The Hershey Bears fell 4-2 to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in Game 1 of the two teams’ Atlantic Division Semifinals series on Thursday night. After going down 3-0, the Bears battled back to make it 3-2 before the Penguins scored an empty-net goal to seal their victory.
During Hershey’s comeback, one play in particular stood out as one where the on-ice officials could have turned the tide further in their favor, likely aiding the team’s push to tie the game. Wth 8:05 remaining in the second period, and Hershey down 3-1, Bears rookie winger Andrew Cristall engaged in a net-front battle with Penguins defender Harrison Brunicke.
Cristall got his stick up high on Brunicke as they jockeyed for position, which seemed to infuriate Brunicke. The defender responded by grabbing Cristall up high and throwing him to the ice. Once on top of Cristall, Brunicke then delivered a punch to the back of the downed forward’s helmet and two cross-checks as he tried to get up.
Andrew Cristall and Harrison Bruincke’s net-front confrontation
Despite the clear secondary infractions occurring directly in the near referee’s view, who called the original penalty, Brunicke only received a minor penalty for roughing. The lack of additional discipline upset Bears head coach Derek King, who commented on the play postgame.
“I didn’t like the mauling of AC there, Cristall, and the rabbit punch when he went down, and then the three or four cross-checks, and there’s no extra call,” King said. “I mean, I’m not a referee, so they got a hard job to do.”
At that point in the game, the Penguins had been given all three of the game’s prior power plays. The Bears, who outshot the Penguins 33-31 in the loss, were unable to convert on the ensuing power play, but did get their second goal of the game early in the third period from Henrik Rybinski.
Henrik Rybinski goal to bring Bears within one
Unfortunately, despite waves of late pressure, the Penguins and goaltender Sergei Mursahov clung onto that one-goal advantage until the Bears pulled Clay Stevenson with under two minutes remaining in regulation.
“I think we battled hard,” King said. “I thought it was a good hockey game. Could some calls gone our way? Sure, they could have, but I’m not going to complain about the refs. I’ve got to be a better person, I was told. So I’m going to be calm right now about it. But I like the way we competed. You know, the old too dumb to quit, right? We didn’t stop. So those guys, I think they believe it, and we believe it.”
The Bears will get their chance to respond to both the loss and some of the physical play on Saturday night. The best-of-five series stays at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton’s Mohegan Arena for Game 2 before coming to Hershey’s Giant Center for Game 3 on Tuesday.
