Dan's Week 3 Pick Em

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I figured I should throw another post in here, so here goes my picks for week 3.

• Chicago over St Louis
• Dallas beating Tampa Bay 
• Buffalo edging out Cleveland 
• Detroit blowing out Tennessee 
• Andrew Luck leading Indianapolis over Jacksonville
• The Jets beating the Dolphins (look for a bigger role for Tebow this game) 
• San Francisco destroying Minnesota 
• New Orleans looks like nothing happened this week as they beat the Chiefs 
• Washington beats Cincinnati 
• Arizona beats Philly 
• Atlanta beats San Diego 
• Houston gets revenge on Peyton Manning by beating Denver soundly
• Pittsburgh easily wins over Oakland 
• Baltimore gets revenge for Cundiff's blunder last year and beats New England 
• Green Bay has no problem beating the team with the best Monday night record the Seattle Seahawks.
• And my not so bold prediction that overlaps all the games is that the officiating will continue to be flat out terrible.

Happy Week 3 Everybody!

St. John's IceCaps visit Hershey Bears tonight

To contact us Click HERE
The St. John's IceCaps are currently the #2 seed in the Eastern Conference playoff picture.  They have all but locked up the Atlantic Division, leading by 14 points over second place Manchester.  More than likely, barring a Norfolk collapse, they will remain as the #2 seed until the playoffs.

The Hershey Bears are the #5 seed and are, truth be told, in solid position there.  They are 6 points up on 6th place Bridgeport and 5 points behind 5th place Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.  Obviously the goal is to be as high as possible in the standings come playoff time, but, like St. John's, barring a Norfolk collapse, the Bears are looking at 4th or 5th.

Unlike their NHL affiliate, the Washington Capitals, the Bears final 12 games will probably not feature any 'must win' games.  But when you have Calder Cup aspirations and the #2 team in the conference is visiting for the first time all season...you want to win.

The IceCaps have been a solid team on the road all season.  In fact, based on points percentage, they are the BEST team in the AHL on the road.  They are 20-5-2-2 on the road on the season.  Considering that makes them only 18-13-3-0 on home ice, the Bears two losses there a couple weeks ago look even worse.

But there is some good news.  The IceCaps have been struggling of late.  In their last 7 road games they are only 3-3-0-1. 

And the Bears are playing well at home of late too.  Hershey is 5-1-0-0 in their last 6 games, dating back to mid-February.

Tonight's game (and next Saturday's game as the IceCaps return then) is likely to be decided on via special teams.  The Bears boast the #1 home power play in the league.  The IceCaps counter that with the #3 road penalty kill in the league.  On the flip side...the IceCaps have the 3rd best road power play in the league.  The Bears home penalty kill ranks 5th overall.

Either one side is going to bend...or this game will be won 5 on 5. 

Hershey has been somewhat decimated by injuries both in Washington and Hershey.  Keith Aucoin and Braden Holtby remain on recall to the Caps.  With injuries, and a conflicting travel schedule, the Bears were forced to sign Matt Tendler to an Amateur Tryout Agreement.  Basically it is just so they have a backup in case something happens to Dany Sabourin (knock on wood).  He just completed his senior season at Neumann College and is probably not ready for game action in the AHL...just guessing.

Other new players to watch on the Bears (who many of you saw last weekend) are T.J. Syner and Daniel Koger.  Both are forwards who made their debuts last weekend.

So who are they...let's start with Syner.

T.J. Syner is very much like a Cory Conacher of the Norfolk Admirals.  And Jacob Micflikier of the Bears.  He wasn't drafted mainly because of his size.  He is listed at 5'9" 173lbs.  And apparently he can really skate:

From HockeysFuture.com's college preview earlier this year:

Syner is a really fun player to watch. He's not big (5'9, 173lbs), but he is very fast. He can dart in and out of traffic and is difficult to contain because he utilizes his speed so effectively.

He did make an appearance at the Capitals developmental camp this past summer and then proceeded to score 13 goals and add 24 assists in 36 games during his senior season. 

So far with the Bears he has played in 3 games and has an assist.  Based on Tim Leone's Tuesday update, he was on the second line with Eakin and Bourque. 

Daniel Koger is a rookie hockey player from Hungary.  He has played for multiple ECHL and AHL teams this season in attempt to stick somewhere.  In the ECHL he has 9 goals and 18 assists in 32 games for Cincinnati and South Carolina.  In the AHL he has 0 goals and 2 assists in 15 games with the Bears (2 games, 1 assist), St. John's, Providence, and Milwaukee. 

I haven't seen him and a quick google search doesn't bring too many talent evaluations of him.  But he is listed at 6'2" 195 lbs so at least he is a full grown player instead of another Hershey miniature.

I am looking forward to seeing both new players and a Bears win tonight!

2012-13 Season Begins

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Tomorrow night in Syracuse the Bears will officially open their 75th AHL season.  A "new" team with "new colors" and the same goal...the Calder Cup.  After coming up short 2 years in row the Bears decided to let some guys move on and they brought in fresh faces with a new desire to win.

Some "old" faces remain.  Patrick McNeill begins his 6th season in Hershey.  Captain Boyd Kane returns yet again as well.  As do many other faces.  If you haven't been following along here (with my infrequent posts) or elsewhere, you can find the current roster on the roster page. 

Expectations the last two years, as with most years in Hershey, were high.  Calder Cup aspirations were developed early and most people thought they had the team to do it.  Two first round playoff losses later and here we are again.

The Bears, on paper, feature a deep and talented team.  In any other season I would think this team would be a favorite to hoist another cup.  Back in July the Bears started putting this team together with the expectation that there would be an NHL season.  I mean, seriously, who really thought the NHL would risk alienating their fans yet again? 

But as of right now there is no NHL season.  Which means young talented players such as Jordan Eberle and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins of the Edmonton Oilers will be playing AHL hockey for their affiliates, in this case the Oklahoma City Barons.  Both of those guys were close to point per game scorers in the NHL last season. 

Closer to home the Bears will see guys like Sean Couturier, the Flyers young centerman, who joins the Phantoms.  Adam Henrique of the Devils will be back in Albany again.  Chris Kreider, who came up big for the Rangers in the playoffs last spring, joins the Connecticut Whale for the start of the 2012-13 campaign.  Some young studs, Emerson Etem (Norfolk) and Beau Bennett (Baby Pens) are starting out in the AHL this year instead of the NHL.  The Columbus Blue Jackets young star Ryan Johansen begins the season in Springfield.

I am sure there are other names I am missing, but the point is...the talent level at the AHL level is going to be higher than usual.  And should the NHL lockout take another entire season, it could impact the Hershey Bears chances of winning the cup.

That being said, there are benefits to no NHL season for Hershey.  The biggest ones are in goal and on the blueline.  Instead of starting the season with the Caps as their starting (or co-starting) goaltender, Braden Holtby returns to Hershey to play for the Bears.  And he brings the talented defenseman Dmitry Orlov with him.  There were no guarantees that Orlov wouldn't have been here anyways, but it wasn't likely.

After that there is one other good thing for Hershey...no NHL call-ups.  There won't be stretches of the season where 2 or 3 guys are on recall to Washington due to injury.  That means that, barring injury in Hershey, the players starting this weekend will likely be starting in December, February, and April.

That is good news since one of the main reasons for derailment the past two springs was injuries and recalls to Washington.

Who knows what is going to happen with the NHL.  They could be back on the ice in a couple of weeks which would make all of this a moot point.  Or they could cancel another season and these players are here to stay.

It isn't like the Bears haven't beaten NHL caliber players before...anyone remember game 7 against Portland??

This Bears team is good.  And deep.  And experienced.

Of the 26 healthy players on the current roster...25 of them have AHL experience.  The only one that doesn't is rookie Stanislav Galiev. 

And it's a bigger team than Hershey has seen in recent years.  There are only 5 players listed at less than 6' and only 1 smaller than 5'10".  Might not make a huge difference but the teams the last couple of years did seemed to get pushed around at times. 

And there are scorers here as well. 

• Jon DiSalvatore has scored at least 20 goals in all 7 of his professional seasons.  And he has assisted on at least 30 more in 6 of those seasons.
• Matt Beaudoin is just one year removed from a 20g, 30a season.  
• Jeff Taffe, who scored plenty of goals against the Bears while playing for the Baby Pens, is also just one year removed from his career best 30g, 37a season.
• Ryan Stoa has scored 55 goals in his 3 partial AHL seasons.
• Ryan Potulny scored 33g, 32a last season.
• Boyd Kane keeps scoring goals too with 19 last season.

Guys always seem to have career years in Hershey so hopefully that can continue. 

