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Hershey Bears steal Game One of Division Final in sudden death overtime, completing comeback with three unanswered goals

By Ian Oland

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May 11, 2023 10:14 pm

HERSHEY, PA — The Hershey Bears defeated the Hartford Wolf Pack in thrilling fashion on Thursday. Henrik Borgstrom, who came off the bench to replace an injured Mike Sgarbossa on the first line, scored in sudden death overtime to give the Bears the 3-2 victory at Giant Center. Hershey now has a 1-0 series lead in the Atlantic Division Final.

Capitals top prospect Connor McMichael forced OT after scoring the game-tying goal late in the third period as goaltender Hunter Shepard was being pulled for an extra attacker. The goal was Connor’s third in five playoff games this year.

The Bears will try to go up two games to none in the best-of-five series on Saturday. The victor of the series determines which team advances to the Conference Finals.

Unlike their first two playoff home games, Hershey came out flying, imposing their will against the Wolf Pack. The Bears registered eight of the game’s first nine shots on goal, heavily tilting the ice in their favor. The Bears’ fourth line of Beck Malenstyn, Riley Sutter, and Mason Morelli, landed huge hits in the Wolf Pack zone. But a slashing call to Morelli negated that momentum and Wolf Pack forward Lauri Pajuniemi scored on the resulting power play — his fourth of the postseason — giving Hartford a 1-0 lead.

With 2:39 remaining, Giant Center grew silent after a scary incident involving Anton Blidh. The Swedish forward appeared to collapse at the Wolf Pack bench after a hit from Logan Day. The first period was paused and eventually went to intermission as a stretcher was rolled out to Hartford’s tunnel. Blidh received medical attention from emergency personnel.

When the intermission ended, Blidh returned to Hartford’s bench with the rest of his teammates and the rest of the 2:39 of the first period was played. Officials held a one minute break in action for both teams and the normal 20-minute second period began.

After a cross-checking penalty to Bears defenseman Gabriel Carlsson, Jonny Brodzinski scored 2:33 into second period via a blistering one-timer from the left circle. Brodzinski’s power-play goal gave Hartford a 2-0 lead despite Hershey outshooting them at that point 17 to six.

With 8:17 remaining in the second period, Hershey believed it finally got on the board. Connor McMichael celebrated what appeared to be his first goal of the series. The Capitals top center prospect sent a shot that he believed crossed the goal line. Instead, Wolf Pack netminder Dylan Garand caught it from point blank range with his glove. Officials ruled it no goal however and after review, confirmed the call on the ice.

But Hershey kept plugging away. The Chocolate and White finally got on the board 2:52 into the third period after a Logan Day point shot caught Garand napping in net. Aliaksei Protas got the primary assist while Sam Anas got his fifth helper of the postseason.

Day was tackled on the ice in the resulting goal hug.

McMichael would tie it up with 2:09 left in the third, deflecting a Jake Massie point shot into the back of the net. The goal would send the game to overtime. Logan Day would register his second point on the night, a secondary assist.

The Bears came out on fire in the extra frame, creating multiple odd-man rush chances. Ethen Frank and Garrett Pilon just missed the game-winner on near back-to-back shifts as Garand was under siege.

Pilon kicked off the eventual winning tally as he intercepted the puck in Hershey’s zone on a great back check and flung the puck off the boards onto Henrik Borgstrom’s tape. Borgstrom, in his Calder Cup playoff debut, streaked into the Wolf Pack zone on a two-on-one with Joe Snively and picked the far side corner to send Giant Center into bedlam.

Bears goaltender Hunter Shepard stopped 25 of 27 Wolf Pack shots for the victory, his fourth of the Calder Cup playoffs this season.

Notes: The Bears were without both first line center Michael Sgarbossa and first pairing defenseman Aaron Ness due to injury. Ethen Frank returned to game action after missing time in the Atlantic Division Semifinals.

These hits. Holy jumpin.

Borgstrom was the first start of the night followed by Logan Day (1g, 1a) and Jake Massie (1a). The shots finished 35-27 in favor of the Bears. Garand went 32-for-35 in the loss for the Wolf Pack. Hershey was 1-for-4 on the power play while Hartford went 2-for-4.

Headline photo: Tori Hartman/Hershey Bears

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