The Daily News from Lebanon, Pennsylvania • 16

4C Lebanon Daily News, Tuesday, November 6, 2007 Hockey Bears shake up roster with recalls -rT' By DAN SERNOFFSKY Daily News Sportswriter HERSHEY Call it a shake-up, or a message, or whatever, but there was little question that the handwriting was on the wall. The Hershey Bears, getting ready to embark on a four-game road trip, are making some changes. The Bears called up center Travis Morin, right wing Tommy Maxwell and defenseman Patrick McNeill from the South Carolina Stingrays of the ECHL yesterday. All three were in training camp with the Bears, and McNeill and Maxwell were both on Her-sheys opening-day roster although neither played in a game before being assigned to South Carolina. The three were in Hershey for practice yesterday.

To help make room for the newcomers, right wing Andrew Gordon was assigned to South Carolina. An unexpected injury situation may have stopped the Bears from making further roster moves. Jay Beagle was unable to practice yesterday due to an injury suffered in Saturdays loss to Bridgeport, while Ben Clymer left practice early with a lower-body injury. Clymer was not expected to be with the team when it left for Norfolk this morning. Beagles status was more promising, and he was expected to travel with the team.

Defensemen Josef Boumedienne, who missed both games last week, and Sami Lepisto, who has been out for two weeks, remain on the injured list and will also stay in Hershey. We dont want complacency, said Hershey coach Bruce Boudreau. Is it a message (bringing in the three players from the ECHL) to some guys who are making a lot of money? I dont know. I dont know if thats the right message. But the message is that the Hershey Bears are not gonna stand for not being successful.

Were calling up three first-year guys. Were rewarding them, but at the same time, its a situation where we want more, we want better. At this time, thats the most we can do. We cant sit here eight games into the season and say lets trade everybody. The concern, as Boudreau sees it, is the difficulty the Bears have had scoring this season.

Saturdays 4-1 loss to Bridgeport left the Bears with just 17 goals this season, the fewest in the league. Morin was tied for the ECHL goal-scoring lead and was tied for second in overall scoring with eight goals and 13 points when he was called up. McNeill, with The Bears called up defenseman Patrick McNeill (left), right wing Tommy Maxwell (right) and center Travis Morin from the South Carolina Stingrays yesterday. FAST FORWARD The Hershey Bears, who posted another 1-1 record last week, begin a four-game road trip with three games this eek. The Bears open the week by traveling to Norfolk to face the Norfolk Admirals tomorrow for the first time this season, and for the first time since the franchise changec.

its NHL affiliation from the Chicago Blackhawks to the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Bears will remain in Norfolk to play the Admirals again on Friday. The Bears continue their road trip Sunday when they return to Bridgeport to face the Sound Tigers for the second time at Harbor Yards and for the third time in the eight-game season series. FRONT RUNNERS Center Kyle Wilson is tied for the team lead in scoring with six points on three goals and three assists. Left wing Grant Potulny is tied for the team lead in scoring with six points on three goals and three assists.

Left wing Chris Bourque shares the team goal-scoring lead with three. Right wing Ben Clymer shares the team goal-scoring lead with three. Right wing Scott Barney leads the team in assists with four Left wing Louis Robitaille leads the team in penalty minutes with 43 and is tied for third in the league in major penalties with five. The Bears lead the league in attendance with an average of 7,917 fans per game. three goals and nine points, was the ECHLs top-scoring defenseman.

Boudreau is hoping those numbers translate into something similar with the Bears. In Maxwell, who has 28 minutes in penalties in nine games, the Bears are looking for some added strength. Maxwell gives us a physical presence on the right side, said Boudreau. Although hes shaken things up, Boudreau hasnt given up on his player. Weve got a lot of guys who have a history of scoring goals, he said.

Thats fine. Weve got to just stay the course. Its not that you try to do things differently, you just work harder and hope you succeed. Weve got guys that are going to be streak scorers. Scott Barney scored three goals in his first 63 games (last season), then he scored 13 in the next 25 with us.

Hell score. Joe Motzkos never had a year where hes scored less than 27. Youve got to assume hes gonna score. Kyle Wilson should improve on his (goal total), Chris Bourque should on his. Theyre not right now, for whatever reason.

