Hershey toughs out back and forth game to pick up ninth straight win in overtime
Friday night’s game in Central New York between the Hershey Bears and Utica Comets was one to remember, as the Chocolate and White clawed out a 6-5 overtime victory for their ninth straight win.
The first period brought an offensive onslaught by the Bears. Hershey tallied four goals in the first period, starting with a pair of goals from Garrett Pilon nine seconds apart. Then Kody Clark and Joe Snively found the back of the net to give the Bears a 4-1 lead after one.
As the second period rolled along, it became much in contrast to the first twenty minutes from a Bears perspective. Hershey was unable to register any further insurance goals in the middle frame, and the Comets showed that they were not going out without a fight either. Utica was able to get one on the board in the second, cutting Hershey’s lead to 4-2
The final period of regulation would prove to be a chaotic one as Utica got a goal from Seamus Malone to bring the game to within one in the early stages of the third.
Shortly after, a great play from Reid Boucher to former Bears playoff hero Carter Camper would give the Comets the equalizer, knotting the game at four apiece.
Roughly six minutes later, Utica got an opportunity to take their first lead of the night as Liam O’Brien would catch a Comet with a high stick and send the Bears to the penalty kill.
Unfortunately for Utica, a shot from defenseman Brogan Rafferty would hit Kole Lind in the face and set up the Bears with a shorthanded opportunity.
The puck would bounce off Lind’s cranium right to the stick blade of Axel Jonsson-Fjallby. Brian Pinho headed up the ice with Jonsson-Fjallby to create a two-on-one, with the Swede feeding the Massachusetts native and giving Hershey the 5-4 lead.
Utica would answer less than 90-seconds later with another equalizer to bring the score to 5-5, sending the game to overtime.
In the overtime session, the Chocolate and White would take the game back over, dominating the time of possession, and drawing a crucial penalty to give them a chance to end.
Mike Sgarbossa would score on ensuing power play, slapping home his 11th goal of the season, to give Hershey its ninth consecutive victory.
Hershey will look to keep rolling tomorrow night, as they take on the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins at Giant Center.
