The Hershey Bears dropped their second straight to the Cleveland Monsters in the 2024 Eastern Conference Finals on Saturday night. Hershey is still up 3-2 in the series but the Monsters have grasped all momentum with Game 6 set for Giant Center on Monday.
The Bears got the first goal of the game, a wrister from defenseman Logan Day that clanked off of the post and in but that was their only salvo in an ugly 5-1 loss. Hunter Shepard allowed four straight goals in the second period and was pulled for Clay Stevenson to start the final frame.
Day’s goal just over halfway through the first, set up by a pinching Hardy Häman Aktell. The Swedish defender found himself below the Monsters’ goal line and fed Day at the point for the goal.
Cleveland took over after the first intermission. Alex Whelan scored his fifth of the playoffs to tie the game after Shepard was knocked out of his net by a Monsters skater.
There is no coach’s challenge in the AHL but the Bears certainly had an argument for goaltender interference.
Josh Dunne capitalized on a fortuitous bounce to give the Monsters their first lead of the night. Denton Mateychuk tallied his first professional playoff point on the goal.
Brendan Gaunce found a soft spot in the low slot and fired a shot that found its way past Shepard’s blocker. The marker was Gaunce’s first of the playoffs after he finished third on Cleveland in goal scoring during the regular season with 19 goals.
The goal came just over two minutes after Dunne’s leading strike.
Gaunce would double his tally late in the second with a shot from the left faceoff circle that beat an out-of-position Shepard.
Stevenson was victimized for one goal against, an easy backhand from Dunne in front of the net.
The Bears were again missing Pierrick Dubé, Aaron Ness, and Lucas Johansen due to injuries suffered earlier in the series. Hardy Häman Aktell was a game-time decision but ultimately did dress although Dmitry Ospiov also took the warmup skate.
This is the first time all season the Bears have lost back-to-back games in regulation.
Hershey will host Game 6 and Game 7 with the latter only necessary if the Bears can’t get the job done on Monday night. They needed six games to eliminate the Rochester Americans in last year’s Eastern Conference Finals.
Here are Hershey’s lines from the loss:
Projected lineup for Game 5! 📝
Catch the broadcast:
📺@fox43.2 (Antenna TV), @MonSportsNet (DC region)
🖥️ https://t.co/HaxQBmLCRZ
📻@FroggyValley, @foxsports1460am, @WOYK1350 (joined in-progress), @CapitalsRadio pic.twitter.com/BRlDzbwefU— Hershey Bears (@TheHersheyBears) June 8, 2024
