The Hershey Bears are one win away from changing into back-to-back Calder Cup champions. Hershey powered by a lightweight taking pictures night time and can be capable to elevate the Cup on dwelling ice if they will safe a win in Sport 6 or 7 inside Large Heart.
Jimmy Huntington potted two targets and Hardy Häman Aktell sniped a purpose of his personal within the final sport of the collection at Coachella Valley’s Acrisure Enviornment. Hunter Shepard was excellent in internet, stopping 24 Firebirds photographs in his thirteenth victory this postseason.
Kole Lind acquired the Firebirds on the board first with 9:55 left within the first interval. After former Bear Connor Carrick threw a puck to the entrance of the web, it took two jams from Logan Morrison and Lind to push the puck previous Shepard.
The help was Carrick’s first level within the championship collection towards his former membership.
Huntington beat the buzzer, knocking his personal rebound by Chris Driedger with simply 1.3 seconds remaining within the first body. Hershey’s total second line mixed on the purpose with Pierrick Dubé and Alex Limoges selecting up the assists.
Ryan Winterton put the Firebirds again in entrance 4:43 into the third interval.
The rookie Winterton had only one purpose within the playoffs till the Calder Cup Finals and now has 4 targets in 5 video games towards the Bears.
The Bears weren’t lifeless but although as Häman Aktell sniped over Driedger’s blocker with 11:34 left within the last body. The massive Swede leads all AHL defensemen in playoff targets with 5.
Huntington struck once more on the 16:45 mark of the ultimate body to provide the Bears their first lead of the sport. Limoges and Ethen Frank supplied the assists on the game-winning marker.
The Quebec-born Huntington has 5 factors (3g, 2a) within the collection towards Coachella Valley.
Hershey managed simply 12 photographs by 40 minutes of regulation. Coachella Valley examined Shepard 15 occasions alone within the second interval.
Final yr, the Bears received Sport 5 to go up 3-2 within the collection however then fell in Sport 6 which necessitated Mike Vecchione’s additional time heroics in Sport 7. No AHL staff has gone back-to-back as champions for the reason that Bears did it themselves in 2009 and 2010.
Hershey was but once more with out Aaron Ness, Vincent Iorio, Lucas Johansen, and Garrett Roe.
Listed below are the Bears’ strains from the win:
Projected lineup for Sport 5! 📝
Catch the published:
📺 @fox43.2 (Antenna TV), @MonSportsNet (DC area), @NHLNetwork (Firebirds feed)
🖥️ https://t.co/HaxQBmLCRZ
📻 @FroggyValley, @foxsports1460am, @WOYK1350, @CapitalsRadio pic.twitter.com/AlshOkhWxC— Hershey Bears (@TheHersheyBears) June 23, 2024