It should happen. Hurricanes blank struggling Capitals Daren Machesney Jay Beagle posts first shutout scores short-handed Carolinas Cory Stillman slips the puck past Washington goalie Olaf Kolzig for the second of his three first period goals in last nights game. 1 at 13:04 of the second. The Canadiens, who have won six of eight (6-1-1), were outshot 9-1 in the third period before Bryan Smolinski scored into an empty net with 21.8 seconds remaining. Ryan Miller stopped 17 shots for Buffalo, which has lost three in a row (0-2-1), including a 4-2 loss to Florida on Friday.

Panthers 4, Lightning 3 David Booth scored with 1:19 left in the third period and Florida kept Tampa Bay winless on the road. The Lightning, who have lost six in a row overall, are off to a franchise-worst 0-7 start away from home. Olli Jokinen, Ville Pelto-nen and Steve Montador also scored for the Panthers, who have won 11 of the past 13 meetings at the BankAt-lantic Center. Jokinen also had two assists. Stars 5, Ducks 0 Marty Turco recorded his 31st career shutout, Jere Lehtinen added a goal and two assists, and the Stars routed the Ducks to snap a three-game losing streak.

Mike Ribeiro and Jussi Jokinen scored Dallas first two goals with the man advantage after a pair of Anaheim power plays were extinguished by penalties. The defending Stanley Cup champion Ducks came in having allowed just two power-play goals in 37 short-handed situations at home this season. It was Stastnys first multi-goal game since his hat trick opening night. He scored twice in the third period, and his second goal of the game chased Flames goalie Miikka Kiprusoff. Penguins 5, Devils 0 Sidney Crosby scored twice, and Dany Sabourin made 20 saves for his first shutout.

Adam Hall, Petr Sykora and Erik Christensen also scored for Pittsburgh. Crosby has nine goals this season, and leads the NHL with 12 points on the power play, including his first-period goal. Wild 5, Oilers 2 Niklas Backstrom kept up his mastery of the Edmonton Oilers, and Mark Parrish scored twice for Min nesota. Pierre-Marc Bouchard, Kurtis Foster and Stephane Veilleux also scored, and Mikko Koivu had three assists for the Wild, who fired away at former teammate Dwayne Roloson and forced a goalie change for the Oilers after the first period. Canadiens 2, Sabres 0 Cristobal Huet made 29 saves for his first shutout in nearly a year, and Tomas Plekanec scored in the second period.

Huet stopped 16 shots in the first period on his way to his 14th career shutout. It was his first since Nov. 28 when he beat Florida 1-0 in a shootout. Plekanec scored his fourth goal of the season on a 2-on- RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) -Cory Stillman completed a hat trick just 11:28 into the game, and Eric Staal added two goals to help Carolina beat Washington 5-0 last night.

Cam Ward made 35 saves for the Hurricanes, who improved to 5-1-1 at home. All three of Wards regular-season shutouts have come against the Capitals. It seems like Ive had those opportunities to get shutouts, but it always seems like they get a late one or something like that, Ward said. Its nice to get rewarded. Washington dropped to 2-9-0 in its last 11 games and suffered its first Southeast Division loss.

Alexander Semin (ankle), Chris Clark (ear) and Tom Poti (groin) missed the game for the Capitals. Any time you go on a streak like this losing, its never fun, Matt Pettinger said. Its still early, but we lave to do something to right this ship. You dont want to get too far behind the eight ball. Stillman scored three goals for the fourth time in his career but for the first time with Carolina.

Avalanche 4, Flames 1 Paul Stastny scored two goals, and Wojtek Wolski added a goal and two assists. Milan Hejduk had three assists for Colorado, which has beaten the Flames seven straight games dating back to the 2006-07 season. Jose Theodore stopped 23 shots for the victory. Hunter named player of week SPRINGFIELD, Mass. -Rochesters Dylan Hunter scored two goals and assisted on five more to help propel the Americans to three straight wins and has been named the American Hockey Leagues player of the week, the league announced yesterday.

Hunter, the son of former NHL standout Dale Hunter, set up the gamewinning goal in a 3-1 win over Grand Rapids Thursday, then had a hand in all five goals the following night, scoring two and assisting on three as the Americans posted a 5-3 win over the Griffins in the second game of the home-and-lome series. He added an assist in a 3-0 victory over lamilton Saturday. Runner-up in the weekly voting was Bridgeports Jeff Tambellini, who had two goals and four assists in three games. vst-fWf'SK's FIRST AID Right wing Ben Clymer has been sidelined with a lower-body injury suffered in practice. He is expected to be out for a week.

