Bears’ Strome Extinguishes Firebirds with Ultimate Goal in Overtime to Claim 13th Calder Cup Title
Only one thing was clear after Saturday’s win for the Hershey Bears in California: that the season would end this week. No one knew how, no one knew when, and most importantly, no one knew who would lift the Calder Cup trophy. Now, everything that was cloudy is now clear. It would be Monday in game six, it would be an overtime Matt Strome goal, and most importantly, it would be the Hershey Bears lifting their 13th Calder Cup.
The atmosphere before Monday night’s game six can be described in one word that doesn’t really commit an answer: weird. The crowd knew that whatever happened tonight, it wasn’t the end for this season, but then again, no one was looking to repeat a game six loss and head to another game seven.
Off the bat, Coachella Valley got it going with a go-ahead goal just 1:37 in from Ryan Winterton. The Bears went on to respond four minutes later from Pierrick Dube. 15 minutes later, as many were gearing up to grab a drink or snack in between the first and second period, a sudden roar overtook the crowd as Hendrix Lapierre netted yet another playoff goal to put Hershey ahead to end the first.
It wasn’t quite the literal last second goal we saw from Jimmy Huntington in game five’s first period, but it was plenty good enough for Hershey in game six.
The Firebirds fired right back, beginning the second just as they did the first, a goal two minutes in from Marian Studenic, then it was Ryan Winterton again in the second, placing the Firebirds back up one goal, their first lead since the 1-0 start early in the first.
Luckily, Dube was inevitable in game six, scoring again to even it up. Dube outdid himself in the series finale, leading off the third period scores as well. It was his hat trick goal, and seventh of the playoffs, tying teammate Hendrix Lapierre, who went on to win the Calder Cup Playoffs MVP.
This third period goal from Dube sparked the building and had everyone thinking it was time for Hershey to hold a lead for the next 11:04 and win the Calder Cup.
And they did. For eight minutes, nine seconds.
Eight minutes and nine seconds later, Coachella Valley would wrestle the Cup out of Hershey’s hands, similar to tug of war, when it seems one side is about to make the final pull and win, but the other side gets a surge of momentum and center the rope, at least for a moment. Cale Fleury scored for Coachella Valley, a goal to keep the season alive for the Firebirds.
The tie would hold and run out the third period clock, and it was time for bonus hockey and a fifteen minute break that seemed like five to almost all inside GIANT Center, a group of 11,000+ that could think about one thing and one thing only, that being what would happen next.
Matt Strome answered that question just one minute and six seconds into overtime, scoring a one on one to win the league’s ultimate prize.
In hindsight, the fifteen minute break between periods feel silly for one minute and six seconds, but it’s what had to be done. Sort of like the wait for an opponent to start this postseason because the Bears had a bye. Sort of like being up 3-0 against Cleveland and allowing the Monsters to then force a game seven, and ultimately end the series anyway. Hindsight’s always 20-20. Right now, the only sight that matters is the big shiny trophy that sits in Hershey, PA for another year.
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Love this!!!
Great article, Luke!