Gazley’s OT Game Winner Drops Wilkes-Barre

HERSHEY, PA – Philipp Grubauer hugs Dustin Gazley after Gazley’s game winning, overtime goal against Wilkes-Barre (Tim Stough / Sweetest Hockey on Earth)

As many know, we are in a current time stretch where football season has concluded, the countdown to Spring Training is in full throttle, and where fans continuously fall asleep on their sofa attempting to watch the NBA.

But at the American Hockey League level, the Hershey Bears enter a crucial eight week stretch of their schedule which takes them to April. It is a stretch which will truly decide whether playoff hockey will once again return to Hershey for a ninth consecutive season.

Sunday the Bears battled the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in the weekend finale, looking for four out of six standings points in the weekend. Dustin Gazley scored 47 second into overtime to down the Penguins in a Giant Center classic.

Sunday often marks the final game of a three games in three nights stretch in the AHL. Typically in a Sunday game, you would expect fatigue throughout a lineup of hockey players. But entering play against the Penguins, the Bears possessed an excellent 7-1-0-3 record on Sundays this season.

The Bears and Penguins were off and running in a hurry at Giant Center with a combined three goals in the opening frame. Ryan Stoa scored for Hershey off the Penguins’ lone defensive miscue of the period. Only 61 seconds in, Wilkes-Barre was caught high in the neutral zone leading to a quick transition and 2-on-1 rush.

Stoa scored on a sharp angle following a cross-ice feed from Nicolas Deschamps to bring the crowd to their feet early. But only 1:57 later, Harry Zolnierczyk answered for Wilkes-Barre.

He entered the Hershey defensive zone on a rush and blasted a quick, high quality snap shot glove side on Philipp Grubauer. It was a NHL shots from a future, every day NHL player to knot the game at 1-1.

With 7:52 left in the period, Tom Kostopoulos capitalized on the Pens’ first power play chance of the night. After a neutral zone interference infraction by Stoa, Kostopoulos sniped another bullet to the top corner of the net past Grubauer.

The Bears fanned on three power play chances in the period, but possessed the puck extremely well in the offensive end. Penguins goaltender Eric Hartzell was the top penalty killer and maintained his team’s lead into first intermission.

Second period was a rollercoaster ride for the Hershey faithful, as the power play struggled heavily and nearly led to Wilkes-Barre shorthanded goals on three separate occasions.

But late in the period with 3:59 left on the clock, Matt Watkins tied the game for the Bears. On a 2-on-2 rush, Peter LeBlanc sent a forward pass for Watkins, who caught Hartzell leaning with a quick backhand shot.

The Bears contained a 25-16 shot advantage after 40 minutes of hockey.

Into and end to end third period, Dane Byers earned a penalty shot with 9:11 remaining. Byers walked in on Hartzell and tallied top shelf to give the Bears their second lead of the night.

Bobby Farnham tied the game for WBS from the left face off circle with minutes remaining to send a classic of a game to overtime.

It set the stage for Dustin Gazley, who made a back door run and scored during the opening minute of sudden death overtime. Watkins sent a perfect pass to an open Gazley to send the Giant Center crowd home happy.

The win pushed Hershey’s home ice win streak to 11 games to close out the weekend.

More photos from tonight’s game. All photos by Tim Stough

Michael Latta has a go with Harrison Ruopp

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