work out unless it was my idea. By having fun and getting better on my own, I never lost that same love of the game I developed when I was 5-6 years old. You can love hockey as much as you do now, if you always enjoy it on your own time.

My second piece of advice I’ll pass on was something I was told many times in my career: ALWAYS find a way to get better. Understand that you can always get better. No matter how many goals you score or points you get or championships you win, there is always room to improve your game. There are millions of kids playing hockey around the world and if you work harder at getting better than all of them, you up your chances of becoming a professional player! Every player on earth can always become a better skater, a harder more accurate shooter, and physically stronger on his/her skates. There is an old quote that was posted in the weight room in St. Cloud where I went to college that bluntly said “When you’re done getting better, you’re done.” I feel that one is pretty self-explanatory.

My last piece of advice would be to dream bigger than anybody can see possible. You said you dream about being a professional hockey player. That’s a good start. When you close your eyes at night, don’t just see yourself as a pro, but one playing in the NHL. Being a superstar. Playing in NHL all-star games. Representing your country at the World Championships. See yourself winning the Olympics. Hoisting the Stanley Cup. Being the Captain of your favorite team. Winning scoring titles and MVP awards. Dream anything you can possibly think of! The more you think about it now, the easier it will be to achieve later. Never be afraid to talk about your dreams either. Share them with people and have them on your mind every day. I’m 24 years old and I still dream about all the same stuff. This reminds me of another quote I remember reading in the dressing room of my Midget AAA team in Dartmouth Nova Scotia. It said, “A dream is like a chauffeur. It will take you exactly where you want to go.”

Inimitable V Cristina asks, “Gordo, you are very humble and appreciative of your fans. If your career keeps taking off and you end up being the big shot you’re going to be in the NHL, how do you think it would change you?”

I believe that if I ever make the NHL full time, it wouldn’t change me as a person at all. No matter where I’m playing, I’m still the small town guy from Porters Lake, Nova Scotia, with parents I respect and a big sister I look up to. I’m honestly flattered and amazed that people have any interest in me at all! In reality, we hockey players are just normal guys. Everybody in the world has a million things they are good at. I was just fortunate enough to have hockey be one of mine. I’m not going to act differently because of it. I have never seen anybody walk around acting like a jerk to people because they are the best parallel parker in the world. I see hockey in that same light. Hockey is something I am good at. It doesn’t define me as a person. It’s a part of my life like everything else I do.

I think being humble is something that comes from my sister. We have always got along extremely well, but when I was young, sometimes I would start to feel like I was a pretty cool guy. She would always be the first to remind me that I was in no way better than anybody else just because I played hockey. There is an image of a prototypical hockey player in my head that I’m sure everyone reading this can imagine. My sister was not going to allow me to become that. I still thank her to this day! As for appreciating fans, I feel it’s simple. Without them we have nothing at all! How could you not appreciate hockey fans? You are the ones that make playing hockey so enjoyable. Nobody in the world enjoys playing in an empty stadium, and I find having a big crowd allows me to play better. Perhaps that’s why we won 24 in a row at home last year? The fans bring energy to the arena and it gives us an extra push that you can’t get anywhere else. I always appreciate that!

There are always days however (predominantly after losing), where I don’t want to talk to anybody. I don’t want to sign autographs or talk about what happened on the ice moments before. But that’s part of the job. People are there because they want to talk to me, so I’m always happy to oblige them in a short conversation, especially if there are kids involved. I remember when I was a kid asking for pictures, sticks and autographs and the feelings I would get when a player would spend a little time talking with me. I have some really good pictures and memories of Alex Tanguay and me together when he was playing Junior for the Halifax Mooseheads. My peewee team won a practice with the Mooseheads and after scoring a shootout goal I mimicked his signature celebration. Immediately he rushed over, grabbed me and began to hassle me for stealing his moves. I remember being so excited that he was paying me this extra attention, and now I am someone who can make people feel just the way I did that day. In my line of work I am in a position to brighten people’s day just by saying hello and remembering a face. I feel I wouldn’t be respecting what I have been given if I didn’t do at least that.