But I would be lying if I wasn't a little bit concerned about this team too.  They are older, three of the guys I mentioned above are older than me (31)...which, while not old, is definitely old in AHL terms.  And of the remaining three, only Stoa is younger than 28. 

Of the players expected to be major contributors offensively (the 6 guys mentioned above plus Zach Hamill and Galiev) only 1 will be younger than 25 when the Calder Cup is won. 

Compare that to the top 8 scorers (forwards) from the 2009-10 season and their ages when they won the cup...only 3 were older than 25 - Kane, Aucoin, and Giroux.  Also consider that most of those same players were leading the Bears in scoring during the 2008-09 Cup team.

Does that mean anything?  I have no idea.  But it is worth noting I think. 

The team will be good.  Will they contend or win a cup?  Who knows.  In the past two years I have projected that the teams were definitely good enough and they didn't even make it out of the first round. 

I will say that hockey seems to be a young mans game.  76 games, plus playoffs, against some of the better (and younger) talent the hockey world has is a long season.  Will the age of the players come into play?  Will they work together as a team the way the teams have done in the recent past? 

Who knows. 

I haven't even touched on the defensemen yet...mainly because I am not at all concerned and there was less turnover there.  But they face an increased challenge as well with many NHL caliber forwards playing in the 'A' this season.  They will be asked to defend guys that they haven't seen and who are more skilled then what they typically see. 

But as I said before I am not too concerned there.

Goaltending?  One of the best combo's in the league and with Phillip Grubauer just a 2 hour drive away, if needed...probably the deepest stable of goalies the Bears have seen in a few years.


It is going to be a good season.  With many ups and downs.  It wouldn't surprise me at all if this team made a run at the division and then the cup.  But I don't know most of these guys so it also wouldn't surprise me if they struggled to get into the playoffs as the 6-8 seed. 

With so many new faces, a partially new system in place (new co-coach Adam Oates is implementing at least parts of his system), and a deeper pool of talent in the AHL it is a wide-open year.

I expect some struggles early and would not be surprised at all if we get to Thanksgiving and the Bears are out of playoff positioning.  It is going to take a few games (and weeks) to really figure each other out on the ice.  The guys that have been here in recent years had spent multiple years together and knew each others tendencies and preferences.  It will take some time for that to develop with the current team.


I can say this...I am excited.  Getting to see Hershey Bears hockey makes the next 6+ months very exciting and I can't wait for them to get started.

LET'S GO BEARS!!!!!

Dan's Week 3 Pick Em

To contact us Click HERE
I figured I should throw another post in here, so here goes my picks for week 3.

• Chicago over St Louis
• Dallas beating Tampa Bay 
• Buffalo edging out Cleveland 
• Detroit blowing out Tennessee 
• Andrew Luck leading Indianapolis over Jacksonville
• The Jets beating the Dolphins (look for a bigger role for Tebow this game) 
• San Francisco destroying Minnesota 
• New Orleans looks like nothing happened this week as they beat the Chiefs 
• Washington beats Cincinnati 
• Arizona beats Philly 
• Atlanta beats San Diego 
• Houston gets revenge on Peyton Manning by beating Denver soundly
• Pittsburgh easily wins over Oakland 
• Baltimore gets revenge for Cundiff's blunder last year and beats New England 
• Green Bay has no problem beating the team with the best Monday night record the Seattle Seahawks.
• And my not so bold prediction that overlaps all the games is that the officiating will continue to be flat out terrible.

Happy Week 3 Everybody!

St. John's IceCaps visit Hershey Bears tonight

To contact us Click HERE
The St. John's IceCaps are currently the #2 seed in the Eastern Conference playoff picture.  They have all but locked up the Atlantic Division, leading by 14 points over second place Manchester.  More than likely, barring a Norfolk collapse, they will remain as the #2 seed until the playoffs.

The Hershey Bears are the #5 seed and are, truth be told, in solid position there.  They are 6 points up on 6th place Bridgeport and 5 points behind 5th place Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.  Obviously the goal is to be as high as possible in the standings come playoff time, but, like St. John's, barring a Norfolk collapse, the Bears are looking at 4th or 5th.

Unlike their NHL affiliate, the Washington Capitals, the Bears final 12 games will probably not feature any 'must win' games.  But when you have Calder Cup aspirations and the #2 team in the conference is visiting for the first time all season...you want to win.

The IceCaps have been a solid team on the road all season.  In fact, based on points percentage, they are the BEST team in the AHL on the road.  They are 20-5-2-2 on the road on the season.  Considering that makes them only 18-13-3-0 on home ice, the Bears two losses there a couple weeks ago look even worse.

But there is some good news.  The IceCaps have been struggling of late.  In their last 7 road games they are only 3-3-0-1. 

And the Bears are playing well at home of late too.  Hershey is 5-1-0-0 in their last 6 games, dating back to mid-February.

Tonight's game (and next Saturday's game as the IceCaps return then) is likely to be decided on via special teams.  The Bears boast the #1 home power play in the league.  The IceCaps counter that with the #3 road penalty kill in the league.  On the flip side...the IceCaps have the 3rd best road power play in the league.  The Bears home penalty kill ranks 5th overall.

Either one side is going to bend...or this game will be won 5 on 5. 

Hershey has been somewhat decimated by injuries both in Washington and Hershey.  Keith Aucoin and Braden Holtby remain on recall to the Caps.  With injuries, and a conflicting travel schedule, the Bears were forced to sign Matt Tendler to an Amateur Tryout Agreement.  Basically it is just so they have a backup in case something happens to Dany Sabourin (knock on wood).  He just completed his senior season at Neumann College and is probably not ready for game action in the AHL...just guessing.

Other new players to watch on the Bears (who many of you saw last weekend) are T.J. Syner and Daniel Koger.  Both are forwards who made their debuts last weekend.

So who are they...let's start with Syner.

T.J. Syner is very much like a Cory Conacher of the Norfolk Admirals.  And Jacob Micflikier of the Bears.  He wasn't drafted mainly because of his size.  He is listed at 5'9" 173lbs.  And apparently he can really skate:

From HockeysFuture.com's college preview earlier this year:

Syner is a really fun player to watch. He's not big (5'9, 173lbs), but he is very fast. He can dart in and out of traffic and is difficult to contain because he utilizes his speed so effectively.

He did make an appearance at the Capitals developmental camp this past summer and then proceeded to score 13 goals and add 24 assists in 36 games during his senior season. 

So far with the Bears he has played in 3 games and has an assist.  Based on Tim Leone's Tuesday update, he was on the second line with Eakin and Bourque. 

Daniel Koger is a rookie hockey player from Hungary.  He has played for multiple ECHL and AHL teams this season in attempt to stick somewhere.  In the ECHL he has 9 goals and 18 assists in 32 games for Cincinnati and South Carolina.  In the AHL he has 0 goals and 2 assists in 15 games with the Bears (2 games, 1 assist), St. John's, Providence, and Milwaukee. 

I haven't seen him and a quick google search doesn't bring too many talent evaluations of him.  But he is listed at 6'2" 195 lbs so at least he is a full grown player instead of another Hershey miniature.

I am looking forward to seeing both new players and a Bears win tonight!

St. John's IceCaps visit Hershey Bears tonight

To contact us Click HERE
The St. John's IceCaps are currently the #2 seed in the Eastern Conference playoff picture.  They have all but locked up the Atlantic Division, leading by 14 points over second place Manchester.  More than likely, barring a Norfolk collapse, they will remain as the #2 seed until the playoffs.

The Hershey Bears are the #5 seed and are, truth be told, in solid position there.  They are 6 points up on 6th place Bridgeport and 5 points behind 5th place Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.  Obviously the goal is to be as high as possible in the standings come playoff time, but, like St. John's, barring a Norfolk collapse, the Bears are looking at 4th or 5th.

Unlike their NHL affiliate, the Washington Capitals, the Bears final 12 games will probably not feature any 'must win' games.  But when you have Calder Cup aspirations and the #2 team in the conference is visiting for the first time all season...you want to win.

The IceCaps have been a solid team on the road all season.  In fact, based on points percentage, they are the BEST team in the AHL on the road.  They are 20-5-2-2 on the road on the season.  Considering that makes them only 18-13-3-0 on home ice, the Bears two losses there a couple weeks ago look even worse.

But there is some good news.  The IceCaps have been struggling of late.  In their last 7 road games they are only 3-3-0-1. 

And the Bears are playing well at home of late too.  Hershey is 5-1-0-0 in their last 6 games, dating back to mid-February.

Tonight's game (and next Saturday's game as the IceCaps return then) is likely to be decided on via special teams.  The Bears boast the #1 home power play in the league.  The IceCaps counter that with the #3 road penalty kill in the league.  On the flip side...the IceCaps have the 3rd best road power play in the league.  The Bears home penalty kill ranks 5th overall.

