Road Warriors

Sitting down last night to watch the Caps play the Penguins, I finally managed to accept the early deficit knowing that when the Caps decide to come out flat early, they generally turn it around in the later periods. This was something that happened several times last year with the Hershey Bears, who'd look stale for 20 minutes, and then turn up for a game when the second period commenced. With the exception of the odd mild expletive when the Pens scored last night, I sensed that the goal by Flash was the spark this team needed to ignite - and ignite they did in that final period. It wasn't the prettiest game by far, but the end result is what matters the most. Boyd Gordon netted the winner, and deflated a Penguins team that saw a huge momentum shift result in an embarrassing loss at home.

With Donald sidelined, I admired Matt Bradleys courage and grit to go toe to toe with Paul Bissonette. This former baby Pen had a huge reputation in the AHL as a bruiser, and made pretty short work of Bradley. For those that followed the Bears/Pens games last season, they will remember when Bissonette duked it out with Bears enforcer Ryan Flinn back in February. Flinn dominated that confrontation, but we all became aware that the Pens had a guy who could clearly handle himself at not only the AHL level, but the NHL too. I'm sure right now that Donald Brashear will be looking out for Bissonette the next time these two powerhouse teams clash. As for Ryan Flinn - hopefully he's doing well up in Hamilton - we miss you Ryan.

Here's hoping that Hershey can also be road warriors tonight, as they face off against the Phantoms in Philadelphia. Varlamov is scheduled to be in goal tonight, and this will be a good test for him if Claude Giroux fires some pucks at him. Good luck Bears, and we look forward to seeing you tomorrow at the home opener in Hershey.