Center Jay Beagle has been sidelined by an upper-body injury. His status is listed as day-to-day. Defenseman Josef Boumedienne has been sidelined by a hip injury. He will be out a week to 10 days. Defenseman Sami Lepisto has been sidelined by a knee injury.

He is expected to be out for a week to 10 days. Defenseman Dean Arsene remains sidelined following sports hernia surgery. He will be out 8-to-10 weeks. FOR THE RECORD Goalie Daren Machesney stopped all 36 shots he faced to post a 2-0 shutout over the Albany River Rats Friday in his season debut, his first game for the Bears since Jan. 26 last season.

It was his first AHL shutout and the first shutout of the season for the Bears. Center Jay Beagle scored a short-handed goal against Bridgeport Saturday, his first AHL goal and the first short-handed goal of the season for the Bears. FILLING THE ROSTER Right wing Andrew Gordon has been assigned to the South Carolina Stingrays of the ECHL by the Bears. He played in six games for the Bears, had two assists, and was a plus-2. Center Travis Morin has been called up from the South Carolina Stingrays by the Bears.

He had eight goals and 13 points in nine games for the Stingrays and is tied for the ECHL lead in goals and tied for second in overall scoring. Defenseman Patrick McNeill has been called up from South Carolina by the Bears. He scored three goals and nine points in nine games for the Stingrays and leads the ECHL in goals, assists and points by defensemen. Right wing Tommy Maxwell has been called up from South Carolina by the Bears. He had a goal and two assists, and 28 minutes in penalties in nine games for the Stingrays.

FRANKLY SPEAKING Its always good to get that first one out of the way, but we were looking for the W. Thats the main goal. It was disappointing we didnt win. Still, its definitely good to get that first one out of the way. Center Jay Beagle on scoring his first AHL goal in Saturdays loss to Bridgeport.

FLASHBACK Fifty years ago this week, goalie Ivan Walmsley, on loan from the Eastern Amateur League under emergency conditions after goalie Gil Mayer developed pneumonia, stopped all 28 shots he faced to backstop the Bears to a 5-0 victory over the Springfield Indians, his only game as a Bear. Forty-one years ago this week, right wing Wayne Rivers scored three goals and assisted on four more to lead the way as 10 different Bears scored goals in a 15-6 victory over the Buffalo Bisons, setting a franchise record for most goals in a game. FORMER BEARS Goalie Nolan Schaefer (2006-07), now with the Houston Aeros, stopped 25 of the 26 shots he faced in regulation and overtime, then stopped four of the five shootout attempts he faced in backstopping the Aeros to a 2-1 shootout win over the Lake Erie Monsters Sunday. Center Bruce Richardson (1997-01, 02-04), now with the Wichita Thunder of the CHL, scored two goals in leading the Thunder to a 3-0 victory over the Oklahoma City Blazers Saturday. Defenseman Rich Brennan (1996-97), now with the Sinupret Ice Tigers of the DEL (German League), had a goal and an assist in helping to lead the Ice Tigers to a 5-2 victory over the Straubing Tigers Friday.

Right wing Jeff Miles (2006-07), now with the Columbia Inferno of the ECHL, scored two goals and assisted on a third to lead the Inferno to a 6-5 victory over the South Carolina Stingrays Wednesday. Right wing Mike Craig (2000-01), now with EC KAC of the Austrian League, scored one goal and assisted on another to help lead KAC to a 4-3 victory over TWK Innsbruck Tuesday. aw The Fabulous Fifties 1948-49 through 1957-58 There were, ot course, many changes, but a tot of the i players who joined the team in the early part of the decade were there to help hoist 1 the Calder Cup in 195S. The post-war boom was underway, land so were the Bears. Firmly established in the AHL, they were also part ot an era that saw the independently run AHL teams put together rosters that would stay together and develop.

Dec. 1, 1928, Coopers Cliff, Ont. In the decade: 265 games played, 80 goals, 157 assists, 237 points, 105 PIM Overall with the Bears: 286, After his first full season as a pro with the Bears in 1948-49, he actually spent most of the following season playing for the NHL Boston Bruins, scoring nine goals and 21 points in 44 games. He played in Just 23 games for the Bears that season. He left for the Victoria Cougars of the WHL in 1953-54 season, then returned to the AHL to play four more seasons for the Rochester Americans.

Tt By OtiS notary Graphs by u. Laver ty i.