Ivan Miroshnichenko tallied a huge goal in the Hershey Bears’ 5-4 victory over the Rochester Americans on Sunday.
Miroshnichenko began the scoring in a back-and-forth third period that featured the two teams combining for five different goals. The Capitals 2022 first round pick lit the lamp 1:25 into the frame, giving the Bears a 3-2 lead.
After Hershey defenseman Jon McDonald put a shot on net from the left circle, Miroshnichenko found the rebound and deposited the puck into the yawning net. While he didn’t get an assist on the play, Bears forward Bogdan Trineyev tied up his man just outside the crease allowing the biscuit to squirt free into the slot.
The goal marked Miroshnichenko’s eighth goal of the AHL’s 2024-25 season — one shy of his total during his rookie campaign during 2023-24 — and his 17th point in 20 games. The tally was also his first since being sent down four games ago in favor of Ethen Frank. Miroshnichenko spent nearly two months in Washington after being recalled shortly after Alex Ovechkin broke his leg against the Utah Hockey Club in November, and posted four points (1g, 3a) in 18 games with the Caps.
“The decision of now, we just felt like as an organization with Miro starting to be in and out of the lineup a little bit, his minutes diminishing,” Carbery explained on January 10. “We just want to be careful with that becoming a common theme of him only playing nine minutes a night and sparingly in and out of the lineup.”
Since returning to Hershey, Miroshnichenko has been skating with fellow Capitals’ prospect Hendrix Lapierre.
“We put those lines together in Charlotte,” Bears head coach Todd Nelson said. “Obviously you have to make adjustments with Lappy coming down, Miro coming down, Smallman’s hurt, Dube’s suspended. So, we have to jockey our lines around but I like the chemistry of all the lines right now actually.”
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Hershey was able to defeat the Amerks after getting offensive contributions from players up and down the lineup. Veterans Matt Strome and Chase Priskie started the scoring while Jon McDonald scored his first career AHL goal and the speedy Grant Cruikshank scored the game-winner on a breakaway.
Miroshnichenko and McDonald had a game-high five shots on goal while Clay Stevenson earned the victory after making 29 saves.
The Bears wore specialty jerseys honoring their three pairs of back-to-back championship teams during the game.
