After a solid start to the American Hockey League (AHL) season, the Hershey Bears experienced a slight dip in performance during November. Nonetheless, they concluded the month with an 8-3-2-0 record, maintaining their lead in the Atlantic Division with a cumulative record of 14-5-3-0 and 31 points—eight points ahead of second-place Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, who have played six fewer games.
Although they remain at the top of the league, the Bears faced challenges during November, particularly in maintaining leads. They relinquished advantages in eight matches, often leading to multiple blown leads. While they managed to win seven of those games, some required extra time—situations that could have been avoided, helping to minimize player fatigue. The most notable instances occurred on November 10 against the Springfield Thunderbirds and on November 20 against the Toronto Marlies.
In the game against the Thunderbirds, the Bears led 2-0 but allowed Springfield to score twice in 28 seconds near the end of regulation. Luckily, Mike Vecchione scored an overtime goal to secure the win. Conversely, in the match against the Marlies, Hershey initially surged to a 3-0 lead but ultimately fell 4-3 in overtime. The Bears have thus far managed to cope with these lead losses, but it’s a trend that cannot continue indefinitely. It is essential for Hershey to learn how to finish games effectively.
One reason for their struggles in closing out games is poor decision-making that led to goals conceded. These mistakes ranged from errant passes to unnecessary defensive plays and involvement in scrums, all contributing to goals against. Head Coach Todd Nelson deemed some of these errors “unacceptable” and noted the importance of not giving away points to other teams, emphasizing that with proper play, they could have significantly fewer regulation losses.
Another issue highlighted was a decline in special teams’ performance. The penalty kill, which had an impressive 90.6% success rate in October, dropped to 83.3% in November, allowing 14 goals in 47 power-play situations. This deterioration was partially attributed to an increase in penalties, as the Bears were shorthanded four or more times during four games.
On the offensive side, the power play struggled mid-month, going without a goal during five consecutive games. Improvement came when Mike Sgarbossa returned from Washington, as he began contributing to the team’s power-play scoring. Overall, the Bears converted 21.3% of their power-play chances—down from 24.5% in October.
Ethen Frank continued to lead the Bears offensively, scoring a team-high 21 points, while other contributors included Mike Vecchione with 10 points in November, followed closely by Pierrick Dube and Spencer Smallman. Unfortunately, defensive concerns persisted, with the Bears allowing 44 goals throughout November.
In terms of individual performances, several players stood out. For instance, Pierrick Dube significantly improved his output from October, scoring three goals and recording six assists. Frank also excelled, ending the month with a personal goal streak and a total of 21 points. Smallman and Sgarbossa made valuable contributions as well, while others like Riley Sutter dealt with inconsistency in line combinations.
Lastly, Bogdan Trineyev missed a portion of November due to injury but managed to return with contributions upon his comeback, underscoring the importance of consistent line chemistry for overall team success.
