The Daily News from Lebanon, Pennsylvania • 16

4C Lebanon Daily News, Tuesday, December 18, 2007 Hockey Morgan leads without a letter Bear i Traclsg By Dan Semoffsky Youd play one game, and then youve got 14 days off to dwell on it. Then you play another and have seven off. Its tough to get on a roll. But I think once we found the right line combinations and played a lot of games in a short period of time, we got on a roll. That, Morgan added, figures to pay dividends in the long run.

The teams success in the last month has come despite a number of lineup changes due to injuries and recalls, and the coaching change that saw Bob Woods take over as head coach when the Washington Capitals called up Bruce Boudreau. Obviously, the coaching change was a bit of an adjustment, Morgan said, but I think the guys have taken to it Thats what builds championship teams. You play through adversity. With injuries, thats an opportunity for someone else to fill that role, and if youve got depth throughout your organization, thats what makes winners. Weve got that here.

Weve got great young players, and theyve stepped up. Thats gonna be key coming down the stretch. And even if hes not wearing a letter on his sweater, its readily apparent that Morgan has been playing a key role in helping to keep the Bears on that track. By DAN SERNOFFSKY Daily News Sportswriter HERSHEY Theres no letter on the sweater, but there really doesnt have to be. In a career thats now in its 12th season, Jason Morgan has pretty much seen it all, and what hes picked up in the course of his journeys that have seen him play in four different leagues for 17 different teams in 11 different states and three Canadian provinces has made him one of the key foundational blocks around which the Hershey Bears are building this season.

I think everyone can lead in their own way, said Morgan. You dont have to have a letter (a captains or assistant captains A) on to be a leader. Weve got a lot of leaders on this club. For myself, this is my 12th year pro. I try to lead by example.

Young guys look up to you, a guy 31 years old going out there and giving 100 percent every shift. Theyre gonna follow suit. Thats kind of been my role throughout my career. Ive been a captain a couple of times, but I just try to lead by example. Morgans example is based on his work ethic.

Hes never been a big goal-scorer, but whether hes playing at his natural position, center, or on the wing, hes always been a player who will do the hard work to help set up a goal. As often as not in his career, his assist totals have FAST FORWARD The Hershey Bears, who posted a 1-1 record in a week unexpectedly cut a game short by a postponement last week and who remain tied for third place in the East Division, face a three-game week this week in heading into the Christmas break. The Bears open the week tomorrow night by hosting the Binghamton Senators in a game that was rescheduled after Sundays ice storm forced the postponement, the fourth game in the eight-game series between the two teams that the Bears lead 2-1. The Bears travel to Philadelphia Friday night to take on the division-leading Phantoms in the fourth game of the 12-game season series, a series the Phantoms lead 2-1 after posting a shootout victory when the teams last met in Hershey. The Bears finish the week Saturday when they return home to host the Norfolk Admirals in the fifth game of the 10-game season series, a series the Bears lead 3-1.

FRONT RUNNERS Left wing Grant Potulny shares the team scoring lead with 17 points on nine goals and eight assists. Center Kyle Wilson shares the team scoring lead with 17 points on eight goals and 11 assists, his 11 assists also giving him a share of the team lead. Right wing Joe Motzko leads the Bears in goals with 10. He also leads the team in power-play goals with six. Center Jason Morgan shares the team lead in assists with 11.

Center Jay Beagle is tied for fourth in the league in goals by rookies with nine. Defenseman Tyler Sloan leads all active players on the roster in plus-minus with a plus-8 rating. Left wing Louis Robitaille leads the league in penalty minutes with 153. He also leads the league in major penalties with 13. Goalie Frederic Cassivi is ranked fifth in the league in saves with 515.

Jason Morgan has been leading by example this been more of a playmaker. Now Im playing on the way, and I kind of like it. Morgans experience also adds considerable perspective to the way the season has unfolded, especially since the Bears have rebounded from a 4-7 start to win 10 games and pick up points in 12, in their last 15. We got off to a slow start partially because of our schedule, Morgan said. been almost double his goal totals.

Thats the role hes playing with the Bears. Although he has only three goals, he shares the team lead in assists with 11. Thats kind of been my role in my career, he said. Ive never been a goal-scorer. I think I had 17 (goals) twice.