Well guys, I hope I managed to somewhat answer your questions amongst my ramblings! Looking back, I think some of them dragged on a bit. But it’s much harder to explain some of these things in writing. I could do a much better job in person. If you see me on the street don’t be afraid to say hello.

Thanks again for your time! See you in D.C in a few days!

Yours in hockey,
Andrew Gordon

One look at the dismantling of the Chicago Blackhawks and it becomes apparent that the life blood of any hockey organization is its youth. If you can bring in young players that provide value at reasonable prices you have the ability to succeed in the long term. In the case of the Hershey Bears, it allows the Caps to fill their team with players who know how to win and execute Bruce Boudreau’s system.

The challenge then becomes not only which players to promote, but which players should be dangled in a trade and which you can simply cut bait with. The underlying question in all of this is simply: Does the front office feel a certain prospect can make it in the NHL?

The Copper & Blue has been doing some excellent analysis evaluating all of the forwards drafted in 2009 and in 2010 using NHL equivalencies, a tool developed by Gabriel Desjardins.

NHL equivalencies try to figure out: How will a player’s performance translate to the NHL? It won’t tell you what a player’s stats will be once they make the jump but instead tries to give you a feel for, all things being equal (games played, PP time, etc.), what could you expect that player’s NHL offensive performance to be given his AHL boxcar stats.

We thought we would do the same focusing on the Hershey Bears and also bringing another element into the mix, one introduced in baseball by Tony Blengino: Relative Production Potential:

The method adjusts for league context, measuring all players’ performance relative to their league. Therefore, a massive offensive season as measured in traditional numbers in the pitcher-dominated High-A Carolina League carries more weight than a similar campaign in the hitting-crazy Triple-A Pacific Coast League. The RPP method also adjusts for a prospect’s age in relation to his level, weeding out all of the Phil Hiatts and Dale Sveums who create the illusion that they are long-term major league prospects with their pounding of minor league hurlers.

For example, there is no denying that Keith Aucoin had a dominating season for the Calder Cup winning Bears. Heck, he was even named the MVP of the League. But what else should we expect from a 32 year old career AHLer going up against 22 year olds?

On the flip side, Mathieu Perreault at age 22 had a much stronger campaign when you factor in age. While it may not translate to a better NHL equivalency, the upside of Perreault is probably greater than Aucoin since he has only been eligible to play in the AHL for two years versus Aucoin’s twelve.

So here’s the method:

1. Tabulate each forwards NHLE using Desjardins’ article for the translation from AHL to NHL.
2. Look at the Points per game and Shooting % for the entire AHL.
3. Calculate the amount of standard deviations each player is from the mean.
4. Make an adjustment based on the player’s age, subtracting one for each year they are over 25, adding one for each year under.

The NHLEs (based on an 82 game season) of last year’s Calder Cup winners (forwards only) listed in descending order of RPP:

As we would expect, the younger players gravitate towards the top if they had a “better than average” campaign compared to other forwards who played more than 20 games at the AHL level.

Mathieu Perreault leads the list explaining why he could be Marcuss Johansson’s main competition for 3rd line center at the NHL level this upcoming season. As to whether he can sustain the production over an NHL season while still improving remains to be seen.

Another interesting name on the list is Francois Bouchard, an adept playmaker, with a quick release and great vision in the offensive zone currently looked upon as a Top 10 prospect in the Caps system. With six forwards becoming UFAs in 2010-11 it may make sense to give Bouchrad a shot at the 3rd line if he comes in with another stellar AHL season.

RMNB blogger Andrew Gordon also showed he deserves a shot at the NHL level. If we look at his NHLE of .39 Points per game at age 25 his career could translate into something similar to Fernando Pisani or Joel Ward – a perennial 15+ goal scoring threat that doesn’t shy away from getting physical to win the battles for pucks or space on the ice.

Alexandre Giroux looks impressive with an NHLE of 54 points but when we look at his boxcar stats in context he has a nine year advantage on some of the competition. He should dominate them. We’ll know soon enough as he signed a one-way NHL contract with the Edmonton Oilers earlier this off season.