Either one side is going to bend...or this game will be won 5 on 5. 

Hershey has been somewhat decimated by injuries both in Washington and Hershey.  Keith Aucoin and Braden Holtby remain on recall to the Caps.  With injuries, and a conflicting travel schedule, the Bears were forced to sign Matt Tendler to an Amateur Tryout Agreement.  Basically it is just so they have a backup in case something happens to Dany Sabourin (knock on wood).  He just completed his senior season at Neumann College and is probably not ready for game action in the AHL...just guessing.

Other new players to watch on the Bears (who many of you saw last weekend) are T.J. Syner and Daniel Koger.  Both are forwards who made their debuts last weekend.

So who are they...let's start with Syner.

T.J. Syner is very much like a Cory Conacher of the Norfolk Admirals.  And Jacob Micflikier of the Bears.  He wasn't drafted mainly because of his size.  He is listed at 5'9" 173lbs.  And apparently he can really skate:

From HockeysFuture.com's college preview earlier this year:

Syner is a really fun player to watch. He's not big (5'9, 173lbs), but he is very fast. He can dart in and out of traffic and is difficult to contain because he utilizes his speed so effectively.

He did make an appearance at the Capitals developmental camp this past summer and then proceeded to score 13 goals and add 24 assists in 36 games during his senior season. 

So far with the Bears he has played in 3 games and has an assist.  Based on Tim Leone's Tuesday update, he was on the second line with Eakin and Bourque. 

Daniel Koger is a rookie hockey player from Hungary.  He has played for multiple ECHL and AHL teams this season in attempt to stick somewhere.  In the ECHL he has 9 goals and 18 assists in 32 games for Cincinnati and South Carolina.  In the AHL he has 0 goals and 2 assists in 15 games with the Bears (2 games, 1 assist), St. John's, Providence, and Milwaukee. 

I haven't seen him and a quick google search doesn't bring too many talent evaluations of him.  But he is listed at 6'2" 195 lbs so at least he is a full grown player instead of another Hershey miniature.

I am looking forward to seeing both new players and a Bears win tonight!

Dan's Week 3 Pick Em

To contact us Click HERE
I figured I should throw another post in here, so here goes my picks for week 3.

• Chicago over St Louis
• Dallas beating Tampa Bay 
• Buffalo edging out Cleveland 
• Detroit blowing out Tennessee 
• Andrew Luck leading Indianapolis over Jacksonville
• The Jets beating the Dolphins (look for a bigger role for Tebow this game) 
• San Francisco destroying Minnesota 
• New Orleans looks like nothing happened this week as they beat the Chiefs 
• Washington beats Cincinnati 
• Arizona beats Philly 
• Atlanta beats San Diego 
• Houston gets revenge on Peyton Manning by beating Denver soundly
• Pittsburgh easily wins over Oakland 
• Baltimore gets revenge for Cundiff's blunder last year and beats New England 
• Green Bay has no problem beating the team with the best Monday night record the Seattle Seahawks.
• And my not so bold prediction that overlaps all the games is that the officiating will continue to be flat out terrible.

Happy Week 3 Everybody!

St. John's IceCaps visit Hershey Bears tonight

To contact us Click HERE
The St. John's IceCaps are currently the #2 seed in the Eastern Conference playoff picture.  They have all but locked up the Atlantic Division, leading by 14 points over second place Manchester.  More than likely, barring a Norfolk collapse, they will remain as the #2 seed until the playoffs.

The Hershey Bears are the #5 seed and are, truth be told, in solid position there.  They are 6 points up on 6th place Bridgeport and 5 points behind 5th place Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.  Obviously the goal is to be as high as possible in the standings come playoff time, but, like St. John's, barring a Norfolk collapse, the Bears are looking at 4th or 5th.

Unlike their NHL affiliate, the Washington Capitals, the Bears final 12 games will probably not feature any 'must win' games.  But when you have Calder Cup aspirations and the #2 team in the conference is visiting for the first time all season...you want to win.

The IceCaps have been a solid team on the road all season.  In fact, based on points percentage, they are the BEST team in the AHL on the road.  They are 20-5-2-2 on the road on the season.  Considering that makes them only 18-13-3-0 on home ice, the Bears two losses there a couple weeks ago look even worse.

But there is some good news.  The IceCaps have been struggling of late.  In their last 7 road games they are only 3-3-0-1. 

And the Bears are playing well at home of late too.  Hershey is 5-1-0-0 in their last 6 games, dating back to mid-February.

Tonight's game (and next Saturday's game as the IceCaps return then) is likely to be decided on via special teams.  The Bears boast the #1 home power play in the league.  The IceCaps counter that with the #3 road penalty kill in the league.  On the flip side...the IceCaps have the 3rd best road power play in the league.  The Bears home penalty kill ranks 5th overall.

Either one side is going to bend...or this game will be won 5 on 5. 

Hershey has been somewhat decimated by injuries both in Washington and Hershey.  Keith Aucoin and Braden Holtby remain on recall to the Caps.  With injuries, and a conflicting travel schedule, the Bears were forced to sign Matt Tendler to an Amateur Tryout Agreement.  Basically it is just so they have a backup in case something happens to Dany Sabourin (knock on wood).  He just completed his senior season at Neumann College and is probably not ready for game action in the AHL...just guessing.

Other new players to watch on the Bears (who many of you saw last weekend) are T.J. Syner and Daniel Koger.  Both are forwards who made their debuts last weekend.

So who are they...let's start with Syner.

T.J. Syner is very much like a Cory Conacher of the Norfolk Admirals.  And Jacob Micflikier of the Bears.  He wasn't drafted mainly because of his size.  He is listed at 5'9" 173lbs.  And apparently he can really skate:

From HockeysFuture.com's college preview earlier this year:

Syner is a really fun player to watch. He's not big (5'9, 173lbs), but he is very fast. He can dart in and out of traffic and is difficult to contain because he utilizes his speed so effectively.

He did make an appearance at the Capitals developmental camp this past summer and then proceeded to score 13 goals and add 24 assists in 36 games during his senior season. 

So far with the Bears he has played in 3 games and has an assist.  Based on Tim Leone's Tuesday update, he was on the second line with Eakin and Bourque. 

Daniel Koger is a rookie hockey player from Hungary.  He has played for multiple ECHL and AHL teams this season in attempt to stick somewhere.  In the ECHL he has 9 goals and 18 assists in 32 games for Cincinnati and South Carolina.  In the AHL he has 0 goals and 2 assists in 15 games with the Bears (2 games, 1 assist), St. John's, Providence, and Milwaukee. 

I haven't seen him and a quick google search doesn't bring too many talent evaluations of him.  But he is listed at 6'2" 195 lbs so at least he is a full grown player instead of another Hershey miniature.

I am looking forward to seeing both new players and a Bears win tonight!

Dan's Week 3 Pick Em

To contact us Click HERE
I figured I should throw another post in here, so here goes my picks for week 3.

• Chicago over St Louis
• Dallas beating Tampa Bay 
• Buffalo edging out Cleveland 
• Detroit blowing out Tennessee 
• Andrew Luck leading Indianapolis over Jacksonville
• The Jets beating the Dolphins (look for a bigger role for Tebow this game) 
• San Francisco destroying Minnesota 
• New Orleans looks like nothing happened this week as they beat the Chiefs 
• Washington beats Cincinnati 
• Arizona beats Philly 
• Atlanta beats San Diego 
• Houston gets revenge on Peyton Manning by beating Denver soundly
• Pittsburgh easily wins over Oakland 
• Baltimore gets revenge for Cundiff's blunder last year and beats New England 
• Green Bay has no problem beating the team with the best Monday night record the Seattle Seahawks.
• And my not so bold prediction that overlaps all the games is that the officiating will continue to be flat out terrible.

Happy Week 3 Everybody!

St. John's IceCaps visit Hershey Bears tonight

To contact us Click HERE
The St. John's IceCaps are currently the #2 seed in the Eastern Conference playoff picture.  They have all but locked up the Atlantic Division, leading by 14 points over second place Manchester.  More than likely, barring a Norfolk collapse, they will remain as the #2 seed until the playoffs.

The Hershey Bears are the #5 seed and are, truth be told, in solid position there.  They are 6 points up on 6th place Bridgeport and 5 points behind 5th place Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.  Obviously the goal is to be as high as possible in the standings come playoff time, but, like St. John's, barring a Norfolk collapse, the Bears are looking at 4th or 5th.

Unlike their NHL affiliate, the Washington Capitals, the Bears final 12 games will probably not feature any 'must win' games.  But when you have Calder Cup aspirations and the #2 team in the conference is visiting for the first time all season...you want to win.

