Chasing history

HERSHEY, PA – With Friday night’s 8-2 win over the Albany River Rats, the Hershey Bears have already surpassed last season’s point total with 107, one more than last season. And with 12 games left in their regular season and first place in the East Division already wrapped up, there is very little left to accomplish until playoff time.
 

 Two more wins this weekend and two losses by the Worcester Sharks, would allow the Bears to clinch the top seed in the Eastern Conference. As of now, Hershey is the only team in the conference to have locked up a playoff spot. In fact, the Bears are the only team beside the Hamilton Bulldogs to have clinched a playoff berth in the AHL.
 
The Bulldogs are only seven points behind the Bears in the battle for the league’s best record, so both teams are battling to clinch the home ice advantage throughout the playoffs. And Hershey’s goals extend beyond playoff seeding. The storied franchise has some personal team records that could be rewritten by season’s end.
 
The team is seven points away from tying its record for most points in a season (114). With last night’s win, Hershey broke a team record for wins in a season, with 52. The league record is 57 set by the 1992-93 Binghamton Senators, so you can bet the Bears will be pushing for it.
 
With only six home games left, the Bears also could also break the league record for most home wins (33) in a season. If the Bears can go undefeated the rest of the regular season, the team would tie a team record for fewest losses in a season, with 13.
 
Oh, and on top of all of that, they are the defending Calder Cup champions, having locked up their AHL record tenth league title last season. Though No. 11 is looking like a possibility,no one in Hershey’s locker room feels complacent.
 
April is still many games off, and hockey is a sport where regular season champs can crash and burn come playoff time. Twenty-one players that were on last season’s cup-winning team are on this year’s roster. That alone is rare in minor league hockey, considering how much turnover there is from season to season.
 
The Bears are at the top of near the top in most offensive, defensive, and special team’s categories. To not consider the Bears the favorite to win it all this year would be folly. Then again, betting against the team in general appears to be a huge mistake on anyone’s part.
Contact the author at Brian.Jennings@prohockeynews.com
Contact the photographer at Lewis.Bleiman@prohockeynews.com .