The Hershey Bears dropped their first visit back to Palm Desert, California since they were lifting the Calder Cup last year inside Acrisure Arena. The Bears are now down 2-1 in the championship series after evening things up in Game 2.
Henrik Rybinski and Alex Limoges got on the board for Hershey but the Firebirds’ incessant offensive pressure proved too much for the team’s defense and Hunter Shepard in net. Clay Stevenson relieved Shepard in Hershey’s net during the third period.
Coachella Valley used their boisterous crowd for some early energy and got on the board just 2:20 into the first period through Max McCormick. While on a power play due to the Bears starting the wrong starting lineup, McCormick found a loose puck in behind Hunter Shepard for an easy tap-in tally.
McCormick must have had his scoring skates on because just 3:43 later he had his second of the game. Hershey was hemmed into their own zone and left McCormick wide open in front of Shepard for another easy scoring strike.
The Bears didn’t leave the first frame empty-handed though as Ivan Miroshnichenko and Rybinski cut into the Coachella Valley zone on an odd-man rush just 2:47 after McCormick’s second goal. Miroshnichenko darted down the right flank, fed the puck over to Rybinski, and Rybinski beat a sliding Chris Driedger to the far side of the net off the post and in.
The goal was Rybinski’s fifth of the playoffs, tying him with Hendrix Lapierre for the fourth-most on the team.
Hershey was back on the board again at the 1:29 mark of the second period on a power play. Ethen Frank fired a shot from the point that Limoges tipped in past Driedger.
Limoges’ tally was his first since Game 3 against the Cleveland Monsters.
Lleyton Roed scored his first goal of the playoffs to put the Firebirds back in front. Roed picked up a loose puck at Shepard’s far post and jammed it by the flailing netminder.
Ryan Winterton extended the lead to two goals with just four seconds remaining in the second period.
Winterton had just one goal in the playoffs until the Calder Cup Finals and now has three goals in three games against the Bears.
Shane Wright introduced himself to the series with a highlight reel goal 7:01 into the third period. Wright sent two Bears defenders packing and beat Shepard from the slot.
McCormick sealed his hat trick with an empty netter.
Hershey falls behind in the Calder Cup Finals for the second time in the series and will need to find a win at Acrisure Arena in the next two games or they will only go back to Giant Center to start their offseason. The Firebirds are still undefeated at home during this postseason.
Coachella Valley put up 23 shots in the second period alone. Hershey had just 15 through 40 minutes.
The Bears went with the same lineup as they did from the win in Game 2. Aaron Ness, Vincent Iorio, Lucas Johansen, and Garrett Roe were all out again.
Here are Hershey’s lines from the loss:
Projected lineup for Game 3! 📝
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📻 @FroggyValley, @foxsports1460am, @CapitalsRadio pic.twitter.com/UXmLaW16G4— Hershey Bears (@TheHersheyBears) June 19, 2024
