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Beck Malenstyn wills Hershey to series victory in Game Four, sending Bears to Atlantic Division Final

By Ian Oland

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May 4, 2023 9:36 pm

HERSHEY, PA — The Hershey Bears are officially advancing to the third round of the Calder Cup playoffs after defeating the Charlotte Checkers in Game Four 6-2, Thursday. Hershey will play the winner of the Hartford Wolfpack and Providence Bruins’ series. Hartford currently leads two games to one.

The Bears opened the game with one of their worst periods of the season, but then Beck Malenstyn happened and willed his team to victory.

The Bears scored six unanswered goals after Malenstyn broke the glass with a big hit in the first period. Hershey was outscored 2-0 and outshot 8 to 2 in the first stanza, but after that it was all the chocolate and white.

Mason Morelli opened the scoring for the Bears 10:15 into the second period after a strong move to the net down the left wing. Morelli chipped the puck toward Checkers’ goaltender Mack Guzda and the biscuit somehow squeaked through, bouncing over the goal line.

Nine minutes and 29 seconds later, Malenstyn tied the game on a breakaway after Joe Snively dived and chipped the puck ahead to him in open space.

Snively had just come out of the box for a curious slashing call made by officials, generating a loud B-U-L-L-S-H-I-T chant from Bears’ fans.

The Bears took the lead 8:59 into the third period on a power play. Sam Anas found Aliaksei Protas with a perfect pass in front of the net.

Protas would add an insurance goal, beating Guzda short side from no angle to give the Bears’ a 4-2 lead with 9:03 remaining. Anas and Hendrix Lapierre got the assists. The goals were Protas’s second and third tallies of the postseason.

The Bears added empty netters from Riley Sutter and Dylan McIlrath.

The Bears fell behind early after some poor coverage in front the net in the first period. Setup just outside the crease, the Checkers’ Jake Wise gathered in a centering pass wide open and scored his first goal of the postseason.

Three minutes and 54 seconds later, the Checkers struck again with the two teams skating four-on-four. Riley Nash deflected a point shot from Matt Kiersted past a helpless Hunter Shepard.

But in the end, the Bears found their groove in just enough time to win the best-of-five series before having to go to a decisive Game Five.

Note: Attendance at the game was 4,515. Hershey put tickets on sale right after their Game Three loss on Wednesday night. Riley Sutter and Dylan McIlrath were credited with the two empty-net markers.

Ethen Frank and Aaron Ness were unable to play due to injury. The other scratch was defenseman Bobby Nardella, who briefly missed time in the first period of Game Three due to an injury.

Headline photo: Tori Hartman/Hershey Bears

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