The Bears welcome the Portland Pirates to Giant Center this afternoon, the only time we'll see the top affiliate of the Buffalo Sabres in central PA this season barring a playoff matchup. Here's what's going on today.
-Kris Mayotte was thisclose to making his Bears debut today against the Pirates, but that will no longer happen. Goaltender Michal Neuvirth was assigned here today by Washington to get some work in after backing up Jose Theodore three times this week. Word has it (and it only stands to reason) that someone other than Theodore will get a start this week for the Caps, and Neuvirth would seem to be the guy. Bob Woods told me in our interview a little while ago that Simeon Varlamov will likely not return until after next weekend (which presumably means Monday as well since Hershey plays Presidents Day in Syracuse.) It should be a tremendous opportunity for Neuvirth, and he'll get a tune-up today in preparing for it.
-Alexandre Giroux also returns today for the Bears, assigned this morning. The Giroux-Keith Aucoin-Graham Mink line will be restored today for the Portland game. Mink, Greg Amadio and Chris Bourque are the only three former Pirates playing for Hershey today, and Amadio's stint with Portland had nothing to do with Washington's former affiliation in Maine.
-Former Bears forward Mathieu Darche returns to Giant Center today. Darche scored 29 goals for Hershey during 2004-05 season, and was a teammate of Mink's in Worcester.
-After a hot start to begin the year, Portland is in fourth place in the Atlantic Division with 54 points. The Pirates are winless in three games entering play Sunday, dropping a shootout to the Albany River Rats in Glens Falls, NY Saturday night.
-In addition to John Keeley from On Frozen Blog, who will be at his second consecutive game today, there is an even stronger Washington media presence with us for today's game. Tarik El-Bashir from the Washington Post is working on a future story about Hershey as a minor league hockey town, and will also be joining us in press row today.
-The Philadelphia Phantoms have a big game today, as they host the Bridgeport Sound Tigers at 5:05 p.m. John Paddock's team has lost three in a row, and needs a win against one of the teams in front of them in a bad way. Philly is six points behind Binghamton and seven back of the Tigers. Lose today in regulation, and Philly could fall even further behind with 29 games to go. Binghamton makes up a game in Springfield today that was snowed out earlier this season.
