Even Santa was seen sporting Hershey garb this weekend (at Giant Center anyway). The holidays are still weeks away; right now, it’s Bear season.

Facing the first of three straight three-game weekends, Hershey roared into December with three wins, two of them on the road.

Here’s a wrap-up of the hockey weekend that was among Pennsylvania’s top hockey teams:

Philadelphia Flyers, National Hockey League

Philadelphia hadn’t played since Nov. 26, but rest proved better than rust as the Flyers recorded road wins Friday (4-3 in overtime at Anaheim) and Saturday (4-2 at Phoenix). Claude Giroux has 32 points, tying him with Toronto’s Phil Kessel for the league lead.

Pittsburgh Penguins, NHL

On the road Saturday, Pittsburgh beat the Carolina Hurricanes, 3-2, giving the Penguins a sweep of their two games (they beat Washington on Thursday, 2-1) against teams that fired their head coaches earlier in the week. Tonight, the Penguins play host to the Stanley Cup champion Boston Bruins.

Hershey Bears, American Hockey League

Paced by Keith Aucoin’s two goals and four assists and Braden Holtby’s 58 saves on 61 shots in his two games, the Bears won at Syracuse on Friday, 4-1; at home Saturday, 7-1, on Teddy Bear Toss Night; and at Bridgeport on Sunday, 3-2. With the six points, Hershey jumped into a three-way tie with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and Norfolk for first place in the East Division, although the Bears have one game in hand on their foes.

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, AHL

The Baby Penguins won Friday at home (4-1 against Portland) and lost Saturday on the road (5-2 to Syracuse), reflecting a broader trend of inconsistency. They are 3-4-0-3 in their past 10 games, leaving them tied with Hershey and Norfolk with 29 points. Unlike Hershey (four) and Norfolk (three), however, the Baby Pens don’t have a single scorer among the AHL’s top 20.

Reading Royals, ECHL

With losses at home Friday (5-1 to Wheeling) and on the road Saturday (3-1 to Elmira), Reading saw its winless streak reach eight games. What’s worse, the Royals have lost captain Ryan Cruthers to a six-game league suspension that began Saturday. Newly acquired Yannick Tifu notched assists in both weekend games to earn his first points in a Royals jersey.

Mercyhurst College

Men: At West Point, N.Y., the Lakers beat Army on Friday, 2-1, and tied, 3-3, on Saturday. Mercyhurst is 7-7-2 overall but 6-1-2 in the Atlantic Hockey Association.
Women: Hosting third-ranked Cornell, sixth-ranked Mercyhurst saw its nine-game winning streak end on Friday, 5-4, after squandering two two-goal leads. However, the Lakers bounced back to win Saturday, 5-2. Goalie Hillary Pattenden recorded her 10th win of the season and the 90th of her career, leaving her one shy of tying Wisconsin’s Jessie Vetter for the all-time Division I record.

Robert Morris University

Men: In Connecticut, Bobby Mo swept Sacred Heart, 5-2 Friday and 10-4 Saturday. Seventeen Colonials tallied points in Saturday’s game, contributing to a program-record 29 overall. The Colonials are 7-6-1 overall and 5-2-1 in the Atlantic Hockey Association.
Women: Off

Penn State University

Men: At home, the Icers swept Rutgers (13-2 on Friday and 9-0) on Saturday, outshooting the Scarlet Knights by a combined 112-31. Tommy Olczyk recorded a hat trick on Friday. The No. 1-ranked Icers are 13-1.

Erie Otters, Ontario Hockey League

The good news is that Erie picked up its first point since Nov. 4. The bad news is that the Otters have not won in a very long time. With home losses Friday (4-3 to Barrie, albeit in a shootout) and Saturday (3-1 to Kitchener), Erie’s winless streak reached 13.