Two, Sweet: Hershey Bears Take Game 2 of Calder Cup Final Over Coachella Valley Firebirds By 5-2 Score


Joe Noyes Photography/NoVa Caps

The Hershey Bears bested the Coachella Valley Firebirds in Game 2 of the 2024 Calder Cup Final by a score of 5-2, evening the series at 1-1. Hunter Shepard made 32 stops in the victory.

THE LINEUP

The Bears started Hunter Shepard in net, while Coachella Valley started Chris Driedger.

Joe Snively-Hendrix Lapierre-Ethen Frank
Alex Limoges-Jimmy Huntington-Pierrick Dube
Ivan Miroshnichenko-Henrik Rybinski-Mike Vecchione
Matthew Strome-Riley Sutter-Bogdan Trineyev

Hardy Haman Aktell-Dylan McIlrath
Jake Massie-Chase Priskie
Dmitry Osipov-Logan Day

Hunter Shepard
Clay Stevenson

The Bears remained without Vincent Iorio, Lucas Johansen, Garrett Roe, Aaron Ness, and Jon MacDonald due to injury.

1ST PERIOD

An early first period power play proved unsuccessful but the Chocolate and White would still manage to get the lead with neartly six minutes gone, with Capitals prospect Ivan Miroshnichenko powering his seventh of the postseason from the slot past Driedger on a feed from Mike Vecchione.

The first frame ended with the Bears up 1-0 and the Firebirds leading 12-9 in Shots on Goal.

2ND PERIOD

Coachella Valley would be the ones to score early in the second period, with Luke Henman notching his first of the playoffs at 2:42.

The Bears’ game slipped slightly midway through the period but the Chocolate and White managed to take the lead again, late in the frame, on a goal from Jimmy Huntington; Alex Limoges picked up the assist on the play.

Pierrick Dube potted his fourth of the postseason with just over three minutes left in the second, extending Hershey’s lead to two.

The Bears and Firebirds ended the second 20 minutes with the hosts in front on the scoreboard, despite being outshot by a 24-13 margin.

3RD PERIOD

Just 17 seconds into the final frame of regulation, Coachella Valley’s Marian Studeniec put home his third of the playoffs to cut the visiting Firebirds’ deficit to one.

Some eight minutes and change later, Hardy Haman Aktell scored his third of the Calder Cup Playoffs to give Hershey a two-goal advantage yet again; Mike Vecchione picked up another assist on the night.

The barrage of shots from Coachella Valley did little to dent the confidence of Bears netminder Hunter Shepard, whose stellar play kept the Bears’ lead secure, as well as crucial stops on the penalty kill.

The Bears found themselves on the penalty kill with 1:51 left in regulation after Riley Sutter was nailed for tripping. The Bears managed to stave off the Firebirds, adding an empty-net goal from Haman Aktell to seal the victory.

Neither club scored on a combined six power plays while the visitors finished with a 34-21 advantage in shots on goal.

Game 3 will be held Tuesday at 10 PM EST at Acrisure Arena.

ICE SHAVINGS

 

About Michael Fleetwood

Michael Fleetwood was born into a family of diehard Capitals fans and has been watching games as long as he can remember. He was born the year the Capitals went to their first Stanley Cup Final, and is a diehard Caps fan, the owner of the very FIRST Joe Beninati jersey and since then, has met Joe himself.

Michael joined the NoVa Caps team in 2015, and is most proud of the growth of the NoVa Caps community in that time. An avid photographer, Michael resides in VA.





Source link

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR