During the Hershey Bears’ Wednesday practice at Giant Center, the team engaged in a split-squad shootout. Normally a drill like this is run of the mill, but for the Bears it got really, really competitive.
By Madeline Dement 6 years ago
Capitals goaltending prospect Vitek Vanecek stopped 29 Albany Devils shots for his first career AHL shutout Saturday. The Bears got off to a quick start, taking a 3-0 lead into the first intermission. The Bears were buoyed by tallies from veterans Christian Thomas, Brad Malone, and Stan Galiev, all in a 3:06 span. Galiev’s goal was his first AHL tally since the 2015-16 season, where he scored 3 goals in five games.
First year pro Colby Williams would score his second goal in as many nights to cap the Bears scoring in the second period. The 2015 sixth round pick’s overtime goal Friday gave the Bears a victory over the Springfield Thunderbirds.
Vanecek needed to stop 14 shots in the third to preserve the shutout and the 4-0 win for the Bears.
By Spenser Smallwood 6 years ago
Sunday night in Hershey, the Bears won their second game in 24 hours after a goal and assist performance from top prospect, Jakub Vrana. After Brad Malone opened the scoring for the Bears in the first, Vrana would score the go-ahead goal in the second period off a nice takeaway and pass by Travis Boyd. At the end of the second period, Vrana would author a brilliant assist on the game-winning power play goal by Paul Carey.
The Bears held on to win the game behind 22 stops from netminder Vitek Vanecek.
By Spenser Smallwood 6 years ago
The Hershey Bears won their first game of the 2016-17 AHL season, defeating the Bridgeport Sound Tigers 5-2 at GIANT Center, Saturday night. Five different Bears scored including several top prospects. 2014 third-round pick Nathan Walker netted his first goal of the season after going one-on-one with a Sound Tiger defenseman and overpowering him to the net. Walker was shoved into goaltender Stephon Williams and the puck somehow went in. Meanwhile Madison Bowey also scored a spectacular empty-net goal in the game’s final minute from the Bears zone. The goal gave Bowey the team lead in points (1 goal, 2 assists). Paul Carey, Aaron Ness (PP), and Brad Malone also scored.
Before tonight’s blowout, the Bears (1-2-0) were outscored 8-4 during their opening two games of the season. They will play rival Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins tomorrow night.
Talented Russian forward Stan Galiev will not start the season in Washington.
A day after Zach Sanford’s latest impressive preseason performance, the Capitals released veteran forwards Stan Galiev, Brad Malone, Paul Carey, and Christian Thomas from their training camp roster. All four players must pass through waivers to be assigned to the AHL Hershey Bears.
Photo: Harry How
On Saturday night, the Capitals made what could be their final unrestricted free agent signing of the summer, inking center Brad Malone to a one-year, two-way contract. Malone, who dropped the gloves 9 times in 57 games last season for lowly Carolina, is likely to spend the entire season in Hershey.
Malone does have some fascinating history with two current Caps. During the 2007-08 season, Malone played with Taylor Chorney and TJ Oshie on the University of North Dakota.
Brian MacLellan also inked three other AHL players on Friday, the first day of free agency, including goaltender Joe Cannata (who will serve as the team’s starter ahead of Vitek Vanecek), defenseman Darren Dietz, and forward Christian Thomas (a lifting buddy of Brett Connolly and Tom Wilson’s).
