Hershey Bears Roar Back with 5-2 Victory to Even Calder Cup Finals at 1-1
“Well, let’s all be honest here. I think we got away with one tonight.”
Those are Todd Nelson’s first words from his post-game press conference after the Bears beat Coachella Valley in Game 2 of the Calder Cup Finals to even the series at a game apiece.
Not exactly what you expect to hear from the winning coach in a 5-2 affair, but they were accurate. Very accurate.
“You know if Shep [Bears goalie Hunter Shepard] doesn’t play extremely well we don’t win that game,” Nelson went on and was right again.
Down in the series 1-0 to Coachella Valley, Hershey didn’t enter Giant Center having this game as a must win. But tied at a goal apiece in the second period it felt like it.
Once again Hershey got the upper hand early on with a lot of jump. Ivan Miroshnichenko was the beneficiary of a sweet Mike Vecchione feed to the slot, and as he was falling down on his right knee, he slapped it home for a 1-0 lead.
Just like in Game 1 Coachella Valley worked their way back. In the first period it was a methodical pace. Then came a barrage. Three times Hunter Shepard rose to the occasion, first a kick save, then using his right shoulder to raise up and deflect one out of danger, and at 12:16 larceny with the glove to rob Shane Wright.
In the second, CV kept up the attack. Luke Henman squared the game with a quick wrister low and wide of Shepard and with that, Coachella went to town. Hershey’s first shot of the second period came at 0:28. CV was in control, attacking, attacking and yet they found nothing as Shepard stood tall.
For 12 minutes and 33 seconds of game time, the Bears were held without a shot on goal. A single shot on goal.
Then a spark got lit. With 7:40 left in the second Shep covered up a puck in the crease. Coachella crashed in and Dylan McIlrath, among other Bears, gave Kole Ling a face full of gloves. It was late and it was tacky.
Two shifts later everything changed.
Jake Massie brought the puck to center and sent one down the boards. Alex Limoges with speed hustled behind the net to pick CV goalie Chris Driedger who had trouble with the biscuit and shuffled one in front to Jimmy Huntington who had nothing but nylon in front of him.
“Everyone sensed it, [that we had to get shots] and I think everyone’s energy on the bench was a little bit low, think about the last series.”
Huntington’s goal raised the energy and the funk of the second period was in the past. Just like that it was 2-1 Bears. Beat down and dominated for nearly 13 minutes, yet now back in the lead.
Two shots in a period, almost a lifetime apart, and one of them for a goal. It was hard to believe they would tally a 3-1 lead, 3:41 later when Huntington threaded a beauty to Pierrick Dube who took a hit to his face and slid it past Driedger for a two-goal lead. It was an amazing burst of hockey from this gritty unit.
“It just proves that he is a warrior out there,” said Huntington. “He got a game winning goal and he isn’t going to miss those chances a lot.”
You knew that goal was important, and in all honesty, the Bears needed at least one more. That was evident from the drop of the puck for the third when McIlrath and Hardy Haman Aktell collided allowing Shane Wright an easy one to make it 3-2.
Nelson said that can’t happen. Calling the first shift of the third period one of the most important of the game.
The next eight plus minutes of the game were back and forth. Every time the Firebirds had a chance to push closer, Hunter Shepard was there. It didn’t matter how the traffic was, or how much he was harassed on his way to top star and 32 saves.
Hardy Haman Aktell added a goal on a blast from the point after a clean draw win from Mike Vecchione, and later HHA sent home an empty netter for the final 5-2 score.
After two games it is apparent this has all the makings of another great series. It really could be and for that to happen Hershey has to be at its best in Palm Desert or as Nelson says;
“We got to get our guys’ heads screwed on straight, we are making mental errors,” he said.
“We have to be better in Game 3, we certainly do.”
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