The Hershey Bears lost to the Bridgeport Islanders 2-1 in the shootout Monday afternoon. The Bears went 0-0-2 over the weekend, suffering back-to-back losses for the first time this season.
Chase Priskie scored the lone goal for Hershey and Capitals’ prospect Ivan Miroshnichenko tallied his first career shootout goal. Prospect Ethen Frank also celebrated playing in his 100th pro hockey game. Clay Stevenson started in net for the Bears and made 24 saves.
The first period lacked any scoring, with the Bears notching nine shots on goal and Bridgeport eight. Both teams had attempts on the power play and failed to score with the extra man.
The second period was also scoreless, with Stevenson making a great glove save to rob the Islanders of a goal.
Mud keeping this one a 0-0 game! pic.twitter.com/4V0EMZJJSz
— Hershey Bears (@TheHersheyBears) January 15, 2024
The first tally would eventually be scored 47:11 into the game by Bridgeport. Forward Ruslan Iskhakov beat Stevenson past his blocker to make the score 1-0.
Chase Priskie got the Bears on the scoreboard with 3:36 left in the third period. Hardy Haman-Aktell passed to Priskie at the left circle, where he fired a slapshot that blew past Islander’s goaltender Henrik Tikkanen.
Priskie knots it up with his third of the season!
🍎Häman Aktell
🍏Sgarbossa https://t.co/b5NrVHgkQQ pic.twitter.com/U5OtDLSZhL— Hershey Bears (@TheHersheyBears) January 15, 2024
The teams headed into overtime where neither organization was able to score in 3-on-3 play. Hershey headed into the shootout for their second straight game.
Miroshnichenko and Joe Snively both scored in the first and second round of the shootout, but both goals were matched by Bridgeport. Neither team scored in the third and fourth round, but Bridgeport followed up a Hershey fifth round miss with a goal by Matthew Maggio, ending the game.
Bridgeport walked away from the game with the win, and Hershey ended their weekend earning two points out of four. The Bears remain first in the AHL with a 29-7-0-2 record.
Here were the lines:
Today's projected lineup against the Islanders 📝
Bogdan Trineyev has four points (2g, 2a) in his last five games!
Catch today's broadcast:
📺 @fox43 (broadcast coverage begins at 3 p.m.)
🖥️ https://t.co/HaxQBmLCRZ
📻@FroggyValley, @foxsports1460am, @CapitalsRadio pic.twitter.com/qI7y2kczlx— Hershey Bears (@TheHersheyBears) January 15, 2024
Below is the full game recap via press release:
PRISKIE HELPS BEARS SALVAGE POINT IN 2-1 SHOOTOUT LOSS TO ISLANDERS
Hershey picks up shootout point for second consecutive game
(Bridgeport, CT – Jan. 15, 2024) – Chase Priskie scored late in the third period to tie the game, but the Hershey Bears (29-7-0-2) fell in a 2-1 shootout loss to the Bridgeport Islanders (11-21-4-0) on Monday afternoon at Total Mortgage Arena.
The shootout loss marked the first time this season that Hershey had failed to bounce back after a defeat, following the Bears’ 4-3 shootout loss at Lehigh Valley on Saturday. Hershey is now 4-0-0-1 against Bridgeport this season.
Both teams played through the first two periods without a goal, in which Clay Stevenson made 13 stops and Henrik Tikkanen turned aside 19.
Ruslan Iskhakov broke the deadlock on Bridgeport’s 18th shot of the contest at 7:11 of the third period when he snuck a shot between Stevenson and the left post.
With under four minutes left in regulation, the Bears set up in the offensive zone, and Priskie one-timed his third of the season past Tikkanen at 16:24 from the left circle on a pass from Hardy Häman Aktell, and a secondary helper from Mike Sgarbossa.
The score remained 1-1 through the end of regulation and the five-minute overtime; the Islanders elected to shoot second. Although Ivan Miroshnichenko and Joe Snively scored in the first two rounds for Hershey, Bridgeport’s shooters had an answer for both tallies. After Stevenson and Tikkanen turned aside shooters in the third and fourth rounds, Tikkanen stopped Ethen Frank in the top of the fifth round, while Matthew Maggio scored on Stevenson to secure the victory for the Islanders.
Shots finished 33-26 in favor of the Bears. Stevenson put up a 24-for-25 effort in the shootout loss for Hershey; Tikkanen got the win for Bridgeport with a 32-for-33 effort. Hershey went 0-for-2 on the power play; the Islanders went 0-for-2 with the man advantage.
Headline Photo: Bridgeport Islanders
