The Hershey Bears will host the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins at 7 p.m. Nov. 13 at GIANT Center for the 300th regular-season meeting between the AHL clubs. Hershey enters the game with an 8-6-0-0 record, while Wilkes-Barre/Scranton is 7-5-1-0.
The matchup will be the teams’ second meeting this season at GIANT Center. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton won the previous meeting 5-0 on Nov. 1, with goaltender Taylor Gauthier making 43 saves for the shutout.
Hershey Bears and Penguins reach 300th regular-season meeting
Through 299 regular-season meetings, Hershey holds a 153-105-4-26-11 record against Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. The Bears are 85-39-3-16-7 at home against the Penguins.
Hershey and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton enter the game after losses. The Bears fell 4-1 to the Hamilton Hammers on Wednesday, with Bogdan Trineyev scoring Hershey’s goal. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton lost 4-0 to Utica on Tuesday.
Power play and goaltending provide key storylines
Both teams have received 42 power-play opportunities this season. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton has scored nine power-play goals at a 21.4% rate, compared with eight goals for Hershey at a 19.0% rate.
Cal Petersen is seeking his first career win against Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. Petersen previously faced the Penguins four times with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms and recorded a 0-3-1 record, a 2.52 goals-against average and a .908 save percentage.
Petersen is 4-3-0 this season for Hershey and has a .857 save percentage during a two-game losing streak. Taylor Gauthier made 43 saves in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton’s 5-0 victory over Hershey on Nov. 1.
Hershey Bears enter a busy stretch
Hershey has outscored opponents 14-7 in the first period this season. The Bears have been outscored 16-12 in the second period and 19-17 in the third.
Hershey is scheduled to face four opponents over its remaining 17 games in 2026: Wilkes-Barre/Scranton six times, Lehigh Valley five times, Charlotte four times and Rochester twice. Forward Joey Anderson was released from his professional tryout agreement Wednesday, while Matt Strome played his 200th game with Hershey that night.
Lynden Lakovic ranks second among rookies with 43 shots, behind Hartford’s Liam Greentree, who has 49. Hershey is 12-24-1-1-0 in franchise history on Friday the 13th and has won three of its past four games on that date.
Game information
Hershey and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton are scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. at GIANT Center. Radio pregame coverage begins at 6:30 p.m., with the broadcast available on WFVY 100.1-FM, Fox Sports 1460-AM and in-arena on 88.9-FM.
The game will stream live on AHLTV on FloHockey and can be heard through the Fox Sports 1460-AM stream. Chris Conway and Bobby Jo Love are scheduled to work as referees, with Shawn Oliver and Tommy George serving as linespersons.
Maryland Sports Blog Take
The 300th regular-season meeting gives the matchup added historical significance, while Hershey will look to respond after the Penguins’ 5-0 victory on Nov. 1. Petersen’s record against Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and Gauthier’s 43-save shutout make goaltending a central storyline at GIANT Center.
Source: Original report
