The Hershey Bears are up 1-0 in the Atlantic Division Finals after a dominant showing on home ice inside the Giant Center. Hershey held the Hartford Wolf Pack to just seven shots through 40 minutes of regulation as they wrapped up a 6-1 victory.
Hershey was sparked to the win by goals from Chase Priskie, Ethen Frank, Alex Limoges, Garret Roe, Ivan Miroshnichenko, and Jimmy Huntington. Frank’s tally is already his fourth of this year’s playoffs in just five games, doubling his total from last year’s postseason.
The Bears first jumped on the board through Priskie after he made a move to the slot and received a beautiful set-up pass from Henrik Rybinski. The smooth-skating defenseman fired a wrist shot past a screening Bogdan Trineyev and Hartford goaltender Olof Lindblom.
Lindblom was a surprise starter in the Wolf Pack crease after the team’s regular number one, Dylan Garand, was recalled by the New York Rangers.
Hershey victimized him again early in the second period while on a power play. Frank sent an absolute rocket over the netminder’s left shoulder after a perfect feed from Hendrix Lapierre.
Despite creating little offensive pressure, Hartford did convert on their one major scoring chance. Jake Leschyshyn blocked a Joe Snively at the point and raced in all alone on Hunter Shepard for a breakaway marker.
The Bears would respond shortly after with another goal while up a man. This time Limoges posted up in front of Lindblom and was left unattended for an easy tap-in after Lapierre’s quick wrister was knocked down in front of the net.
Roe made it four with a simple deflection of a Lucas Johansen shot. The goal was the Vienna, Virginia native’s first career in an AHL postseason after spending most of his professional days overseas in Austria, Germany, Sweden, and Switzerland.
Ivan Miroshnichenko stayed hot with a beautiful deke to his backhand on a breakaway halfway through the third period. Miro now has three goals in his first five career AHL playoff games.
Jimmy Huntington added the cherry on top with a pretty, late shorthanded goal on new Wolf Pack netminder Talyn Boyko. Boyko entered the game after Lindblom was injured on Miroshnichenko’s tally.
Shepard earned the win after sitting in a figurative rocking chair for most of the night. The 28-year-old backstop made 13 saves in his fourth win of the postseason.
Snively, Lapierre, Rybinski, and Johansen all ended the game with two assists apiece for multi-point outings. Hershey’s penalty kill was a perfect 6-for-6 and their power play was a very good 2-for-4.
Here are the lines from the win:
Tonight's projected lineup for Game 1 📝
Catch the broadcast:
📺@MonSportsNet (DC region)
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📻@FroggyValley, @foxsports1460am, @CapitalsRadio pic.twitter.com/dM0imnvGHu— Hershey Bears (@TheHersheyBears) May 16, 2024
