Hendrix Lapierre had a game to remember against the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins on Saturday night.
After being injured in the first period due to a late and dirty hit by Emil Bemstrom, the Capitals’ 2020 first-round pick returned at the start of the second and imposed his will on the Penguins.
Lapierre posted three clutch points (1g, 2a), tying an AHL career high, and scored the overtime game-winning goal in the Hershey Bears’ 4-3 victory.
“Lappy got banged up pretty good in the first period and he fought through it,” Bears head coach Todd Nelson said postgame per the team. “He wasn’t 100 percent, but he came back and showed his teammates that he wanted to help the team win, and that’s what he did.”
Lapierre’s game-winner came 3:13 into overtime, ripping a shot from between the circles past Penguins goaltender Filip Larsson. The game-winner gave Lapierre goals in consecutive games after going goalless in his previous 38 outings combined with the Washington Capitals and Hershey Bears.
“You know, he [hadn’t] scored all year, and now he’s got a goal in [each of] the last two games,” Nelson said. “It means a heck of a lot to a guy like him. For a player like him, as a skilled guy that’s supposed to provide offense, when you’re not, it’s tough.”
With the Bears playing catch-up all night, Lapierre’s offense was timely. His first assist, a primary helper, came 4:55 into the second period, and shortly after he returned from the locker room. The French Canadian centerman found Alex Limoges wide-open in front of the net for a redirect, tying the game 1-1.
Hendrix’s next apple, of the secondary variety, tied the game with 13 seconds remaining in regulation, forcing overtime. With Clay Stevenson pulled for an extra attacker, Lapierre set up Ethan Bear for a huge one-timer from the point. The rebound bounced right out to a crashing Chase Priskie who shot the puck into the yawning net.
“Great resiliency by our team,” Lapierre said. “We knew it wasn’t going to be easy against Wilkes, a really good team, and it’s always a highly emotional match, so it was good we were able to get one. Obviously [Priskie] with the big goal, he seems to always be in the right spots at the right time, so happy to get the two points and happy we were able to finish it off.”
The victory over the Penguins marks the Bears’ second consecutive victory over their geographical rivals after falling 9-0 to the team in late January.
“It was a heck of a game,” Nelson said. “Both teams played hard and like you said, there’s a lot of emotion out there and it had a playoff-style feel to it. That’s how games are gonna be against us this year: two good teams going at it. We managed to get the game tied with the extra attacker. Then Lappy did it in overtime, but it was a good, hard-fought battle for our team. A lot of guys are playing through sickness. I think it’s going around to every team right now – the bug’s hitting everybody. I just liked the way the guys responded tonight.”
Pierrick Dubé scored his tenth goal of the season in the game. Stevenson stopped 29 of the 32 shots he faced to notch his eleventh victory of the season.
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