Game 5 Preview: Bears Prepare for Saturday Showdown in Cleveland
We are hours away from the Saturday Night Showdown in Cleveland, Ohio, between the Hershey Bears and Cleveland Monsters.
While game four didn’t go the Chocolate and White’s way on Thursday night, they went back to work at a well-attended optional skate this morning.
Carrying a 3-1 series lead into tonight’s game, the Bears have responded well following a loss over the course of the season. The message in that locker room is simple.
“I think just being engaged,” said Nelson. “I don’t think we were engaged in the first two periods. We were just playing and hoping they would give us the game. We started playing in the third period, but it was too little too late. If we play 60 minutes like the third period, we’ll be alright.”
“We played slow, and that’s what (Cleveland) wants,” said Bears forward Jimmy Huntington. “We have to play fast with a good forecheck, and good things will happen.”
The big story going into this game is the availability of four key regulars: forwards Ethen Frank, Henrik Rybinski and Pierrick Dube, and defenseman Aaron Ness. Coach Nelson said Frank is good to go, Rybinski is feeling good, Ness is day-to-day, and Dube will not play.
Over the course of this postseason, Cleveland has seen contributions up and down their lineup. Their blue line – led by David Jiricek – is a big part of the Monsters attack. Between Jiricek, fellow star-studded defender Denton Mateychuk and the supporting cast, the Bears will look to quiet them tonight.
“As a winger, when you’re in your zone you have to be tight on them,” mentioned Huntington. “When we go on the forecheck, we have to keep hitting them. Mateychuk is really good for his first game coming in. He impressed me, personally. We just have to keep our forecheck going, and good things will happen.”
Even with this series in Hershey’s favor, this series is closer than people think.
When asked by Chocolate Hockey about what’s worked for them up to this point, “I think it’s all on us, to be quite honest,” said Nelson. “If you look at the two overtime games at home, we did it to ourselves. We cannot beat ourselves by making unforced errors with and without the puck. Cleveland is a good hockey team, but let’s make them earn everything they get. I think if we go out and dictate play right away, doesn’t matter if we are home or away….we’ll be fine.”
Puck drop is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. With a win tonight, the Bears would advance to the Calder Cup Final for the second straight season and would await the winner of Coachella Valley and Milwaukee.