Maybe its just because of my defensive responsibility. Ive always Red Wings sting Capitals in shootout I i ivl Grant Potulny shares scoring lead Louis Robitaille leader power-play goal. The Avalanche entered the game with only five goals in 65 power plays on the road, the worst percentage in the league. Dustin Brown scored for the Kings on a power play, and Michal Handzus added a short-handed goal. LaBarbera made 36 saves after missing eight games because of a rib injury.

Simon leaves Isles NEW YORK (AP) Chris Simon left the New York Islanders yesterday, saying he needed time away from hockey following his latest penalty for attempting to injure an opponent. Late in New Yorks loss to the Penguins, with the Islanders trailing by a goal, Simon was given a match penalty when he pulled out Jarkko Ruutus leg, sending the forward to the ice between the team benches. He then stepped on the back of his leg with his skate. Simon was ejected, and' the Islanders were left a man short for all but the final 54 seconds of the 3-2 defeat. won the face-off, in the right circle, back to Ovechkin, who then put a wrist shot in off of Hasek for his 24th goals.

Schultz gave the Capitals a 2-1 lead with 26 seconds left in the opening period when his shot from the point deflected off Holmstrom, who slid in an attempt to black the shot, into the air and fluttered past Hasek into the net. I didnt think we were as good as we couldve been from the start, Red Wings coach Mike Babcock said. Avalanche 4, Kings 2 Ryan Smyth and Jaroslav Hlinka scored 62 seconds apart early in the first period against Jason LaBarbera in the goalies first game off the injured list, and Colorado held on for its third straight victory. Peter Budaj helped send the Kings to their fourth straight loss, making 19 saves after stopping 61 of 63 shots in Colorados home-and-home sweep of Nashville. Paul Stastny also had a goal, and defensemen Brett Clark had two assists, the first one coming on Smyths I really believe we deserved two (points), Capitals interim coach Bruce Boudreau said.

But thats why theyre No. 1 because every chance they get, they take advantage of it. It looked as if Holmstrom, who returned after missing two games with a sore knee, would be the hero when he tipped in Datsyuks spectacular pass, from the bottom of the left circle, for his 16th goal to give Detroit a 3-2 lead with 4:43 left. Its always nice to score, Holmstrom said. I felt a little rusty, but I tried to make it simple out there.

Zetterberg tied the game at 2 with a power-play goal with 9:34 left in the second period. He beat Kolzig with a one-time slap shot from the right circle for his 24th goal. Holmstrom opened the scoring with a power-play goal 3:37 into the game. He tipped in Nicklas Lidstroms pass for his 15th goal of the season. Ovechkin tied it with a power-play goal of his own at 9:58, 2 seconds after Hudler was whistled for holding.

Michael Nylander 1 WSD ay 1 DETROIT (AP) Pavel Datsyuk changed his shootout technique, and Henrik Zetterberg and Jiri Hudler followed his lead. Each scored in the shootout to lift the Detroit Red Wings to a 4-3 win over the Washington Capitals last night. All three used the same move, a fake and a backhand shot to beat Capitals goalie Olaf Kolzig in the shootout. Datsyuk has a dazzling array of moves on shootouts and breakaways but said he hasnt scored on his past few. He was stopped by Florida goalie Tomas Vok-oun on a penalty shot on Saturday night.

I tried to do it a bit easier, said Datsyuk. Went to the backhand. Tomas Holmstrom had two goals, Zetterberg a goal and an assist and Datsyuk three assists in regulation for NHL-leading Detroit. Dominik Hasek made 27 saves. Alexander Ovechkin, Jeff Schultz and Alexander Semin, who also had a shootout goal, scored for Washington.

Kolzig stopped 27 shots. Hasek stopped Ovechkin, who skated in alone, 3:27 into overtime. Semins power-play goal tied the game 3-3 with 1:34 left in the third period. Datsyuk was in the penalty box for delay of game after he accidentally cleared the puck over the glass in his own zone with 2:54 left. Curry named player of week SPRINGFIELD, Mass.

-Providence defenseman Sean Curry turned offensive, scoring four goals and assisting on two more to lead the Bruins to a 4-0 week last week and has been named the American Hockey League player of the week, the league announced yesterday. Curry opened the week with a goal and an assist in a 6-5 shootout win over Lowell Wednesday, then scored two goals, including the game-winner, in a 4-1 win over Bridgeport Friday. He had another goal and an assist in 6-1 win over Lowell Saturday, and turned in a solid defensive effort while finishing a plus-3 in a 4-1 victory over Houston Sunday. For the week, Curry was a plus-5. Runner-up in the weekly voting was Syracuse left wing Joakim Lindstrom, who had two goals and seven assists in three games.

