The Hershey Bears didn’t let the Coachella Valley Firebirds take two games away from them at the Giant Center as they cruised to a huge 5-2 victory in Game 2 of the Calder Cup Finals on Sunday night. Hershey handed the Firebirds just their second loss of this postseason.
Ivan Miroshnichenko, Jimmy Huntington, Pierrick Dubé and Hardy Häman Aktell increased their postseason goal totals in the victory. Hunter Shepard was tested early and often, making 32 saves in his first Calder Cup Finals victory since Game 7 last year.
Miroshnichenko scored his seventh goal of the playoffs just 5:51 into the first period to give the Bears an early 1-0 lead. Hershey has struck first in both games of the series so far.
The young Russian winger is second among the Bears in goals, behind Ethen Frank (9).
Coachella Valley scored first in the second period with just 2:42 left in the frame through Luke Henman. Henman beat Shepard with a quick wrist shot for his first goal of the playoffs.
After going without a shot for 12 minutes and 33 seconds, the Bears finally woke up from their hibernation when Firebirds goalie Chris Driedger made a mistake behind his own net. Alex Limoges took advantage of the golden opportunity and put Huntington ahead to make it easy.
Huntington earned its third of the playoffs after going five games without finding the back of the net.
Hershey wasn’t done there as just 3:41 later, Huntington skated into the Coachella Valley zone in a two-on-one with Dubé. After losing the ball on his first pass attempt, Huntington was able to slide the puck toward Dubé to finish at the far post.
Dubé crashed into the boards after scoring his third goal in five games.
Marian Studenic cut the Bears’ lead to one with a goal just 17 seconds into the third period.
Häman Aktell put Hershey back within two points with a single shot in an offensive zone win by Mike Vecchione. The big Swede has goals in both games to start the series against Coachella Valley.
Häman Aktell added another into an empty net from his own zone with just 11 seconds left in regulation.
The Bears were again without key defenders Aaron Ness, Vincent Iorio and Lucas Johansen. Garrett Roe, who scored the overtime goal to send Hershey to the Cup final, was also out with the injury that forced him to leave Game 1 early.
Matt Strome jumped back into the lineup on the team’s fourth line, sending Henrik Rybinski to center Miroshnichenko and Vecchione. Limoges, Huntington and Vecchione put together multi-point nights in a game where the Bears’ top line didn’t appear on the scoresheet.
The series will now head to California for the next three games. Hershey needs to win at least one of those games for Giant Center to see another playoff game this year.
Here are Hershey’s lines of victory:
Projected Lineup for Game 2! 📝
Watch the broadcast:
📺 @NHLRed, @fox43.2 (TV antenna), @MonSportsNet (DC region)
🖥️ https://t.co/HaxQBmLCRZ
📻 @FroggyValley, @foxsports1460am, @CapitalesRadio pic.twitter.com/gAVUv94f8a– Hershey Bears (@TheHersheyBears) June 16, 2024