Big Weekend in Chocolatetown

As the Caps are wrapping up their regular season, so too are the Hershey Bears. And unlike the Caps, who know where they will finish, the Bears are still in a fight for the top spot in the East Division. Five teams are fighting for the four playoff spots available...

And here is how the schedule for the weekend breaks out...

Hershey

Friday: at Philadelphia (7-1-2 against the Phantoms)
Saturday: Philadelphia (6-1-3)
Sunday: Wilkes-Barre Scranton (4-3-2)

Bridgeport

Friday: Springfield (2-0-1)
Saturday: Lowell (4-1-0)
Sunday: no game (season complete)

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton

Friday: Albany (5-2-0)
Saturday: Norfolk (4-1-2)
Sunday: at Hershey (5-3-1)

Philadelphia

Friday: Hershey (3-6-1)
Saturday: at Hershey (3-6-1)
Sunday: no game (season complete)

Binghamton

Friday: Norfolk (3-4-0)
Saturday: at Albany (3-3-1)
Sunday: no game (season complete)

The Hershey/Philadelphia home-and-home has a lot of subplots. Leave out he fact that they are within spitting distance of one another. The Phantoms are bringing down the curtain on The Spectrum tonight. Then again, the Bears have not lost in regulation to the Phantoms in The Spectrum this year (4-0-1). On the other hand, Philly is tied with Binghamton in points for the last playoff spot, and they hold the tie breaker of more wins.

Hershey having the game in hand on Bridgeport is huge heading into the weekend, but that game in hand could be a showdown with the Penguins. Here is a scenario for you...

- Hershey splits with Philadelphia
- Bridgeport sweeps Springfield and Lowell
- Wilkes-Barre/Scranton sweeps Albany and Norfolk

That would create a log jam of three teams at the top of the division, all with 49 wins. Hershey and Bridgeport would have 106 points; Wilkes-Barre/Scranton would have 104 setting up the game of the year in the regular season at 6:00 on Easter Sunday in Hershey between the Bears and the Penguins for the division championship. If the Penguins were to win in regulation, they would win the division by virtue of having more wins (50 to 49 each for Hershey and Bridgeport) while tying the other two with 106 points.

Add that to your weekend hockey thoughts, and what a weekend it is shaping up to be.