The Hershey Bears could not find a series sweep in the Atlantic Division Semifinals on Wednesday night as they fell on the road in Allentown, PA to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms in a 2-0 Game Three loss. The Bears got plenty of looks on their power play but could not come up with the perfect play to beat Phantoms goaltender Cal Petersen.
Petersen made 22 saves in his first career, AHL playoff shutout. At the other end of the rink, Hunter Shepard was beaten twice in the Bears’ net on two Lehigh Valley power plays. Shepard ended the game with 20 saves.
Lehigh Valley kicked the game’s scoring off with a seeing-eye wrister from defenseman Emil Andrae. The Swedish defenseman sent a wrist shot from the top of the point past the shoulder of a screened Shepard just over five minutes into the first period.
Olle Lycksell doubled the Phantoms’ lead with another man-advantage strike less than two minutes later. After Cooper Marody had his shot blocked by Dylan McIlrath, the puck bounced up off of Lycksell and past Shepard’s left skate.
Shots after the first 20 minutes were level at 11 apiece but the Phantoms found the only two goals.
The Bears had a four-minute power play in the second after Pierrick Dube was sliced open by a Hunter McDonald high stick but were unable to test Petersen much at all. Special teams would end up being the difference as Hershey went 0-for-4 while up a man and gave up the two Lehigh Valley power-play markers.
The series stays in Allentown for Game Four on Saturday where Hershey will have another chance to close things out. If they cannot, the series will be decided back at Giant Center on Sunday.
Here are the lines from the loss:
Tonight's projected lineup for Game 3 📝
Catch the broadcast:
📺@fox43.2 (Central PA), @MonSportsNet (DC region)
🖥️ https://t.co/HaxQBmLCRZ
📻@FroggyValley, @foxsports1460am, @WOYK1350 (joined in-progress), @CapitalsRadio pic.twitter.com/3udDoxtEoT— Hershey Bears (@TheHersheyBears) May 8, 2024
