On Friday night, DC sports legend and Stanley Cup Champion Devante Smith-Pelly scored his first point as a Hershey Bear of the American Hockey League. Smith-Pelly recorded the primary assist on a game-opening goal scored by Liam O’Brien.
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Devante Smith-Pelly has his first point as a Bear, and this pass across to @OfficialBigTuna was a thing of beauty! #HBH pic.twitter.com/02t0kOa4ul
— Hershey Bears (@TheHersheyBears) March 2, 2019
Smith-Pelly, wearing number 23, carried the puck into the offensive zone and centered a pass to catch O’Brien on the rush. The goal was O’Brien’s 15th of the season.
DSP’s celebration was low-key: a subtle gloved handshake behind the goal line.
Despite taking an early lead over the Utica Comets, the Bears lost in overtime.
Smith-Pelly played his first game for the Bears on Wednesday. He was assigned to Hershey following clearing unclaimed on waivers prior to the NHL deadline. Smith-Pelly, 26, scored seven goals for Washington in their 2018 Stanley Cup Championship run. He previously played for the Norfolk Admirals and Syracuse Crunch of the AHL. The Hershey Bears will play the Bridgeport Sound Tigers on Saturday.
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BEARS DROP OT DECISION IN UTICA, 3-2
Bears fall in overtime for the first time this season(Utica, NY – March 1, 2019)- The Hershey Bears earned a hard fought standings point, but fell in overtime to the Utica Comets, 3-2, on Friday night at the Adirondack Bank Center. Devante Smith-Pelly earned his first point in his second game with the Chocolate and White in the losing effort.
Following a scoreless first period, both teams combined for three tallies in the middle stanza. Liam O’Brien started the scoring for Hershey after executing a transition play at 4:56. Along the left wing, Smith-Pelly sent a perfect pass to the middle of the ice for O’Brien, who blasted a quick shot past Utica goaltender Michael Leighton. The Comets answered back later in the period courtesy of a power play goal. After Mike Sgarbossa was called for slashing at 14:51, Zack MacEwen deflected a Reid Boucher shot on the backdoor for his 18th goal of the season at 15:17. Hershey’s penalty kill finished the night 2-for-3.
Sgarbossa earned retribution before the period expired and put Hershey back in front on a power play goal of his own. At 17:06, Sgarbossa scored his 24th of the season on a wicked wrist shot from the left circle past Leighton. Hershey led 2-1 after 40 minutes and carried an 18-15 shot advantage into the dressing room.
Into the third, the Comets pushed mightily and found the equalizer at 5:14. From a sharp angle, Boucher found a small gap between Vanecek and the near post and potted his 26th goal of the season. Overtime was required with the Bears and Comets deadlocked at 2-2 after 60 minutes. Only 44 seconds into the sudden-death, Cam Darcy went hard to the net on a power move and tallied the overtime winner for Utica. The result marked the first time the Bears lost in the 3-on-3 sudden-death period this season.
Hershey’s record moved to 32-21-1-3 in the loss, while Utica improved to 30-21-5-2. Final shots on goal were 26-23 Comets.
The Bears return to the ice tomorrow, Saturday Mar. 2 with a 7 p.m. home tilt against the Bridgeport Sound Tigers. It’s Penn State Health T-Shirt Night at Giant Center. All fans will receive a T-Shirt, courtesy of Penn State Health. Ticket information is available online at HersheyBears.com.
Headline photo: Hershey Bears