The IceCaps have been a solid team on the road all season.  In fact, based on points percentage, they are the BEST team in the AHL on the road.  They are 20-5-2-2 on the road on the season.  Considering that makes them only 18-13-3-0 on home ice, the Bears two losses there a couple weeks ago look even worse.

But there is some good news.  The IceCaps have been struggling of late.  In their last 7 road games they are only 3-3-0-1. 

And the Bears are playing well at home of late too.  Hershey is 5-1-0-0 in their last 6 games, dating back to mid-February.

Tonight's game (and next Saturday's game as the IceCaps return then) is likely to be decided on via special teams.  The Bears boast the #1 home power play in the league.  The IceCaps counter that with the #3 road penalty kill in the league.  On the flip side...the IceCaps have the 3rd best road power play in the league.  The Bears home penalty kill ranks 5th overall.

Either one side is going to bend...or this game will be won 5 on 5. 

Hershey has been somewhat decimated by injuries both in Washington and Hershey.  Keith Aucoin and Braden Holtby remain on recall to the Caps.  With injuries, and a conflicting travel schedule, the Bears were forced to sign Matt Tendler to an Amateur Tryout Agreement.  Basically it is just so they have a backup in case something happens to Dany Sabourin (knock on wood).  He just completed his senior season at Neumann College and is probably not ready for game action in the AHL...just guessing.

Other new players to watch on the Bears (who many of you saw last weekend) are T.J. Syner and Daniel Koger.  Both are forwards who made their debuts last weekend.

So who are they...let's start with Syner.

T.J. Syner is very much like a Cory Conacher of the Norfolk Admirals.  And Jacob Micflikier of the Bears.  He wasn't drafted mainly because of his size.  He is listed at 5'9" 173lbs.  And apparently he can really skate:

From HockeysFuture.com's college preview earlier this year:

Syner is a really fun player to watch. He's not big (5'9, 173lbs), but he is very fast. He can dart in and out of traffic and is difficult to contain because he utilizes his speed so effectively.

He did make an appearance at the Capitals developmental camp this past summer and then proceeded to score 13 goals and add 24 assists in 36 games during his senior season. 

So far with the Bears he has played in 3 games and has an assist.  Based on Tim Leone's Tuesday update, he was on the second line with Eakin and Bourque. 

Daniel Koger is a rookie hockey player from Hungary.  He has played for multiple ECHL and AHL teams this season in attempt to stick somewhere.  In the ECHL he has 9 goals and 18 assists in 32 games for Cincinnati and South Carolina.  In the AHL he has 0 goals and 2 assists in 15 games with the Bears (2 games, 1 assist), St. John's, Providence, and Milwaukee. 

I haven't seen him and a quick google search doesn't bring too many talent evaluations of him.  But he is listed at 6'2" 195 lbs so at least he is a full grown player instead of another Hershey miniature.

I am looking forward to seeing both new players and a Bears win tonight!

Dan's Week 3 Pick Em

To contact us Click HERE
I figured I should throw another post in here, so here goes my picks for week 3.

• Chicago over St Louis
• Dallas beating Tampa Bay 
• Buffalo edging out Cleveland 
• Detroit blowing out Tennessee 
• Andrew Luck leading Indianapolis over Jacksonville
• The Jets beating the Dolphins (look for a bigger role for Tebow this game) 
• San Francisco destroying Minnesota 
• New Orleans looks like nothing happened this week as they beat the Chiefs 
• Washington beats Cincinnati 
• Arizona beats Philly 
• Atlanta beats San Diego 
• Houston gets revenge on Peyton Manning by beating Denver soundly
• Pittsburgh easily wins over Oakland 
• Baltimore gets revenge for Cundiff's blunder last year and beats New England 
• Green Bay has no problem beating the team with the best Monday night record the Seattle Seahawks.
• And my not so bold prediction that overlaps all the games is that the officiating will continue to be flat out terrible.

Happy Week 3 Everybody!

Dan's Week 3 Pick Em

To contact us Click HERE
I figured I should throw another post in here, so here goes my picks for week 3.

• Chicago over St Louis
• Dallas beating Tampa Bay 
• Buffalo edging out Cleveland 
• Detroit blowing out Tennessee 
• Andrew Luck leading Indianapolis over Jacksonville
• The Jets beating the Dolphins (look for a bigger role for Tebow this game) 
• San Francisco destroying Minnesota 
• New Orleans looks like nothing happened this week as they beat the Chiefs 
• Washington beats Cincinnati 
• Arizona beats Philly 
• Atlanta beats San Diego 
• Houston gets revenge on Peyton Manning by beating Denver soundly
• Pittsburgh easily wins over Oakland 
• Baltimore gets revenge for Cundiff's blunder last year and beats New England 
• Green Bay has no problem beating the team with the best Monday night record the Seattle Seahawks.
• And my not so bold prediction that overlaps all the games is that the officiating will continue to be flat out terrible.

Happy Week 3 Everybody!

St. John's IceCaps visit Hershey Bears tonight

To contact us Click HERE
The St. John's IceCaps are currently the #2 seed in the Eastern Conference playoff picture.  They have all but locked up the Atlantic Division, leading by 14 points over second place Manchester.  More than likely, barring a Norfolk collapse, they will remain as the #2 seed until the playoffs.

The Hershey Bears are the #5 seed and are, truth be told, in solid position there.  They are 6 points up on 6th place Bridgeport and 5 points behind 5th place Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.  Obviously the goal is to be as high as possible in the standings come playoff time, but, like St. John's, barring a Norfolk collapse, the Bears are looking at 4th or 5th.

Unlike their NHL affiliate, the Washington Capitals, the Bears final 12 games will probably not feature any 'must win' games.  But when you have Calder Cup aspirations and the #2 team in the conference is visiting for the first time all season...you want to win.

The IceCaps have been a solid team on the road all season.  In fact, based on points percentage, they are the BEST team in the AHL on the road.  They are 20-5-2-2 on the road on the season.  Considering that makes them only 18-13-3-0 on home ice, the Bears two losses there a couple weeks ago look even worse.

But there is some good news.  The IceCaps have been struggling of late.  In their last 7 road games they are only 3-3-0-1. 

And the Bears are playing well at home of late too.  Hershey is 5-1-0-0 in their last 6 games, dating back to mid-February.

Tonight's game (and next Saturday's game as the IceCaps return then) is likely to be decided on via special teams.  The Bears boast the #1 home power play in the league.  The IceCaps counter that with the #3 road penalty kill in the league.  On the flip side...the IceCaps have the 3rd best road power play in the league.  The Bears home penalty kill ranks 5th overall.

Either one side is going to bend...or this game will be won 5 on 5. 

Hershey has been somewhat decimated by injuries both in Washington and Hershey.  Keith Aucoin and Braden Holtby remain on recall to the Caps.  With injuries, and a conflicting travel schedule, the Bears were forced to sign Matt Tendler to an Amateur Tryout Agreement.  Basically it is just so they have a backup in case something happens to Dany Sabourin (knock on wood).  He just completed his senior season at Neumann College and is probably not ready for game action in the AHL...just guessing.

Other new players to watch on the Bears (who many of you saw last weekend) are T.J. Syner and Daniel Koger.  Both are forwards who made their debuts last weekend.

So who are they...let's start with Syner.

T.J. Syner is very much like a Cory Conacher of the Norfolk Admirals.  And Jacob Micflikier of the Bears.  He wasn't drafted mainly because of his size.  He is listed at 5'9" 173lbs.  And apparently he can really skate:

From HockeysFuture.com's college preview earlier this year:

Syner is a really fun player to watch. He's not big (5'9, 173lbs), but he is very fast. He can dart in and out of traffic and is difficult to contain because he utilizes his speed so effectively.

He did make an appearance at the Capitals developmental camp this past summer and then proceeded to score 13 goals and add 24 assists in 36 games during his senior season. 

So far with the Bears he has played in 3 games and has an assist.  Based on Tim Leone's Tuesday update, he was on the second line with Eakin and Bourque. 

Daniel Koger is a rookie hockey player from Hungary.  He has played for multiple ECHL and AHL teams this season in attempt to stick somewhere.  In the ECHL he has 9 goals and 18 assists in 32 games for Cincinnati and South Carolina.  In the AHL he has 0 goals and 2 assists in 15 games with the Bears (2 games, 1 assist), St. John's, Providence, and Milwaukee. 

I haven't seen him and a quick google search doesn't bring too many talent evaluations of him.  But he is listed at 6'2" 195 lbs so at least he is a full grown player instead of another Hershey miniature.

I am looking forward to seeing both new players and a Bears win tonight!

Quest for a 12th Calder Cup begins Saturday

To contact us Click HERE
The Bears wrapped up their 2012-13 preseason slate with a win over the rival Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins Sunday night.  Overall it was a solid exhibition outcome...2-2, with no huge injuries.

