Game information
#5 Hershey Bears (2-1) at #2 Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (1-0)
May 2, 2026 | 6:05 p.m. | Mohegan Arena at Casey Plaza | Wilkes-Barre/Scranton leads, 1-0
Referees: Ben Betker (42), Adam Tobias (16)
Linespersons: Brandon Grillo (75), Chris Martenet (92)
Broadcast Information
PXP: Zack Fisch, Garrett Mitchell, and Todd Sadowski
TV: Antenna TV (WPMT FOX 43.2, Xfinity Ch. 247 and 1178, Verizon FiOS Ch. 463, Blue Ridge Ephrata Ch. 91, and Blue Ridge Newberry/Duncannon Ch. 88)
Radio: WFVY-100.1-FM, Fox Sports 1460-AM
Watch live: AHLTV on FloHockey
Listen live: Froggy Valley 100.1-FM Stream, Fox Sports 1460-AM Stream
Radio pre-game coverage starts at 5:35 p.m; Television coverage starts at 6 p.m.
Game preview
The Hershey Bears fell in their opening game to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, but left with a sense of confidence that their best-of-five Atlantic Division Semifinal series was winnable.
“I think we battled hard. I thought it was a good hockey game,” Bears head coach Derek King said. “I like the way we competed. We battled. 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. We can give them, stay with them for a whole three periods, and we’ll give them a good game Saturday.”
After Atley Calvert, Aidan McDonough, and Owen Pickering (PP) all scored to give WBS a 3-0 lead, the Bears fought back, like they have all season, getting goals from Ilya Protas and Henrik Rybinski. Hershey seemed ready to tie — and it appeared they did momentarily. On a two-on-none shorthanded break, Brett Leason‘s backhanded shot hit the crossbar before bouncing off Rybinski’s glove hand and in. Officials waived off the tally.
“Yeah, he went off the crossbar, and it kind of went off me in a weird way,” Rybinski said. “So, unfortunate, but, yeah, pretty close to being tied.”
Will reinforcements be coming? The Bears had to change up their lineup with Sonny Milano out due to illness in Game 1, so King gave 18-year-old forward prospect Milton Gastrin his AHL debut.
On the Penguins side, Bokondji Imama (abuse of officials) and Tanner Howe (cross-checking) will be eligible to return to WBS’s lineup after serving a one-game suspension. Both players sat up near media row during Game 1.
Per the Bears, the victor of each game at Mohegan Arena at Casey Plaza this season (five regular season and one playoff), have scored first. Bogdan Trineyev (1g, 3a) and Ilya Protas (2g, 1a) both carry three-game playoff point streaks into today’s contest.
Puck drop for tonight’s game is at 6:05 pm.
