Remember the Philadelphia Flyers old LCB Line, when Reggie Leach, Bobby Clarke and Bill Barber used to terrorize opponents?

Well, for one night Saturday night, the Hershey Bears had their own version producing the same results.

Quintin Laing, Jay Beagle and Ben Clymer produced the Bears' first three goals of the game, sparking a 6-3 victory over the Bridgeport Sound Tigers in front of 7,628 fans in Giant Center.

Each had one goal and two assists as the Bears (6-7-0-0) won their second straight game to pull within one game of the .500 mark.

"They're not Leach-Clark-Barber," quipped Bears' coach Bruce Boudreau of his new LCB Line. "Maybe Jay Leach and Billy Clark and some other Barber, [but] not those three.

"But they had a great game because they worked hard and they worked well together and they communicated out there.

"Hopefully we don't have to change the lines around too much to get good chemistry. But at this stage we're still trying to find them."

It was the second straight offensive explosion for the Bears, who had only scored 24 goals in their first 11 games. But a 6-4 win in Albany Friday night was followed by another six goals last night.

Chris Bourque added two goals and Josef Boumedienne had the other for the Bears.

Blake Comeau, Steve Regier and Shawn Bates scored for Bridgeport (6-7-1-0).

The Sound Tigers had beaten the Bears in the teams' three previous games this season, outscoring Hershey by a combined 12-3.

"We've had trouble against Bridgeport for whatever reason," said Laing. "They've blown us out every time. We were really prepared for this game and wanted it badly."

"This was a game we needed to win to turn things around," said Beagle, a rookie center. "The win tonight was huge."

After Comeau had given the Sound Tigers a 1-0 lead, the Beagle-Clymer-Laing line began its onslaught.

Clymer dug the puck out of the right corner to Beagle, who was alone in the slot. His shot beat Sound Tigers' goalie Joey MacDonald to tie it 1-1 at 9:31 of the first.

Bridgeport recaptured the lead just 57 seconds into the second period when a shot by Regier glanced off the shoulder of Bears goalie Daren Machesney and fell behind him into the net.

Hershey earned a 5-on-3 power play advantage at 4:39 of the second period but managed just one shot on goal, and that from the right point off the stick of defenseman Sami Lepisto.

But despite losing focus after that disappointing power play, the Beagle-Clyer-Laing line tied the game, Laing scoring on a wraparound at 7:15.

Hershey took a 3-2 lead at 9:02 of the second when Clymer scored on the rebound of Beagle's shot.

The Bears made it 4-2 at 7:27 of the third period when Kyle Wilson forced a turnover at the blue line. Scott Barney got the puck and fed Bourque for a breakaway down the slot.

Bates pulled Bridgeport within one with 7:53 left in the game, but defenseman Tyler Sloan fed Boumedienne, just coming out of the penalty box, on a breakaway to restore a two-goal margin.

Bourque got his second goal into an empty net with 18 seconds remaining.

The game was testy throughout. Bears' winger Louie Robitaille drew three power plays by getting under the skin of Kip Brennan, who played for the Bears and with Robitaille last season.

Bears' winger Tom Maxwell fought both Brennan and Matt Spiller, while Robitaille fought Drew Fata.

Brennan racked up 44 penalty minutes.

Hershey failed to score on the power play, however, going 0 for 6. Bridgeport went 1 for 5.

"Louie doesn't have to say too much to set you off," said Boudreau. "He drives me nuts, and I don't have to be within earshot of him.

"I'm sure he was just talking about last year, going out and having fun."

Notes: With the parent Washington Capitals in a 3-12-1 rut, Boudreau is rumored to be a possible replacement if management decides to fire Caps coach Glen Hanlon. Washington plays at home Monday night against Florida. ... Bourque has a team-leading six goals this season. ... Hershey hosts Albany at 5 p.m. today. Then the Bears have a rematch with Bridgeport on Wednesday at 7 p.m. in Giant Center. blog comments powered by Disqus