This morning brought "final" cuts to get the team down to their opening night roster.  There is still a full season to play and many of the players cut will definitely be back in Chocolate and White at some point soon.

T.J. Syner, Joel Champagne, Brett Flemming, and Alex Berry were all sent to Reading today. 

That leaves 27 players on the roster including Danick Paquette who broke his arm and will be out for a while.

Click over to the roster page for a look at the roster as it stands now.

Alex Berry is probably the biggest surprise (to me anyway) as he scored 2 goals against Wilkes-Barre this weekend and scored 14 goals and 20 assists in the AHL two years ago.  He missed last season with an injury so maybe this is a move to get him used to game action again.  He is expected to play first line minutes in Reading.

Currently there are 15 healthy forwards on the roster and 9 defensemen.  I wouldn't be surprised to see another defensemen sent to Reading before the weekend but I who knows.  Teams always like to have some extra bodies for practice and the first few games as guys are still getting back into shape. 

The Bears open the season this Saturday against the Syracuse Crunch...which are technically the defending AHL champs, kind of.  The Crunch are now the affiliate of the Tampa Bay Lightning, who were previously in Norfolk. 

Imagine for a second being a Norfolk Admiral this year.  Assuming the Admirals do a banner drop at the homeowner, there are going to be a number of guys on the ice who weren't a part of it last year.  In fact, based on look at the current roster...NOT ONE player from the 2011-12 Calder Cup Champion Norfolk Admirals remains in Norfolk.  Awkward.

So Hershey will start the season against the true defending Calder Cup Champions in Syracuse.  Looking at their prospective roster, it appears that a majority of last seasons team is "returning" intact. 

Should be fun. 

St. John's IceCaps visit Hershey Bears tonight

To contact us Click HERE
The St. John's IceCaps are currently the #2 seed in the Eastern Conference playoff picture.  They have all but locked up the Atlantic Division, leading by 14 points over second place Manchester.  More than likely, barring a Norfolk collapse, they will remain as the #2 seed until the playoffs.

The Hershey Bears are the #5 seed and are, truth be told, in solid position there.  They are 6 points up on 6th place Bridgeport and 5 points behind 5th place Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.  Obviously the goal is to be as high as possible in the standings come playoff time, but, like St. John's, barring a Norfolk collapse, the Bears are looking at 4th or 5th.

Unlike their NHL affiliate, the Washington Capitals, the Bears final 12 games will probably not feature any 'must win' games.  But when you have Calder Cup aspirations and the #2 team in the conference is visiting for the first time all season...you want to win.

The IceCaps have been a solid team on the road all season.  In fact, based on points percentage, they are the BEST team in the AHL on the road.  They are 20-5-2-2 on the road on the season.  Considering that makes them only 18-13-3-0 on home ice, the Bears two losses there a couple weeks ago look even worse.

But there is some good news.  The IceCaps have been struggling of late.  In their last 7 road games they are only 3-3-0-1. 

And the Bears are playing well at home of late too.  Hershey is 5-1-0-0 in their last 6 games, dating back to mid-February.

Tonight's game (and next Saturday's game as the IceCaps return then) is likely to be decided on via special teams.  The Bears boast the #1 home power play in the league.  The IceCaps counter that with the #3 road penalty kill in the league.  On the flip side...the IceCaps have the 3rd best road power play in the league.  The Bears home penalty kill ranks 5th overall.

Either one side is going to bend...or this game will be won 5 on 5. 

Hershey has been somewhat decimated by injuries both in Washington and Hershey.  Keith Aucoin and Braden Holtby remain on recall to the Caps.  With injuries, and a conflicting travel schedule, the Bears were forced to sign Matt Tendler to an Amateur Tryout Agreement.  Basically it is just so they have a backup in case something happens to Dany Sabourin (knock on wood).  He just completed his senior season at Neumann College and is probably not ready for game action in the AHL...just guessing.

Other new players to watch on the Bears (who many of you saw last weekend) are T.J. Syner and Daniel Koger.  Both are forwards who made their debuts last weekend.

So who are they...let's start with Syner.

T.J. Syner is very much like a Cory Conacher of the Norfolk Admirals.  And Jacob Micflikier of the Bears.  He wasn't drafted mainly because of his size.  He is listed at 5'9" 173lbs.  And apparently he can really skate:

From HockeysFuture.com's college preview earlier this year:

Syner is a really fun player to watch. He's not big (5'9, 173lbs), but he is very fast. He can dart in and out of traffic and is difficult to contain because he utilizes his speed so effectively.

He did make an appearance at the Capitals developmental camp this past summer and then proceeded to score 13 goals and add 24 assists in 36 games during his senior season. 

So far with the Bears he has played in 3 games and has an assist.  Based on Tim Leone's Tuesday update, he was on the second line with Eakin and Bourque. 

Daniel Koger is a rookie hockey player from Hungary.  He has played for multiple ECHL and AHL teams this season in attempt to stick somewhere.  In the ECHL he has 9 goals and 18 assists in 32 games for Cincinnati and South Carolina.  In the AHL he has 0 goals and 2 assists in 15 games with the Bears (2 games, 1 assist), St. John's, Providence, and Milwaukee. 

I haven't seen him and a quick google search doesn't bring too many talent evaluations of him.  But he is listed at 6'2" 195 lbs so at least he is a full grown player instead of another Hershey miniature.

I am looking forward to seeing both new players and a Bears win tonight!

Dan's Week 3 Pick Em

To contact us Click HERE
I figured I should throw another post in here, so here goes my picks for week 3.

• Chicago over St Louis
• Dallas beating Tampa Bay 
• Buffalo edging out Cleveland 
• Detroit blowing out Tennessee 
• Andrew Luck leading Indianapolis over Jacksonville
• The Jets beating the Dolphins (look for a bigger role for Tebow this game) 
• San Francisco destroying Minnesota 
• New Orleans looks like nothing happened this week as they beat the Chiefs 
• Washington beats Cincinnati 
• Arizona beats Philly 
• Atlanta beats San Diego 
• Houston gets revenge on Peyton Manning by beating Denver soundly
• Pittsburgh easily wins over Oakland 
• Baltimore gets revenge for Cundiff's blunder last year and beats New England 
• Green Bay has no problem beating the team with the best Monday night record the Seattle Seahawks.
• And my not so bold prediction that overlaps all the games is that the officiating will continue to be flat out terrible.

Happy Week 3 Everybody!

St. John's IceCaps visit Hershey Bears tonight

To contact us Click HERE
The St. John's IceCaps are currently the #2 seed in the Eastern Conference playoff picture.  They have all but locked up the Atlantic Division, leading by 14 points over second place Manchester.  More than likely, barring a Norfolk collapse, they will remain as the #2 seed until the playoffs.

The Hershey Bears are the #5 seed and are, truth be told, in solid position there.  They are 6 points up on 6th place Bridgeport and 5 points behind 5th place Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.  Obviously the goal is to be as high as possible in the standings come playoff time, but, like St. John's, barring a Norfolk collapse, the Bears are looking at 4th or 5th.

Unlike their NHL affiliate, the Washington Capitals, the Bears final 12 games will probably not feature any 'must win' games.  But when you have Calder Cup aspirations and the #2 team in the conference is visiting for the first time all season...you want to win.

The IceCaps have been a solid team on the road all season.  In fact, based on points percentage, they are the BEST team in the AHL on the road.  They are 20-5-2-2 on the road on the season.  Considering that makes them only 18-13-3-0 on home ice, the Bears two losses there a couple weeks ago look even worse.

But there is some good news.  The IceCaps have been struggling of late.  In their last 7 road games they are only 3-3-0-1. 

And the Bears are playing well at home of late too.  Hershey is 5-1-0-0 in their last 6 games, dating back to mid-February.

Tonight's game (and next Saturday's game as the IceCaps return then) is likely to be decided on via special teams.  The Bears boast the #1 home power play in the league.  The IceCaps counter that with the #3 road penalty kill in the league.  On the flip side...the IceCaps have the 3rd best road power play in the league.  The Bears home penalty kill ranks 5th overall.

Either one side is going to bend...or this game will be won 5 on 5. 

Hershey has been somewhat decimated by injuries both in Washington and Hershey.  Keith Aucoin and Braden Holtby remain on recall to the Caps.  With injuries, and a conflicting travel schedule, the Bears were forced to sign Matt Tendler to an Amateur Tryout Agreement.  Basically it is just so they have a backup in case something happens to Dany Sabourin (knock on wood).  He just completed his senior season at Neumann College and is probably not ready for game action in the AHL...just guessing.