Changing of the guard 7.71958-59 through 1967-68 'The landscape of sports was changing, arid that included I hockey as new teams and new leagues began to crop up. In the meant accepting a role as a farm system for the NHL It also mean some major roster changes in Hershey as familiar faces left and new faces came in. It didnt matter. The Bears opened their third decade with a Calder Cup in 1959. FIRST AID Defenseman Sean Collins has been sidelined by a concussion.

His status remains day-to-day. Defenseman Josef Boumedienne has been sidelined by a broken wrist. He is expected to be out from 3-5 weeks. Defenseman Dean Arsene remains sidelined following sports-hernia surgery but has resumed skating and non-contact practice with the team. He is expected to be out for 10 days to two weeks.

FOR THE RECORD Center Andrew Joudrey scored two goals against Norfolk Friday, the first multiple-goal game of his professional career. Center Kyle Wilson scored the game-winning goal against Norfolk Friday, his second game-winning goal of the season, to become the second Hershey player with more than one game-winning goal this season. Center Jay Beagle scored a power-play goal against Toronto Saturday to extend Hersheys streak to six straight games in which the team has scored at least once on the man advantage. The Bears postponed Sundays game against Binghamton because of weather conditions, the second time that weather conditions have forced a postponement since the team moved to Giant Center. The last postponement was on Jan.

22, 2005, when a winter storm forced the rescheduling of a game against Philadelphia, which was made up 11 days later. FILLING THE ROSTER Right wing Joe Motzko has been reassigned to the Bears by the Washington Capitals. He had two goals and one assist and was a plus-2 in five games with Washington. Left wing Tom Maxwell received an automatic one-game suspension after receiving a match penalty against Norfolk Friday. He is awaiting a review by the AHL concerning additional suspension.

Left wing Chris Bourque has returned to the lineup after having missed three games with concussion-like symptoms. FRANKLY SPEAKING I dont think its a lack of effort. Were coming out, were working hard. Most of the time, I dont think the bounces are going our way. We should have had three or four goals tonight.

We had the opportunities Center Jay Beagle on Hersheys missed opportunities in Saturdays 3-1 loss to Toronto. FLASHBACK Thirty-nine years ago this week, center Michel Harvey had two goals and an assist, and left wing Roger DeJordy had two goals to lead the Bears to a 6-2 victory over the Baltimore Clippers. One year ago this week, left wing Quintin Laing scored three goals in leading the Bears to a 7-4 victory over the Albany River Rats in the regular-season game in Hershey franchise history. FORMER BEARS Center Joey Tenute (2005-07), now with the San Antonio Rampage, scored one goal, then scored the decisive goal in the shootout to lead the Rampage to a 4-3 shootout victory over the Rockford IceHogs Sunday. Defenseman Chris Armstrong (1998-99), now with the Frankfurt Lions of the DEL (German League), scored one goal, then assisted on the game-winner as the Lions beat Eisbaren Berlin 3-2 in overtime Sunday.

Right wing Graham Mink (2005-06), now with the Worcester Sharks, had a goal and an assist in helping to lead the Sharks to a 4-2 victory over the Houston Aeros Saturday. Goalie Nolan Schaefer (2006-07), now with the Houston Aeros, stopped 32 of the 33 shots he faced and added two assists in helping the Aeros post a 6-1 Victory over the Hartford Wolf Pack Wednesday. mm Dec. 12, 1934, Kirkland Lake, Ont. In the decade: 351 games played, 96 goals, ,103 assists, 199 points, 383 PIM Overall with the Bears: 467, 106-132-238, 523 Originally joining the Bears in the 1956-57 season, he was part of Hersheys back-to-back Calder Cup championships.

He ranked second on the team in scoring with 47 points in 1958-59 to help put the Bears in a position to defend the Cup. He left the Bears following the 1962-63 season, his best as a pro with 25 goals and 49 points, and spent the next seven seasons playing for Rochester. TtatbvOfftSarrwMiy (irsprwoy j. Laverty nttiMKaS fnrfWHntttyiMSne) Veches 211 1 211 turn tea-EHi i It I 1 liti nefc iitslMT.