Chris Borque‘s 52 point NHLE combined with a second best RPP on the Bears makes me wonder if his decision to go to the KHL was a hasty one while Steve Pinizzotto 21 point NHLE at age 26 makes me disagree with the notion he should be one of the first call-ups from Hershey.

NHL equivalencies are just a tool that help us put offensive stats for forwards in context. It takes nothing into account how a player is defensively, whether he is a good skater or performs well in the clutch. It simply tells us “would this player perform on the NHL level and if so what would those stats look like.”

Well, what do you think of our post? Do you think defensive contribution and “hockey intangibles” could provide better insight? Let us know in the comments.

For those of you who weren’t able to make it to #rmnbparty, we announced that Andrew Gordon will be blogging with us again this month. August is traditionally the slowest month when it comes to NHL Hockey news, so it’s a great change of pace to hear from Gordo about his mental and physical commitment to training through the summer. This is where players build the strength, speed and skill to compete in the upcoming season. Below Andrew talks about the mental toughness he’s developed to get him through. Photo by Kathryn Hedrick.

Hi Folks! Just when you thought you got rid of me, I’m back with a summer blog! The guys at RMNB and I thought it would be interesting to try and put into words a bit of what’s going on in my life (and in my head) since the season wrapped up a few short weeks ago.

I’ll start right up where my last entry left off: the post cup celebration. This season’s win was a much different feel than the first time. I remember a much deeper feeling of relief as opposed to the rush of excitement that I had as the buzzer rang in 2009. Don’t get me wrong, I was still on cloud 9, but as the heavy favorites going into the season, and again in the playoffs, the win was more of a weight off our shoulders than a celebration of our accomplishments. We were expected to win, and we did, so our job was done. No miracles or underdog stories. Just a job properly executed.

This lead me to the feelings I had for the following few days. After my first win I didn’t want to leave Hershey! I was having so much fun with the guys taking the cup all around the city and enjoying it, I wanted the championship high to last forever. This time around I was thinking about home almost right away. I had been through the cup festivities before and knew what to expect. All I wanted was to go home and see the friends and family I’ve missed for 20 of the previous 24 months. Being away eats at you when you are gone for long periods of time like we are every winter. Missing Thanksgivings, Christmases and birthdays pile up, and when April and May roll around, home starts looking pretty good (this is when a man’s will can be broken as I spoke about before).

For me these past two seasons, going home has been something to really look forward to. Some guys take off after the season ends and head to Vegas or some tropical destination to relax and put the long season behind them. I just need to get home. That’s the only vacation spot I ever crave. Home has become such a foreign place for me since I left at 16 and moved to Saskatchewan, that being home really does feel like a getaway in a strange place. I rarely see people I know, nobody knows when I am in or out of town or that I even play hockey anymore. It’s the complete opposite of everywhere I’ve played for the last eight years, and that’s why I love it! As good as winning the cup felt this year, I think the feeling of pulling into my home town made me almost as happy. No matter where you are from no place on earth feels like home, and I’m finding the older I get the more I appreciate mine.

The vacation was short lived though. Two weeks go by in a flash when you first get home. I spent a few days relaxing with my parents and sister, then went out of town for a couple weeks on a wedding tour before waking up one morning and suddenly realized I had to start training again! My body didn’t feel completely ready yet. My mind was still not wrapped around the fact that the new season wasn’t far off, but never the less I tossed on my shoes and shorts and went to work. The mental grind of the summer had begun. As a player I find the winter and summer seasons to be opposites of each other. In the winter, you come out of the gates in mid-September with loads of energy and enthusiasm, and as the season wears on you lose that vigor and just have to gut the season out till you get that fire back in the playoffs. As for summer, the first two weeks are miserable and you only get stronger and more disciplined from there. You have to break the bad habits you have created over the past 2-3 weeks and train yourself to limit what will hurt you in order to maximize what helps you. A great workout can easily be nullified by a Big Mac meal no matter how good it looks as you drive by. At first it’s hard. You want that burger. You want to go party on a Thursday with your friends. You want to run at 75% and chalk up your poor effort to the fact that it’s your first week back in the gym. But you have to be strong to avoid the temptation. I battle myself mentally like this every year, but I know these thoughts are coming, so I try to eliminate them before they can take over and ruin a good day.

