Mr. Overtime Travis Boyd Gives Hershey Win to Tie Series with Providence

Stan Galiev celebrates with Travis Boyd and teammates after Boyd’s overtime winning goal against Providence Sunday night at Giant Center. (All photos: Kyle Mace / Chocolate Hockey)

Troy Mann said in his postgame interview following the Hershey Bears’ 3-1 loss in Game 1 that it wasn’t how much your power play scores, but when they score. That turned out to be the turning point of Game 2, as Christian Djoos scored in the late moments of a power play with 2:30 on the clock in the third period to tie the game at two apiece. Travis Boyd completed the comeback less than six minutes into overtime, and the Bears took the second game of their series with the Providence Bruins by a final score of 3-2.

Hershey came out flying in the first period, registering ten shots in the period and doing a lot of things right but not quite getting the goals. It took until the five-minute mark of the second when Madison Bowey fired a shot from the point that went through traffic and past McIntyre to earn the 1-0 lead for the Bears. Bowey, as well as Jonas Siegenthaler, were in the lineup for the first time in the series as Tom Gilbert and Colby Williams were sidelined due to injury last night.

Providence would not take long to respond. Similar to Game 1, the Bears found themselves hemmed in the defensive zone for long stretches in the second period following Wayne Simpson’s first of two goals, as he pushed past the Bears defense on a rush and buried one on Pheonix Copley to make it a 1-1 tie. Simpson would score again on a crazy bounce to make it 2-1, and the Bears went into the second intermission down two men, seemingly out of the game.

But the Bears did not quit, starting with the kill and chipping away at offense. Unlike the first game, Hershey was cycling the puck but finally got pucks and chances in front of the net rather than being trapped along the boards, and created opportunities they did not have in the first outing. Hershey got a power play late in the game, and towards the late stages, Hershey got their cycle going. The puck came to Djoos on the left side boards, and he ripped a shot over the blocker side of McIntyre to tie the game for Hershey’s first power play goal of the postseason. The goal seized momentum for the Bears, who got the game to overtime for the third time in the playoffs.

The extra session was reminiscent of the first game with the Phantoms. Copley came up large on an early chance, and after hitting the post earlier on a wicked wrist shot, Boyd got the puck on a great pass from Stanislav Galiev, shooting a perfect shot past McIntyre to win the game 3-2 and tie the series at one going to Providence.

Now, Hershey goes to Providence for at least three more games beginning on Thursday. They’ll play Friday and Sunday, and should it be necessary to come back to Giant Center in ten days for games six and seven. Hershey exits with a big boost of confidence after Sunday. Additionally, Chris Bourque remains one assist away from having the most of any player in AHL playoff history. He had an assist removed on the winning goal that would have achieved that mark.

PHOTOS:

Madison Bowey scores in the second period

Travis Boyd wins it in overtime