Home / Game Recap / Big goals from Henrik Borgstrom and Beck Malenstyn lead Hershey to Game Two victory in Eastern Conference Finals

Big goals from Henrik Borgstrom and Beck Malenstyn lead Hershey to Game Two victory in Eastern Conference Finals

By Ian Oland

 0 Comment

May 25, 2023 9:36 pm

HERSHEY, PA — The Hershey Bears and Rochester Americans are now tied in their Eastern Conference Finals series one game a piece.

Hershey defeated the Americans 2-0 in Game Two at Giant Center after two late second period goals by their veterans.

The Bears first got on the scoreboard via a Henrik Borgstrom snipe down the right wing, beating Americans’ goaltender Malcom Subban short side to the top corner of the net. Connor McMichael and Mason Morelli assisted on the power-play goal. For McMichael, it was his fifth point in nine postseason games (3g, 2a).

Borgstrom, who replaced the injured Michael Sgarbossa at the first-line center spot, gave a huge ROAR celebration to the Hershey bench as he skated over for fist bumps.

The goal came at 16:05 of the second period. Three minutes and 23 seconds later, riding that same wave of momentum, Beck Malenstyn took a pass from Riley Sutter along the end boards and one-timed a shot past Subban to give the Bears a 2-0 lead.

Beck was pumped.

The Bears held the Americans off the scoreboard again in the third period, giving Hunter Shepard his first career postseason shutout.

After giving up four goals on 16 shots and getting pulled in the second period of Game One, Hunter Shepard was impressive for the Bears stopping 24 Amerks shots, including this 10-bell save in the first period that kept the game tied 0-0.

Game Three of the Eastern Conference Final, which is sold out, will be held on Saturday in Rochester.

Notes: Fourth-liner Mason Morelli had his second multi-point game in the last four games. Mason had eight in the regular season. The 9th overall pick in the 2022 NHL Draft, Matthew Savoie, made his professional debut for the Rochester Americans in Game Two. Attendance for Game Two at Giant Center was 8,389, just short of a sellout. Here were the Bears’ lines on the night.

Headline photo: Tori Hartman/Hershey Bears

, , , ,