On Saturday, April 7, 2012, the Hershey Bears had a home game against the Syracuse Crunch. The Crunch are currently fighting for one of the few remaining playoff berths in the American Hockey League. The Bears have already clinched their AHL playoff berth. The pressure on both teams was evident in the penalties both teams received. Though the teams combined for only 14 penalties, the two teams had more than an hour's worth of penalty minutes. The Crunch are one step closer to clinching a berth after a shootout win against the Bears.
The Bears got on the board first early in the first period during a power play. Chris Bourque got the goal and both Boyd Kane and Daren Machesney were credited with assists. Within two minutes, the Crunch matched that goal. The first period ended with the teams tied 1-1. In the second, the Crunch got on the board first approximately halfway through the period.
As time was running out, the Bears took advantage of a power play. Patrick McNeill got the goal and both Ryan Potulny and Kyle Greentree were credited with assists. At the end of the second, the game was tied at 2-2.
Neither team managed to score in the third period and the game went to overtime. During overtime, the teams again couldn't score. The game was then sent into a shootout. Although previously, the Bears saw a shootout last 13 rounds, this one lasted just four. Kane was the only Bears player to get their round whereas the Crunch got three of their four in the net. In the end, the Crunch took the victory and came one step closer to clinching a playoff berth.
This game was marked by big penalties. The Bears got the first big penalty in the first, thanks to Patrick Wellar. In the first period, Wellar was penalized for unsportsmanlike conduct. The big penalties of the night, however, came as time was winding down in the third period. Two Crunch players, as well as Andrew Carroll and Joel Rechlicz for the Bears, were penalized 10 minutes each for unsportsmanlike conduct. Rechlicz is one of the league leaders in penalty minutes with more than 250 minutes after this game. Despite leading the league in penalty minutes, he is currently up for the IOA/American Specialty AHL Man of the Year Award after being named the Bears' winner of the award.
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