Other new players to watch on the Bears (who many of you saw last weekend) are T.J. Syner and Daniel Koger.  Both are forwards who made their debuts last weekend.

So who are they...let's start with Syner.

T.J. Syner is very much like a Cory Conacher of the Norfolk Admirals.  And Jacob Micflikier of the Bears.  He wasn't drafted mainly because of his size.  He is listed at 5'9" 173lbs.  And apparently he can really skate:

From HockeysFuture.com's college preview earlier this year:

Syner is a really fun player to watch. He's not big (5'9, 173lbs), but he is very fast. He can dart in and out of traffic and is difficult to contain because he utilizes his speed so effectively.

He did make an appearance at the Capitals developmental camp this past summer and then proceeded to score 13 goals and add 24 assists in 36 games during his senior season. 

So far with the Bears he has played in 3 games and has an assist.  Based on Tim Leone's Tuesday update, he was on the second line with Eakin and Bourque. 

Daniel Koger is a rookie hockey player from Hungary.  He has played for multiple ECHL and AHL teams this season in attempt to stick somewhere.  In the ECHL he has 9 goals and 18 assists in 32 games for Cincinnati and South Carolina.  In the AHL he has 0 goals and 2 assists in 15 games with the Bears (2 games, 1 assist), St. John's, Providence, and Milwaukee. 

I haven't seen him and a quick google search doesn't bring too many talent evaluations of him.  But he is listed at 6'2" 195 lbs so at least he is a full grown player instead of another Hershey miniature.

I am looking forward to seeing both new players and a Bears win tonight!

Dan's Week 3 Pick Em

To contact us Click HERE
I figured I should throw another post in here, so here goes my picks for week 3.

• Chicago over St Louis
• Dallas beating Tampa Bay 
• Buffalo edging out Cleveland 
• Detroit blowing out Tennessee 
• Andrew Luck leading Indianapolis over Jacksonville
• The Jets beating the Dolphins (look for a bigger role for Tebow this game) 
• San Francisco destroying Minnesota 
• New Orleans looks like nothing happened this week as they beat the Chiefs 
• Washington beats Cincinnati 
• Arizona beats Philly 
• Atlanta beats San Diego 
• Houston gets revenge on Peyton Manning by beating Denver soundly
• Pittsburgh easily wins over Oakland 
• Baltimore gets revenge for Cundiff's blunder last year and beats New England 
• Green Bay has no problem beating the team with the best Monday night record the Seattle Seahawks.
• And my not so bold prediction that overlaps all the games is that the officiating will continue to be flat out terrible.

Happy Week 3 Everybody!

Dan's Week 3 Pick Em

To contact us Click HERE
I figured I should throw another post in here, so here goes my picks for week 3.

• Chicago over St Louis
• Dallas beating Tampa Bay 
• Buffalo edging out Cleveland 
• Detroit blowing out Tennessee 
• Andrew Luck leading Indianapolis over Jacksonville
• The Jets beating the Dolphins (look for a bigger role for Tebow this game) 
• San Francisco destroying Minnesota 
• New Orleans looks like nothing happened this week as they beat the Chiefs 
• Washington beats Cincinnati 
• Arizona beats Philly 
• Atlanta beats San Diego 
• Houston gets revenge on Peyton Manning by beating Denver soundly
• Pittsburgh easily wins over Oakland 
• Baltimore gets revenge for Cundiff's blunder last year and beats New England 
• Green Bay has no problem beating the team with the best Monday night record the Seattle Seahawks.
• And my not so bold prediction that overlaps all the games is that the officiating will continue to be flat out terrible.

Happy Week 3 Everybody!

St. John's IceCaps visit Hershey Bears tonight

To contact us Click HERE
The St. John's IceCaps are currently the #2 seed in the Eastern Conference playoff picture.  They have all but locked up the Atlantic Division, leading by 14 points over second place Manchester.  More than likely, barring a Norfolk collapse, they will remain as the #2 seed until the playoffs.

The Hershey Bears are the #5 seed and are, truth be told, in solid position there.  They are 6 points up on 6th place Bridgeport and 5 points behind 5th place Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.  Obviously the goal is to be as high as possible in the standings come playoff time, but, like St. John's, barring a Norfolk collapse, the Bears are looking at 4th or 5th.

Unlike their NHL affiliate, the Washington Capitals, the Bears final 12 games will probably not feature any 'must win' games.  But when you have Calder Cup aspirations and the #2 team in the conference is visiting for the first time all season...you want to win.

The IceCaps have been a solid team on the road all season.  In fact, based on points percentage, they are the BEST team in the AHL on the road.  They are 20-5-2-2 on the road on the season.  Considering that makes them only 18-13-3-0 on home ice, the Bears two losses there a couple weeks ago look even worse.

But there is some good news.  The IceCaps have been struggling of late.  In their last 7 road games they are only 3-3-0-1. 

And the Bears are playing well at home of late too.  Hershey is 5-1-0-0 in their last 6 games, dating back to mid-February.

Tonight's game (and next Saturday's game as the IceCaps return then) is likely to be decided on via special teams.  The Bears boast the #1 home power play in the league.  The IceCaps counter that with the #3 road penalty kill in the league.  On the flip side...the IceCaps have the 3rd best road power play in the league.  The Bears home penalty kill ranks 5th overall.

Either one side is going to bend...or this game will be won 5 on 5. 

Hershey has been somewhat decimated by injuries both in Washington and Hershey.  Keith Aucoin and Braden Holtby remain on recall to the Caps.  With injuries, and a conflicting travel schedule, the Bears were forced to sign Matt Tendler to an Amateur Tryout Agreement.  Basically it is just so they have a backup in case something happens to Dany Sabourin (knock on wood).  He just completed his senior season at Neumann College and is probably not ready for game action in the AHL...just guessing.

Other new players to watch on the Bears (who many of you saw last weekend) are T.J. Syner and Daniel Koger.  Both are forwards who made their debuts last weekend.

So who are they...let's start with Syner.

T.J. Syner is very much like a Cory Conacher of the Norfolk Admirals.  And Jacob Micflikier of the Bears.  He wasn't drafted mainly because of his size.  He is listed at 5'9" 173lbs.  And apparently he can really skate:

From HockeysFuture.com's college preview earlier this year:

Syner is a really fun player to watch. He's not big (5'9, 173lbs), but he is very fast. He can dart in and out of traffic and is difficult to contain because he utilizes his speed so effectively.

He did make an appearance at the Capitals developmental camp this past summer and then proceeded to score 13 goals and add 24 assists in 36 games during his senior season. 

So far with the Bears he has played in 3 games and has an assist.  Based on Tim Leone's Tuesday update, he was on the second line with Eakin and Bourque. 

Daniel Koger is a rookie hockey player from Hungary.  He has played for multiple ECHL and AHL teams this season in attempt to stick somewhere.  In the ECHL he has 9 goals and 18 assists in 32 games for Cincinnati and South Carolina.  In the AHL he has 0 goals and 2 assists in 15 games with the Bears (2 games, 1 assist), St. John's, Providence, and Milwaukee. 

I haven't seen him and a quick google search doesn't bring too many talent evaluations of him.  But he is listed at 6'2" 195 lbs so at least he is a full grown player instead of another Hershey miniature.

I am looking forward to seeing both new players and a Bears win tonight!

Dan's Week 3 Pick Em

To contact us Click HERE
I figured I should throw another post in here, so here goes my picks for week 3.

• Chicago over St Louis
• Dallas beating Tampa Bay 
• Buffalo edging out Cleveland 
• Detroit blowing out Tennessee 
• Andrew Luck leading Indianapolis over Jacksonville
• The Jets beating the Dolphins (look for a bigger role for Tebow this game) 
• San Francisco destroying Minnesota 
• New Orleans looks like nothing happened this week as they beat the Chiefs 
• Washington beats Cincinnati 
• Arizona beats Philly 
• Atlanta beats San Diego 
• Houston gets revenge on Peyton Manning by beating Denver soundly
• Pittsburgh easily wins over Oakland 
• Baltimore gets revenge for Cundiff's blunder last year and beats New England 
• Green Bay has no problem beating the team with the best Monday night record the Seattle Seahawks.
• And my not so bold prediction that overlaps all the games is that the officiating will continue to be flat out terrible.

Happy Week 3 Everybody!

St. John's IceCaps visit Hershey Bears tonight

To contact us Click HERE
The St. John's IceCaps are currently the #2 seed in the Eastern Conference playoff picture.  They have all but locked up the Atlantic Division, leading by 14 points over second place Manchester.  More than likely, barring a Norfolk collapse, they will remain as the #2 seed until the playoffs.

