Bears Look to Bite Into Firebirds and Take Series Lead: Game 5 Preview
The Hershey Bears started out strong in a bounce back Game 4 of the Calder Cup Finals to even the series at 2-2 with a 3-2 victory.
The very moment the puck dropped, the Bears were fast and aggressive on both ends stifling the Coachella Valley transition game and holding their offense in check with just four shots on net through 20 minutes.
If it isn’t broke don’t fix it. At this morning’s skate Bears bench boss Todd Nelson said this about his boys being successful on the defensive side of the ice once again.
“Be aggressive and check well. I think that’s the biggest thing. When we are checking well, we have good sticks. We provide offense for ourselves because we create turnovers. We just got to move our feet, get up ice, play an aggressive forecheck, and make sure you stay on top of it.”
Before Game 4, Jake Massie said almost the identical statement, emphasizing the forecheck. After the game, Bears players Ethen Frank, Joe Snively and Hendrix Lapierre concurred. On the opposing side when asked, Coachella Valley Head Coach, Dan Bylsma, stressed how strong the Bears were in this department and so too did his boys when they had their turn at the mic.
Make no mistake, Hershey is playing with confidence and when they can play their hard hitting, heavy aggressive style, they are tough to beat and they have fun doing it.
Last game Matt Strome, Henrik Rybinski, Massie, Dylan McIlrath, and Riley Sutter are just a few to shout out as they erased multiple Firebirds in their quest to limit the attacks on goalie Hunter Shepard.
Not to be missed, Mike Vecchione and Joe Snively were tremendous with their sticks backchecking. At one point Veccs baseball swung a puck out of the zone to clear.
Tonight, this will be even more critical. This is Coachella’s last game on home ice. It’s Dan Bylsma’s last game as the Firebirds head coach and before Game 4, he responded to my question about his guys being more locked in due to his promotion to Seattle, with phrases like “unfinished business” and “not satisfied.”
This is a hungry group and they are determined to send their fans, which are loud and passionate, out with a barn burner.
Offensively, once again it begins with the top line of Frank, Snively, and Lappy. They showed out in game one producing all three goals. After some changes Hershey’s top line was all over the ice playing fast and free with tape to tape passing that looked like smooth jazz being orchestrated in a back room speakeasy.
Ethen Frank opened the scoring with his 10th strike of the playoffs at 18:37 of the first period coming on the power play after knifing down the boards and gaining a sharp angle. Hendrix Lapierre put Hershey up 2-1 at the 18-minute mark. In tie game late in the third Joe Snively netted the game-winning goal at 4:21.
Lapierre is currently in the lead of the AHL playoff scoring race with 20 points (6g, 14a) in 18 games. Ethen Frank’s goal in Game 4 gave him his 10th of the playoffs, tying him with Milwaukee’s Zack L’Heureux for the postseason goal-scoring lead. Joe Snively’s assist in Game 4 gave him his 26th career playoff helper and 14th during this run. That is a ton of production.
It’s great to have one line lift a team, but everyone around the Bears knows it will take more than three forwards to carry Hershey to a series win.
“I think that line was great last game, and provided the offense for us, but collectively as a group we all can join the party. It’s been like that throughout playoffs. A few games back, it was a Huntington line that produced,” said Nelson this morning.
“I want to get every line producing, of course, but I thought last game was it was a bit more of a complete game the way the Hershey Bears want to play.”
Todd Nelson after morning skate
The good news is every line in Game 4 produced quality opportunities. Alex Limoges was close to a goal, and so too was Ivan Miroshnichenko. Tonight I am looking at line three with Miro, Rybinski and Vecchione to be a difference maker for the Bears to win.
Expect hershey to try and create a little more chaos in front of the net tonight per Nelson.
“More traffic in front of the goalie. A few shifts where we had a good possession, getting shots in the net, but we didn’t have a lot of traffic, so we have to get more bodies to cover that.”
As a side note, Hershey needs to avoid 4 on 4 play. We have seen this play out and against a team that you try to limit time and space moments, 4 on 4 hockey is playing with fire.
What the biggest game of the series? The next one.
Shepard vs. Driedger
Hunter Shepard has posted an .889 save percentage, while Chris Driedger has logged a save percentage of .864.
Hunter Shepard stopped Coachella Valley’s 10 final shots and secured the win with a 22-for-24 performance in Game 4. Expect a bigger push from Coachella, especially if some of their guys, like Wright, who was in a lot of pain at one point on the bench is back to himself. To be clear, Shane Wright was still sensational in Game 4 for CV.
Injury Update:
“Aaron Ness is day-to-day, and so is Garrett Rowe. Garrett Rowe is really close. I’m not going to fit myself in the corner, but I think he’ll be ready for game 6” – Todd Nelson
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