Vanacek started tonight, Carbery seems intent on alternating him and Samsonov until somebody shines it seems. Lines shuffled again. Bears PK is 54% this season to start the game...
Colby Williams still hurt, Barber hurt and is "still being evaluated". Which leads me to believe possible concussion(which sucks). Worst effort of the season tonight and pretty much everyone was bad except a handful of guys. Already starting to wonder is Carbery was the best choice for a group this young given his limited experience(possible overreaction). Bears crushed 5-1 and are now 0-4.
For some reason Morin who has been awful this year is on the first line with Sgarbossa and Gersich. I understand we need to sprinkle vets into this young lineup but not really sure that's where he belongs. Why not Gersich-Sgarbossa-Shumakov?
Fjallby-Pilon-O'Brien back together. This line isn't bad but I really like O'Brein with Pinho and Malenstyn the best thus far. Fjallby has a nice chance off the rush in the first coming down the wing but got his shot blocked. Pilon had a great defensive steal and was in almost alone but got tripped, drew a penalty. Like Pilon's game again tonight.
Shumakov for his two goal effort is dropped to the third line with Pinho and Melenstyn?
Malenstyn was himself again. Had a great net drive late in the third coming down the wing with speed. Liked his game in both ends of the ice. Pinho also played well. Shumakov wasn't overly noticeable tonight.
Kammerer stays in the lineup but has a new center(Gustafsson sits) in Derek Haluk(vet, but not technically) and Steven Whitney(vet) on the other wing. Whitney with a really dumb penalty with about 2:30 to go in the 1st. Kammerer had an open net and missed it early in the 2nd. I liked Hulak, might be better served playing him than Morin or Whitney once Ikonen comes back and Megna goes down to Hershey. This was by far the best line tonight even if you don't consider their goal. Kammerer plays like a vet already. I can see him moving up the lineup at some point this season.
Siegenthaler off to a great start...2 minutes in and he fires the puck into the crowd and takes a penalty. I hate to keep riding him but he can't stay on his feet. Every time he gets hit or hits someone else he's on his ass. He was less bad tonight but really the entire team was bad so it's hard to really call any one specific person out.
Gersich now playing on the PK. Had a shorthanded breakaway early and got stopped after making a nice deke to the backhand to try for the five hole. Had another great chance about 6 minutes in and got stopped. God I wish he would pot one so the floodgates would open. Gersich got knee-on-knee'd and no call. Not sure how they missed it. Not hurt though(thankfully).
Shumakov had a nice chance with about 4 to go in the 1st but missed the net. He's still oddly on PP2 instead of PP1 even with Riley Barber injured. Makes no sense. He's calm and collective up a man with the puck on his stick. He looks like the best PP player on the team thus far to me throughout the season yet he's not being utilized. Even last night when he was with Sgarbossa and Fjallby on the 1st line they went back to their unit of Gersich-Sgarbossa and Barber(before he was hurt) on the PP.
Fjallby had a chance to clear the puck right before the first goal on the PK and he passed it to the wrong guy...shortly thereafter Vanacek gave up a bad goal. If he can ever figure out how to skate with the puck he's going to be a reaaaaaaally good player. Several chances tonight to do something but overskated the puck or fumbled it. Been the story with him all season. It's unfortunate though because he's doing most of the other stuff right.
Lewington fought about halfway through the first trying to spark the team. He wrecked for sure, I'd give him the win. At the end of the game lost his cool and crosschecked the guy he fought earlier into his own goalie knocking him down. Tried to come back after him and fight but cooler heads prevailed.
LuJo with a bonehead turnover in front of his own net on the PP, almost cost us a goal.
Hobbs didn't have a great night but neither did the rest of the D. His turnover behind the net that made it a 4 goal game was pretty rough. Nice little slap pass on the goal by Hulak but too late.
Geisser looked pretty stable again. Screened his own goalie once during a netfront battle but beyond that I liked him again. Had a couple "moments" but his range and skating allowed him to cover for his own mistakes and recover the puck then make a smart play thereafter. I feel like he's secured his spot as the #7 on this team unless they're worried that isn't enough ice time and send him to South Carolina to play every night. Talent wise though he belongs in the AHL.
1st Period
0-1: Bad goal, guy banked it in off Vanacek from behind because he wasn't tight enough to the post. Fjallby also partially at fault after passing to the wrong player just before this on the PK when he had all day to clear the puck.
0-2: Hobbs reacted in agony off a point shot on the PK that beat Vanacek. Pretty sure he deflected it past him. Nothing Vanacek could do, dramatic change of direction.
2nd Period
0-3: Wrist shot from the point at even strength. Never saw it, had big Geisser and an Admirals player battling in front of him.
0-4: Hobbs tried to go d-to-d behind the net with a no look backhand pass. Unfortunately it went right to an Admiral who sent it to 1st round pick Tolvanen in the slot(in the center of 4 Bears in box formation) who wristed it past a challenging Vanacek.
0-5: Admiral skated from the halfwall to the blueline with a Bear on his back. Spun around and just whipped it at the net and beat Vanacek. Possible deflection but goal credited to the shooter so if that's the case, gotta get that one. Game already out of hand though and you can see their heads hanging before this one so I'm not surprised.
3rd Period
1-5: Hulak scores in his first game on a nice tip from Kammerer(1st AHL point) off a slap pass from Hobbs.