The Hershey Bears are the #5 seed and are, truth be told, in solid position there.  They are 6 points up on 6th place Bridgeport and 5 points behind 5th place Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.  Obviously the goal is to be as high as possible in the standings come playoff time, but, like St. John's, barring a Norfolk collapse, the Bears are looking at 4th or 5th.

Unlike their NHL affiliate, the Washington Capitals, the Bears final 12 games will probably not feature any 'must win' games.  But when you have Calder Cup aspirations and the #2 team in the conference is visiting for the first time all season...you want to win.

The IceCaps have been a solid team on the road all season.  In fact, based on points percentage, they are the BEST team in the AHL on the road.  They are 20-5-2-2 on the road on the season.  Considering that makes them only 18-13-3-0 on home ice, the Bears two losses there a couple weeks ago look even worse.

But there is some good news.  The IceCaps have been struggling of late.  In their last 7 road games they are only 3-3-0-1. 

And the Bears are playing well at home of late too.  Hershey is 5-1-0-0 in their last 6 games, dating back to mid-February.

Tonight's game (and next Saturday's game as the IceCaps return then) is likely to be decided on via special teams.  The Bears boast the #1 home power play in the league.  The IceCaps counter that with the #3 road penalty kill in the league.  On the flip side...the IceCaps have the 3rd best road power play in the league.  The Bears home penalty kill ranks 5th overall.

Either one side is going to bend...or this game will be won 5 on 5. 

Hershey has been somewhat decimated by injuries both in Washington and Hershey.  Keith Aucoin and Braden Holtby remain on recall to the Caps.  With injuries, and a conflicting travel schedule, the Bears were forced to sign Matt Tendler to an Amateur Tryout Agreement.  Basically it is just so they have a backup in case something happens to Dany Sabourin (knock on wood).  He just completed his senior season at Neumann College and is probably not ready for game action in the AHL...just guessing.

Other new players to watch on the Bears (who many of you saw last weekend) are T.J. Syner and Daniel Koger.  Both are forwards who made their debuts last weekend.

So who are they...let's start with Syner.

T.J. Syner is very much like a Cory Conacher of the Norfolk Admirals.  And Jacob Micflikier of the Bears.  He wasn't drafted mainly because of his size.  He is listed at 5'9" 173lbs.  And apparently he can really skate:

From HockeysFuture.com's college preview earlier this year:

Syner is a really fun player to watch. He's not big (5'9, 173lbs), but he is very fast. He can dart in and out of traffic and is difficult to contain because he utilizes his speed so effectively.

He did make an appearance at the Capitals developmental camp this past summer and then proceeded to score 13 goals and add 24 assists in 36 games during his senior season. 

So far with the Bears he has played in 3 games and has an assist.  Based on Tim Leone's Tuesday update, he was on the second line with Eakin and Bourque. 

Daniel Koger is a rookie hockey player from Hungary.  He has played for multiple ECHL and AHL teams this season in attempt to stick somewhere.  In the ECHL he has 9 goals and 18 assists in 32 games for Cincinnati and South Carolina.  In the AHL he has 0 goals and 2 assists in 15 games with the Bears (2 games, 1 assist), St. John's, Providence, and Milwaukee. 

I haven't seen him and a quick google search doesn't bring too many talent evaluations of him.  But he is listed at 6'2" 195 lbs so at least he is a full grown player instead of another Hershey miniature.

I am looking forward to seeing both new players and a Bears win tonight!

Dan's Week 3 Pick Em

To contact us Click HERE
I figured I should throw another post in here, so here goes my picks for week 3.

• Chicago over St Louis
• Dallas beating Tampa Bay 
• Buffalo edging out Cleveland 
• Detroit blowing out Tennessee 
• Andrew Luck leading Indianapolis over Jacksonville
• The Jets beating the Dolphins (look for a bigger role for Tebow this game) 
• San Francisco destroying Minnesota 
• New Orleans looks like nothing happened this week as they beat the Chiefs 
• Washington beats Cincinnati 
• Arizona beats Philly 
• Atlanta beats San Diego 
• Houston gets revenge on Peyton Manning by beating Denver soundly
• Pittsburgh easily wins over Oakland 
• Baltimore gets revenge for Cundiff's blunder last year and beats New England 
• Green Bay has no problem beating the team with the best Monday night record the Seattle Seahawks.
• And my not so bold prediction that overlaps all the games is that the officiating will continue to be flat out terrible.

Happy Week 3 Everybody!

St. John's IceCaps visit Hershey Bears tonight

To contact us Click HERE
The St. John's IceCaps are currently the #2 seed in the Eastern Conference playoff picture.  They have all but locked up the Atlantic Division, leading by 14 points over second place Manchester.  More than likely, barring a Norfolk collapse, they will remain as the #2 seed until the playoffs.

The Hershey Bears are the #5 seed and are, truth be told, in solid position there.  They are 6 points up on 6th place Bridgeport and 5 points behind 5th place Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.  Obviously the goal is to be as high as possible in the standings come playoff time, but, like St. John's, barring a Norfolk collapse, the Bears are looking at 4th or 5th.

Unlike their NHL affiliate, the Washington Capitals, the Bears final 12 games will probably not feature any 'must win' games.  But when you have Calder Cup aspirations and the #2 team in the conference is visiting for the first time all season...you want to win.

The IceCaps have been a solid team on the road all season.  In fact, based on points percentage, they are the BEST team in the AHL on the road.  They are 20-5-2-2 on the road on the season.  Considering that makes them only 18-13-3-0 on home ice, the Bears two losses there a couple weeks ago look even worse.

But there is some good news.  The IceCaps have been struggling of late.  In their last 7 road games they are only 3-3-0-1. 

And the Bears are playing well at home of late too.  Hershey is 5-1-0-0 in their last 6 games, dating back to mid-February.

Tonight's game (and next Saturday's game as the IceCaps return then) is likely to be decided on via special teams.  The Bears boast the #1 home power play in the league.  The IceCaps counter that with the #3 road penalty kill in the league.  On the flip side...the IceCaps have the 3rd best road power play in the league.  The Bears home penalty kill ranks 5th overall.

Either one side is going to bend...or this game will be won 5 on 5. 

Hershey has been somewhat decimated by injuries both in Washington and Hershey.  Keith Aucoin and Braden Holtby remain on recall to the Caps.  With injuries, and a conflicting travel schedule, the Bears were forced to sign Matt Tendler to an Amateur Tryout Agreement.  Basically it is just so they have a backup in case something happens to Dany Sabourin (knock on wood).  He just completed his senior season at Neumann College and is probably not ready for game action in the AHL...just guessing.

Other new players to watch on the Bears (who many of you saw last weekend) are T.J. Syner and Daniel Koger.  Both are forwards who made their debuts last weekend.

So who are they...let's start with Syner.

T.J. Syner is very much like a Cory Conacher of the Norfolk Admirals.  And Jacob Micflikier of the Bears.  He wasn't drafted mainly because of his size.  He is listed at 5'9" 173lbs.  And apparently he can really skate:

From HockeysFuture.com's college preview earlier this year:

Syner is a really fun player to watch. He's not big (5'9, 173lbs), but he is very fast. He can dart in and out of traffic and is difficult to contain because he utilizes his speed so effectively.

He did make an appearance at the Capitals developmental camp this past summer and then proceeded to score 13 goals and add 24 assists in 36 games during his senior season. 

So far with the Bears he has played in 3 games and has an assist.  Based on Tim Leone's Tuesday update, he was on the second line with Eakin and Bourque. 

Daniel Koger is a rookie hockey player from Hungary.  He has played for multiple ECHL and AHL teams this season in attempt to stick somewhere.  In the ECHL he has 9 goals and 18 assists in 32 games for Cincinnati and South Carolina.  In the AHL he has 0 goals and 2 assists in 15 games with the Bears (2 games, 1 assist), St. John's, Providence, and Milwaukee. 

I haven't seen him and a quick google search doesn't bring too many talent evaluations of him.  But he is listed at 6'2" 195 lbs so at least he is a full grown player instead of another Hershey miniature.

I am looking forward to seeing both new players and a Bears win tonight!

St. John's IceCaps visit Hershey Bears tonight

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The St. John's IceCaps are currently the #2 seed in the Eastern Conference playoff picture.  They have all but locked up the Atlantic Division, leading by 14 points over second place Manchester.  More than likely, barring a Norfolk collapse, they will remain as the #2 seed until the playoffs.

The Hershey Bears are the #5 seed and are, truth be told, in solid position there.  They are 6 points up on 6th place Bridgeport and 5 points behind 5th place Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.  Obviously the goal is to be as high as possible in the standings come playoff time, but, like St. John's, barring a Norfolk collapse, the Bears are looking at 4th or 5th.

