HERSHEY, PA — Ivan Miroshnichenko continued his hot play of late on Thursday.
After scoring twice and having one of the best shifts of his AHL career in Game 4 of the Atlantic Division Semifinals, the Washington Capitals’ 2022 first-round pick found the back of the net again in Game 1 of the Atlantic Division Finals, marking his first goal streak of his AHL postseason career and his first overall since December 13 and 16 in the regular season, when he scored against the Providence Bruins and Laval Rocket, respectively.
The 20-year-old Russian turned defense into offense in the third period, forcing a turnover in the D-zone and racing in all alone on Wolf Pack goaltender Olaf Lindbom. Miroshnichenko deked quickly to his backhand before sliding the biscuit into the yawning net for his third goal of the playoffs.
The tally gave Hershey a 5-1 lead with 8:59 remaining.
To celebrate his goal, Miroshnichenko kissed his glove before raising his right arm high into the sky to salute a deafening Giant Center crowd.
After having some early-season struggles with his defensive play and positioning away from the puck, Miroshnichenko is seeing his game blossom as the intensity of games rise, speaking to his competitiveness and determination as a player.
“If you look how hard he was battling to strip pucks tonight, he was like that in the last game against Lehigh,” Hershey Bears head coach Todd Nelson told RMNB. “The offensive part will take care of itself, but he did a good job positionally. He was responsible in our own end, but there’s a few shifts where he was forechecking, he outworked them, he stripped the puck and kept the play alive and we created offense, so that’s great to see. I’m happy for him. He’s peaking at the right time.”
Ethen Frank, the Bears’ leading goal scorer thus far in the 2024 postseason, added that for Miro “being as young as he is, he came in and had to learn a few things pretty quickly. And it’s great because he did learn it. He works really hard in the D-zone. Had some struggles with that earlier in the year. He definitely deserves the recognition and all the goals he’s been getting, for sure.”
Miroshnichenko was one of six different goal scorers on the night, including Frank, Chase Priskie, Alex Limoges, Garrett Roe, and Jimmy Huntington. The breakaway goal marked his second of the 2024 postseason; he’s been sprung on breakaways approximately a half dozen times since the playoffs began.
“It’s fun to see a young guy like Miro, first playoffs,” Hendrix Lapierre observed. “We’re always wondering how he finds himself on these breakaways, because it’s so hard in the playoffs to score. And Miro just gets these breakaways. We’re kind of laughing about that on the bench.
“But he’s playing great, and everyone is. Our fourth line, Rybinski, he’s been really, really good. Bogey, our PK. I think everyone’s just playing good right now, especially tonight. It’s fun to see guys up and down the lineup contribute.”
Miroshnichenko’s hot streak coincided with 36-year-old veteran Garrett Roe coming into the lineup for Matthew Phillips. The rookie left-winger found instant chemistry with Roe and Mike Vecchione, scorer of the team’s Calder Cup-winning goal in 2023, on the third line.
“I think there’s still times where [the defense] is not 100% there, but from where he was (at the) beginning of the year, it’s leaps and bounds,” Roe said. “And that’s really encouraging to see as a line-mate and someone who’s trying to work him a little bit. Sometimes I have to cover up for him, sometimes he takes the puck and I just watch. So just being an asset to him. He’s hopefully taking that next step right now. The last two games he’s been really solid for us.”
Another part of Miroshnichenko’s development includes his progress with English over the season. After helping eliminate the Phantoms in Game 4, Miroshnichenko was awarded the team’s Bear Head for player of the game. He told the team in a short speech, “Next round Bears go hunt wolf.”
He backed up his words on Thursday in Game 1 and then made a popular pick for the next Bear Head wearer. He chose linemate Roe, who scored his first career Calder Cup Playoffs goal.
“Great game, boys,” Miroshnichenko said. “Best player and young player on team, Roesey.”
Miro’s timing couldn’t be better.
