Hershey Wins Game Two Before Division Finals Heads to Hartford

If someone with zero knowledge of hockey were to walk into Giant Center Saturday night during the third period, without even a glimpse of the ice or scoreboard, they would know what was taking place. With just under nine minutes to go between the Bears and Wolf Pack, a jacked crowd of 10,714 chanted “You poked the Bear!”, as Hershey was en route to their second win of the series. At the very least, it serves as a warning to not only Hartford in game three of the series, but to the potential opponents for Hershey later in this playoff run: Don’t poke the Bear.

Once again, just like in game two, Hartford tried to instigate, bait and confront Hershey with childish antics after the whistle or even blows to the head. In game one it was a punch to the back of the head. In game two it was weak pushes and shoves before a headshot on Mike Vecchione along the boards. Each and every time it seemed Captain Dylan McIlrath was there to take care of any shenanigans.

As the fans issued their warning, at that point, the Bears were up 4-0 over Hartford, and that large crowd would be satisfied just nine minutes later with a second series win, 4-2, and now a 2-0 series lead in the Atlantic Division Finals as this series now hits the road to Hartford.

The first period was high intensity, as Ivan Miroshnichenko scored from Jimmy Huntington and Chase Priskie just 2:50 into the game.

At the 12:30 mark of the first, the Bears found themselves on the short end of a five on three scenario. Chase Priskie went in the penalty box for tripping, Dylan McIlrath for a high stick just seconds into the original penalty kill. On the ice, veterans Aaron Ness, and Lucas Johansen set the tone along with Matt Strome to start almost a full two-minutes of killing a five on three. The Bears survived three shots on goal from the Hartford attack, largely thanks to the goalie play from Hunter Shepard, who saved 22/24 shots on goal in game two, 15/15 in the first two periods. 

“That can really change a game if we aren’t ready to go there,” said Johansen on the five on three kill. “Credit to the boys, I mean, you don’t want to ever get in that situation. Hopefully that doesn’t happen again, but it gave us a lot of momentum.”

Hershey rode that momentum to take the lead into the first break.

In the second, the moment every Bears fan and player is talking about took place. Ivan Miroshnichenko landed a goal so impressive it prompted oohs and aahs along with a roar from the crowd, and had fans on social media saying things like “That was very vintage Ovi” and “Nasty goal. Kid is going to be good”. The impressive score made it a 2-0 score, which is what ended the second period.

Miro took the puck at the red line, danced down the left side before a toe drag through the defender, held, held, held longer as Dylan Garand went down in the crease before flipping in from a tight angle on the right side. It was a goal that left Zack Fisch and Mitch Lamoureux pretty impressed.

Into the third, Ethen Frank continued his playoff dominance, scoring his fifth in as many playoff games, tying himself for second place in the AHL’s playoff goal tally. Hendrix Lapierre went on to score with 11:30 left in the second, putting up a 4-0 perfect game, until Hartford got on the board.

It seemed the game was already over, but Hartford refused to be shut out in game two, as Jake Leschyshyn scored with 2:52 to go, his second goal of the series as the lone goal scorer in game one. With 49 ticks until the final horn, Adan Sykora scored off an assist from Nicklas Brouillard to make it 4-2.

With two playoff wins under their belt, the team is starting to find their identity, and more importantly, especially with new additions from Washington, a playoff bond.

“We’re really coming together as a group right now,” said Lucas Johansen. “We’re laughing in the bench, we’re keeping things light. That really works this time of year.”

The best part of player’s comments following the game two win? Perhaps Ivan Miroshnichenko, a native of Ussuriysk, Russia, take a crack at English:

“Win, win, win. Cup.”

The Bears look to inch towards that (Calder) Cup on Wednesday at 7 in Hartford, Connecticut.