Unlike their NHL affiliate, the Washington Capitals, the Bears final 12 games will probably not feature any 'must win' games.  But when you have Calder Cup aspirations and the #2 team in the conference is visiting for the first time all season...you want to win.

The IceCaps have been a solid team on the road all season.  In fact, based on points percentage, they are the BEST team in the AHL on the road.  They are 20-5-2-2 on the road on the season.  Considering that makes them only 18-13-3-0 on home ice, the Bears two losses there a couple weeks ago look even worse.

But there is some good news.  The IceCaps have been struggling of late.  In their last 7 road games they are only 3-3-0-1. 

And the Bears are playing well at home of late too.  Hershey is 5-1-0-0 in their last 6 games, dating back to mid-February.

Tonight's game (and next Saturday's game as the IceCaps return then) is likely to be decided on via special teams.  The Bears boast the #1 home power play in the league.  The IceCaps counter that with the #3 road penalty kill in the league.  On the flip side...the IceCaps have the 3rd best road power play in the league.  The Bears home penalty kill ranks 5th overall.

Either one side is going to bend...or this game will be won 5 on 5. 

Hershey has been somewhat decimated by injuries both in Washington and Hershey.  Keith Aucoin and Braden Holtby remain on recall to the Caps.  With injuries, and a conflicting travel schedule, the Bears were forced to sign Matt Tendler to an Amateur Tryout Agreement.  Basically it is just so they have a backup in case something happens to Dany Sabourin (knock on wood).  He just completed his senior season at Neumann College and is probably not ready for game action in the AHL...just guessing.

Other new players to watch on the Bears (who many of you saw last weekend) are T.J. Syner and Daniel Koger.  Both are forwards who made their debuts last weekend.

So who are they...let's start with Syner.

T.J. Syner is very much like a Cory Conacher of the Norfolk Admirals.  And Jacob Micflikier of the Bears.  He wasn't drafted mainly because of his size.  He is listed at 5'9" 173lbs.  And apparently he can really skate:

From HockeysFuture.com's college preview earlier this year:

Syner is a really fun player to watch. He's not big (5'9, 173lbs), but he is very fast. He can dart in and out of traffic and is difficult to contain because he utilizes his speed so effectively.

He did make an appearance at the Capitals developmental camp this past summer and then proceeded to score 13 goals and add 24 assists in 36 games during his senior season. 

So far with the Bears he has played in 3 games and has an assist.  Based on Tim Leone's Tuesday update, he was on the second line with Eakin and Bourque. 

Daniel Koger is a rookie hockey player from Hungary.  He has played for multiple ECHL and AHL teams this season in attempt to stick somewhere.  In the ECHL he has 9 goals and 18 assists in 32 games for Cincinnati and South Carolina.  In the AHL he has 0 goals and 2 assists in 15 games with the Bears (2 games, 1 assist), St. John's, Providence, and Milwaukee. 

I haven't seen him and a quick google search doesn't bring too many talent evaluations of him.  But he is listed at 6'2" 195 lbs so at least he is a full grown player instead of another Hershey miniature.

I am looking forward to seeing both new players and a Bears win tonight!

Dan's Week 3 Pick Em

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I figured I should throw another post in here, so here goes my picks for week 3.

• Chicago over St Louis
• Dallas beating Tampa Bay 
• Buffalo edging out Cleveland 
• Detroit blowing out Tennessee 
• Andrew Luck leading Indianapolis over Jacksonville
• The Jets beating the Dolphins (look for a bigger role for Tebow this game) 
• San Francisco destroying Minnesota 
• New Orleans looks like nothing happened this week as they beat the Chiefs 
• Washington beats Cincinnati 
• Arizona beats Philly 
• Atlanta beats San Diego 
• Houston gets revenge on Peyton Manning by beating Denver soundly
• Pittsburgh easily wins over Oakland 
• Baltimore gets revenge for Cundiff's blunder last year and beats New England 
• Green Bay has no problem beating the team with the best Monday night record the Seattle Seahawks.
• And my not so bold prediction that overlaps all the games is that the officiating will continue to be flat out terrible.

Happy Week 3 Everybody!

Dan's Week 3 Pick Em

To contact us Click HERE
I figured I should throw another post in here, so here goes my picks for week 3.

• Chicago over St Louis
• Dallas beating Tampa Bay 
• Buffalo edging out Cleveland 
• Detroit blowing out Tennessee 
• Andrew Luck leading Indianapolis over Jacksonville
• The Jets beating the Dolphins (look for a bigger role for Tebow this game) 
• San Francisco destroying Minnesota 
• New Orleans looks like nothing happened this week as they beat the Chiefs 
• Washington beats Cincinnati 
• Arizona beats Philly 
• Atlanta beats San Diego 
• Houston gets revenge on Peyton Manning by beating Denver soundly
• Pittsburgh easily wins over Oakland 
• Baltimore gets revenge for Cundiff's blunder last year and beats New England 
• Green Bay has no problem beating the team with the best Monday night record the Seattle Seahawks.
• And my not so bold prediction that overlaps all the games is that the officiating will continue to be flat out terrible.

Happy Week 3 Everybody!

St. John's IceCaps visit Hershey Bears tonight

To contact us Click HERE
The St. John's IceCaps are currently the #2 seed in the Eastern Conference playoff picture.  They have all but locked up the Atlantic Division, leading by 14 points over second place Manchester.  More than likely, barring a Norfolk collapse, they will remain as the #2 seed until the playoffs.

The Hershey Bears are the #5 seed and are, truth be told, in solid position there.  They are 6 points up on 6th place Bridgeport and 5 points behind 5th place Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.  Obviously the goal is to be as high as possible in the standings come playoff time, but, like St. John's, barring a Norfolk collapse, the Bears are looking at 4th or 5th.

Unlike their NHL affiliate, the Washington Capitals, the Bears final 12 games will probably not feature any 'must win' games.  But when you have Calder Cup aspirations and the #2 team in the conference is visiting for the first time all season...you want to win.

The IceCaps have been a solid team on the road all season.  In fact, based on points percentage, they are the BEST team in the AHL on the road.  They are 20-5-2-2 on the road on the season.  Considering that makes them only 18-13-3-0 on home ice, the Bears two losses there a couple weeks ago look even worse.

But there is some good news.  The IceCaps have been struggling of late.  In their last 7 road games they are only 3-3-0-1. 

And the Bears are playing well at home of late too.  Hershey is 5-1-0-0 in their last 6 games, dating back to mid-February.

Tonight's game (and next Saturday's game as the IceCaps return then) is likely to be decided on via special teams.  The Bears boast the #1 home power play in the league.  The IceCaps counter that with the #3 road penalty kill in the league.  On the flip side...the IceCaps have the 3rd best road power play in the league.  The Bears home penalty kill ranks 5th overall.

Either one side is going to bend...or this game will be won 5 on 5. 

Hershey has been somewhat decimated by injuries both in Washington and Hershey.  Keith Aucoin and Braden Holtby remain on recall to the Caps.  With injuries, and a conflicting travel schedule, the Bears were forced to sign Matt Tendler to an Amateur Tryout Agreement.  Basically it is just so they have a backup in case something happens to Dany Sabourin (knock on wood).  He just completed his senior season at Neumann College and is probably not ready for game action in the AHL...just guessing.

Other new players to watch on the Bears (who many of you saw last weekend) are T.J. Syner and Daniel Koger.  Both are forwards who made their debuts last weekend.

So who are they...let's start with Syner.

T.J. Syner is very much like a Cory Conacher of the Norfolk Admirals.  And Jacob Micflikier of the Bears.  He wasn't drafted mainly because of his size.  He is listed at 5'9" 173lbs.  And apparently he can really skate:

From HockeysFuture.com's college preview earlier this year:

Syner is a really fun player to watch. He's not big (5'9, 173lbs), but he is very fast. He can dart in and out of traffic and is difficult to contain because he utilizes his speed so effectively.

He did make an appearance at the Capitals developmental camp this past summer and then proceeded to score 13 goals and add 24 assists in 36 games during his senior season. 

So far with the Bears he has played in 3 games and has an assist.  Based on Tim Leone's Tuesday update, he was on the second line with Eakin and Bourque. 

Daniel Koger is a rookie hockey player from Hungary.  He has played for multiple ECHL and AHL teams this season in attempt to stick somewhere.  In the ECHL he has 9 goals and 18 assists in 32 games for Cincinnati and South Carolina.  In the AHL he has 0 goals and 2 assists in 15 games with the Bears (2 games, 1 assist), St. John's, Providence, and Milwaukee. 

I haven't seen him and a quick google search doesn't bring too many talent evaluations of him.  But he is listed at 6'2" 195 lbs so at least he is a full grown player instead of another Hershey miniature.

I am looking forward to seeing both new players and a Bears win tonight!