The Hershey Bears had their opportunities against Syracuse in their AHL season opener Saturday, but could not overcome the Crunch on the way to a 4-3 defeat.

An early power play helped the Bears pick up the first seven shots of the game at Syracuse Saturday, but could not score against Crunch goaltender Riku Helenius. At the other end of the ice, it was nearly eight minutes before Braden Holtby saw a shot on goal, but allowed a short-handed goal to Mike Angelidis a short time later at 11:23. Holtby made 28 saves on 32 shots in his 2012-13 Hershey debut Saturday.

Cameron Schilling and Dmitry Orlov were paired on the blue line for Hershey Saturday night, which appeared to be a really good combination. It helps Schilling's learning curve in the pros, while also giving Hershey a very solid 1-2 at the top of the depth chart, as it was noted by John Walton at Capitals Voice.