Over the past few years I have developed what I have self-diagnosed as “athletic paranoia” (no, this is not a real condition). This is where I want to train all the time because I feel like I’m behind what everybody else is doing. I HATE skipping a workout because I have convinced myself that other players were out working at that exact moment while I was sleeping in. In some cases it’s probably true. When I was still playing in June, breaking my body down, everybody who didn’t make the playoffs or lost before we won had a head start on me. They were at home building themselves up. I take pride in my work ethic and I never want to be out worked. A player’s work ethic is one of the few things we can control, and in my eyes deciding not to work is deciding not to succeed. I remember watching a TV show on boxing superstar Floyd Mayweather. To get a mental edge during training he would wake up at 2am and go for a run or a workout because he knew he was working while his opponent was sleeping. Knowing he worked harder than his challenger allowed him to go into a fight with a different level of confidence (not that Floyd was lacking confidence to begin with). I’m not quite that extreme, but I will occasionally work out on a Sunday, or do a couple extra laps or reps when the workout doesn’t say so. This way I at least know that I’m doing more than is expected. If at the end of the summer that extra work allows me to lift one more pound, then it was all worth it.

In the offseason I have the luxury of working out with fellow Nova Scotian and Hershey Bears forward Andrew Joudrey. We grew up playing with and against each other as we only live about 25 minutes apart, and for the last few years we have teamed up as work out partners in the offseason. I find we are almost a perfect match in the gym. I think I am a bit stronger in the weight room, but he is a better runner on the track, so we both push each other to catch up in different categories. In past years I have worked out alone, and things have gone well, but having a partner allows you to work to an extra gear. I don’t want to quit or slow down because I don’t want him to see me fail. I don’t want to allow him to finish the run or the lift and have me fall behind. Seeing him succeed forces me to try to surpass what he has just done before me, and vice versa. If you miss a day, or have to leave a work out early, deep down you know the other guy is disappointed in you. We have grown to rely on one another for support, but also as someone to push you when you need a kick in the pants. None of this mini mental game is really talked about between us. It goes without saying. Not being there not only hurts you, but your partner as well. We work out as a team, but also as quiet competitors. The competitive nature in us both drives us to battle even when there is really nothing to compete over. Nobody wants to let the other get better alone. This is what allows me to jump out of bed at 5:45-6am every day. The first thought in my mind when the alarm goes off is “gahhh I want more sleep!” But my second thought is “I can’t let Jouds work out alone…and I bet nobody else is taking today off…I gotta get out of here!” Within minutes of that conversation with myself I’m in the car making the 35 minute trek to the gym for another day.

So, as of now I have been working out for a few weeks and I’m really starting to get into routine. I’m over the soreness and being upset about waking up early every day, and I’m starting to build up the hunger for working out that comes over time. When your days off make you feel more uncomfortable than days of pushing yourself to your limits, that’s when you really start making progress. I’m looking forward to the challenges that lay ahead for this season, and as much as I enjoy my time off I can already feel the itch to play again. It’s a good feeling. After all, how many people do you know who can’t wait for their vacation to be over so they can go back to work? Now you know one!

“I’ve got a theory that if you give 100 percent all of the time, somehow things will work out in the end.” -Larry Bird

Thank you for your time! Have a safe and happy offseason!

Yours in Hockey,
Andrew Gordon

Here is Kyle’s video:

Glorious stills after the jump!

Keith Aucoin with the familiar “Are you not entertained?” pose.

Andrew Gordon waves at his– dear God look at those arms!  It’s like someone transplanted horses’ legs on his shoulders.

Alexandre Giroux has been doing this for three days straight.

Probably because it looks so cool.

Imagine a Kid Rock song playing in the background.

Center Andrew Joudrey incognito as a goalie.

I would do anything to get ahold of Braden Holtby’s video camera from the last week.

Bryan Helmer, portrayed here by Ted Nugent, celebrates with his daughter.

