The AHL-leading Hershey Bears faced off against the second place Providence Bruins on Saturday. Hershey won 3-1 despite losing star forward Ethen Frank midway through the first period due to injury.
After a scoreless first two periods where Hershey outshot Providence 16 to 10, Hershey came alive in the final 20 minutes to take the victory. The win improved the Bears’ record against Providence to 5-0 on the season.
Hershey’s second line of Joe Snively, Hendrix Lapierre, and Alex Limoges combined to score both of the Bears’ five-on-five goals in the third period. The three combined for nine of the Bears’ 27 shots on net.
Snively scored the game’s first goal 45:12 into the game. Limoges skated the puck behind the net and handed it off to Lapierre, who passed to Snively in the slot. Snively fired the puck past Providence goaltender Brandon Bussi.
Providence answered three minutes and 51 seconds later after Brett Harrison found the back of the net for his fifth goal of the season.
The Bears second-line scored again 14:12 into the period. Behind the Providence net, Lapierre took the puck from a Bruins player and passed to Snively in front of the net. Snively left the puck in front for Limoges, who shot the puck and buried his own rebound into the net.
At the 17:31 mark of the third period, the Bruins pulled Bussi for the extra skater, giving themselves two minutes and 29 seconds to even the score.
The Bruins did manage to get score with the extra man, but on themselves. The Bruins put the puck in their own empty net to give the Bears an insurance goal. Aaron Ness was credited with the goal.
With the win, the Bears’ record improved to 37-8-0-2, putting them within shouting distance of greatest 72-game record in AHL history.
Hershey won again tonight and is now 37-8-2-0.
The AHL record for wins in a 72-game season is 51 (Calgary, 2022-23). Hershey has 37 wins in 47 games, and there are 25 games still to go.
— PATRICK WILLIAMS (@pwilliamsAHL) February 10, 2024
Postgame in the locker room, Bears’ head coach Todd Nelson complimented his team’s grit in a tough matchup with a team like Providence.
“We didn’t get frustrated and we stuck with it,” he said. “It actually payed off for us. It’s a hell of a job, a big two points.”
Goaltender Hunter Shepard followed up Nelson’s speech by awarding the team’s postgame Bear Head award. Limoges was given the honors of being graced with the Bear Head for leading both his line and his team to another sweet Hershey victory.
The top two teams will face off against each other once more this season on March 26th. The Bears will take the ice next tomorrow night against the Springfield Thunderbirds.
Here were the lines:
Tonight's projected lineup against the Bruins📝
Matt Strome has seven points (1g, 6a) in 14 career games against Providence!
Catch tonight's broadcast:
🖥️ https://t.co/HaxQBmLCRZ
📻@FroggyValley, @foxsports1460am, @WOYK1350 (joined in progress), @CapitalsRadio pic.twitter.com/CBYwVhRPDP— Hershey Bears (@TheHersheyBears) February 9, 2024
Below is the full Bears’ press release:
BEARS RETURN FROM BREAK WITH 3-1 WIN OVER BRUINS
Line of Snively, Lapierre, and Limoges power Hershey to win over Providence
(Providence, RI – Feb. 9, 2024) – The line of Joe Snively, Hendrix Lapierre, and Alex Limoges teamed up for a pair of goals to help lead the Hershey Bears (37-8-0-2) to a 3-1 win over the Providence Bruins (28-14-3-2) on Friday night at Amica Mutual Pavilion, as Hershey made its return to action from the American Hockey League All-Star break.
The Bears improved to 5-0-0-0 against the Bruins in the regular-season series, and now own a 15-point lead on first place in the Atlantic Division and the American Hockey League standings.
Hershey out-shot Providence 16-10 through the first two periods, but goaltenders Hunter Shepard and Brandon Bussi turned aside everything the opposing teams threw their way.
The Bears broke through first at 5:12 of the third period when Limoges moved the puck behind the Providence net to Lapierre, who fed Snively out in front, beating Bussi for his 10th goal of the season.
The Bruins answered at 9:03 with an answer from Brett Harrison, ending a personal shutout streak for Shepard at 122:40.
Limoges put Hershey in front 2-1 at 14:12 after Snively dumped the puck into the Providence end, and Snively and Lapierre worked to retrieve the puck before finding Limoges in the slot, where he stashed his own rebound past Bussi for his 12th of the season.
Providence pulled Bussi late in regulation in an attempt to tie the game, but an errant pass by a Bruins player wound up in the empty cage at 19:34; Aaron Ness was credited with the goal as the last Bears player to touch the puck, his fourth tally of the season.
Shots finished 27-13 in favor of the Bears; the 13 shots against marked a new season-low. Shepard went 12-for-13 in the win for Hershey, his 19th of the season; Bussi took the loss for Providence with a 24-for-26 effort. The Bears went 0-for-2 on the power play; the Bruins went 0-for-1 with the man advantage.
