MIKE4DEVILS
12-01-2004, 09:28 PM
ALBANY, N.Y. (December 1, 2004). The losing streak of home games for the Albany River Rats stretched to eight (following three consecutive wins to open the season), as the Hershey Bears blanked the River Rats, 3-0 (empty net goal). The Rats never solved Tom Lawson and the Bears scored once in the final two seconds of the first period and short-handed in the second period to secure their victory.
Hershey played a classic road game, playing sound defense and capitalizing on opportunities. After Lawson stopped two early odd-man rushes by the River Rats (Tuomas Pihlman and Krisjanis Redlihs, at 2:20; Zach Parise and Dean McAmmond at 7:50), the Bears almost scored. Scott Clemmensen turned aside a drive-the-slot move by Ryan Steeves.
Things should have been scoreless going into first intermission. But, with seconds ticking on the clock, the Bears dumped the puck in the corner, Eric Perrin won a foot-race and proceeded to skate around the cage, sliding in a wrap-around between Clemmensen and the post on the far side with 1.6 seconds left. The old saying about not giving up a goal in the last two minutes of a period was trumped by the Bears with a score with less than two seconds left.
What really took the wind out of the Rats' sails was David Masse's unassisted, short-handed goal, late in the second period (a wrister that surprised Clemmensen upstairs), giving the Bears the cushion they would ride to victory. Jeff Ulmer added an empty-net marker at 19:59 of the third to seal the deal, 3-0.
The River Rats had their share of scoring chances, including a fine opportunity by Pascal Rheaume early in the third, but never got anything past Bears' goaltender, Tom Lawson.
The three stars: third, to Albany goaltender, Scott Clemmensen, for a decent effort and 35 saves on 37 Hershey shots; second, to David Masse of the Bears, with the unassisted, short-handed insurance goal; and, first, to Bears' netminder, Tom Lawson, for the shutout.
Others with solid efforts tonight included Aaron Voros of Albany, with hard work in the corners and in front of the net and Eric Perrin of the Bears, with a fine "+3" on the night.
Hershey played a classic road game, playing sound defense and capitalizing on opportunities. After Lawson stopped two early odd-man rushes by the River Rats (Tuomas Pihlman and Krisjanis Redlihs, at 2:20; Zach Parise and Dean McAmmond at 7:50), the Bears almost scored. Scott Clemmensen turned aside a drive-the-slot move by Ryan Steeves.
Things should have been scoreless going into first intermission. But, with seconds ticking on the clock, the Bears dumped the puck in the corner, Eric Perrin won a foot-race and proceeded to skate around the cage, sliding in a wrap-around between Clemmensen and the post on the far side with 1.6 seconds left. The old saying about not giving up a goal in the last two minutes of a period was trumped by the Bears with a score with less than two seconds left.
What really took the wind out of the Rats' sails was David Masse's unassisted, short-handed goal, late in the second period (a wrister that surprised Clemmensen upstairs), giving the Bears the cushion they would ride to victory. Jeff Ulmer added an empty-net marker at 19:59 of the third to seal the deal, 3-0.
The River Rats had their share of scoring chances, including a fine opportunity by Pascal Rheaume early in the third, but never got anything past Bears' goaltender, Tom Lawson.
The three stars: third, to Albany goaltender, Scott Clemmensen, for a decent effort and 35 saves on 37 Hershey shots; second, to David Masse of the Bears, with the unassisted, short-handed insurance goal; and, first, to Bears' netminder, Tom Lawson, for the shutout.
Others with solid efforts tonight included Aaron Voros of Albany, with hard work in the corners and in front of the net and Eric Perrin of the Bears, with a fine "+3" on the night.