Chris Bourque holds aloft the Calder, seemingly undamaged.

Things take an odd turn as Chris Bourque’s teammates decide the celebration must continue shirtlessly.

BONUS:  Andrew Gordon Hugs Someone’s Grandmother
RMNB reader Sarah shares her celebration story:

I’m a fan of your site and follow you on twitter. A hockey fan, I’m from the Hershey area. I was in attendance at game six and also made it to Giant Center last night for the celebration. I love that you guys got Andrew Gordon to blog for you – it’s easy to see he’s genuinely nice. Last night he proved that and did something so sweet that I felt like I should share.

Yesterday happened to be my grandmother’s 80th birthday. A long time season ticket holder, she’s one of Gordon’s biggest fans. After waiting over an hour in line to see him, not only did he sign a card saying happy birthday to her but I asked him to turn around a wave to her in the stands (as she was unable to stand and wait in line with me). He initially waved to her, but then he got up out of his chair, climbed over the boards, and got up onto the visitor’s bench to reach over to hug her. It absolutely made her day, and I was able to get a photograph of it for her to remember.

What a boy scout!  Dude is making the rest of us look terrible by comparison.  Maybe we can dig up some dirt on Gordo to even it out.  We’re hovering dangerously close to Tiger Beat territory lately.

Via his Flip Camera, Kyle M. captured the scene at Giant Center as the Hershey Bears celebrated their back-to-back titles.

This past weekend was awesome. Why? Because it was chock full of Hockey at every hour of the day. Sure there was “Super Sunday” with the Russians destroying the Czechs, USA humbling the Green Snubbers from the North, and the Swedes shutting out the Fins in Olympic action. But there also was a double dip of AHL Hockey with the Hershey Bears playing both on Saturday and Sunday. Well since we here at RMNB can’t be everywhere – though Fedor certainly tried as he watched illegal Russian Video Streams of the Bears Games during breaks in the Olympics – we asked our Hershey Correspondent Kyle M to summarize the events of this weekend via pictures, words & yes, his own video. Video which includes reaction from players and Coach Mark French after Hershey set the AHL Record for Consecutive Home Victories. Awesome. If you hate reading like me, here’s all you need to know: HERSHEY RULZ!

Game 1 – Saturday, February 20th – Lake Erie Monsters vs Hershey Bears @ Giant Center

In Saturday’s tilt, the Hershey Bears rose to the challenge – in what I’d say was one of their toughest tests in their now 19 game home winning streak. The Bears defeated the Colorado Avalanche’s affiliate Lake Erie Monsters 4-1 despite a tremendous amount of physical play. Bears goaltender Jason Bacashihua (above) beat his former team (while being in his old Avs mask) with 24 superb saves on 25 shots. With his strong effort in net, Bacashihua was also named the First Star of the Game.

Cash has now won 12 of his 15 starts this season. Four different Bears managed to light the lamp including Oskar Osala, Jay Beagle, Andrew Joudrey & Andrew Gordon via an Empty Net Goal. One final note: Who broke Bacashihua’s Shutout? None other than former Capital Brian Willsie.

Photos From The Game:

Oskar Osala Scores!

Jason Bacashihua and Karl Alzner Gaurd The Net

We weren’t kidding about the rough stuff!

Game 2 – Saturday, February 20th – Albany River Rats vs Hershey Bears @ Giant Center

With the consecutive home victories record on the line, the Bears came out hard against the NJD Affiliated Albany River Rats. After getting back to back goals by Andrew Gordon and Chris Bourque, Braden Holtby surrendered 3 goals in succession in a little under 10 minutes. By the end of second period, the game was all tied up 3-3. It would take 11 minutes of play in the third frame until lil’ scrappy Francois Bouchard would break the tie. More importantly, Bryan Helmer’s assist on the goal gave him the All-Time AHL Assists Record for Defensemen. Bouchard would then add another goal 8 minutes later as the Hershey Bears won their 20th Straight Home Game.

Post Game Reaction:

Photos:

Captain America John Carlson Focuses On Being Awesome During Warm Ups

Steve Pinizzotto Ready To Drop The Gloves