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Screen cap: AHL TV
The Hershey Bears downed the Charlotte Checkers, 6-2 Thursday night at Giant Center in Hershey. The victory clinches their best-of-five Atlantic Division Semifinal series with the Checkers, 3-1. The Bears now advance to the Atlantic Division Finals against the winner of the Hartford Wolf Pack and Providence Bruins semifinal.
The Checkers opened the scoring just two minutes into the contest and added a second tally midway through the opening stanza to a take a 2-0 lead into the first intermission.
After a scoreless first half of the second period, the Bears finally broke through with a tally from Mason Morelli and added a late goal from Beck Malenstyn with 16 seconds left in the period for a 2-2 tie at the second break.
The Bears took their first lead of the game with a goal from Aliaksei Protas midway through the final frame and made it 4-2 on a second goal by Aliaksei Protas late in the period. The Checkers scored on their own goal with the goaltender pulled and Dylan McIlrath added an empty net goal for the 6-2 final.
LINEUP
Hunter Shepard (2-1-0, 1.69 GAA, .922 sv%) got the start between the pipes for the Bears. Mack Guzda (2-2-0, 3.51 GAA, .864 sv%) got the start for the visiting Checkers. The forward lines and defensive pairs for the Bears:
Mason Morelli – Mike Sgarbossa – Mike Vecchione
Joe Snively – Connor McMichael – Garrett Pilon
Aliaksei Protas – Hendrix Lapierre – Sam Anas
Beck Malenstyn – Riley Sutter – Shane Gersich
Gabriel Carlsson – Dylan McIlrath
Lucas Johansen – Vincent Iorio
Jake Massie – Logan Day
Hunter Shepard
Zach Fucale
Scratches: Ethen Frank (injury), Aaron Ness (injury), Bobby Nardella, Henrik Borgstrom, Henrik Rybinski, Matt Strome, Julian Napravnik, Bogdan Trineyev, Ludwig Persson, Dru Krebs, Alexander Suzdalev and Garin Bjorklund.
FIRST PERIOD
The Checkers wasted little time in posting the game’s first tally. Jake Wise (1) notched the game’s opening score at 2:00 of the first. Mackie Samoskevich (4) and Cory Conacher (1) had the helpers.
Hot start! 🔥 pic.twitter.com/LvphoOoBEu
— Charlotte Checkers (@CheckersHockey) May 4, 2023
The Checkers stretched their lead to 2-0 with 12 minutes remaining in the period. Riley Nash (3) scored the Checkers second tally at 7:54. Matt Kiersted (3) and Santtu Kinnunen (4) had the assists.
Kiersted with the rip, Nash with the tip! 🚨 pic.twitter.com/64a2m3eyYf
— Charlotte Checkers (@CheckersHockey) May 4, 2023
Beck Malenstyn had the Bears highlight of the opening frame after one of his patented bone-crushing checks knocked out a pain of glass.
Beck Malenstyn is wrecking the place! #WreckItBeck #BeckTheCheck #ALLCAPS #HBH pic.twitter.com/bZX3GTZ7mi
— Capitals Prospects (@jon_m_sorensen) May 4, 2023
The first period concluded with the Checkers leading 2-0. Charlotte led in shots, 8-2. Hershey was 0 for 1 on the power play. The Checkers did not have a man advantage.
SECOND PERIOD
After a scoreless tussle for the first half of the second period, the Bears finally broke through the Checkers defense and notched their first tally of the game. Mason Morelli rushed into the zone on a two-on-two break, drove to the net and finished five hole for the score. Mike Sgarbossa (2) and Lucas Johansen (2) had the assists.
Mo pull us to within one with his second of the playoffs!
🍎 Sgarbossa
🍏 Johansen pic.twitter.com/bmdq6JS7CP— Hershey Bears (@TheHersheyBears) May 5, 2023
Following back-to-back penalties on Joe Snively, one very questionable, Snively made up for it with an unbelievable assist to setup the Bears second tally late in the middle frame. Beck Malenstyn finished for the game-tying marker with just 16 seconds remaining in the frame. Joe Snively (3) had the lone helper.
What a play by Joe Snively! Beck Malenstyn buries it and we are tied 2-2 at second intermission. #HBH #ALLCAPS pic.twitter.com/m1olmuUNCC
— Capitals Prospects (@jon_m_sorensen) May 5, 2023
The second period concluded with the game tied, 2-2. Charlotte led in shots 10-9 in the second period and 18-11 after two periods. Hershey was 0 for 2 and Charlotte 0 for 3 on the power play after two periods.
THIRD PERIOD
The Bears took their first lead of the night midway through the final frame when Aliaksei Protas slmammed one home on the power play at 8:59. Sam Anas (3) and Joe Snively (4) had the assists.
The Viper Strikes! Aliaksei Protas with a power play goal gives the Bears a 3-2 lead with 11 mins left in regulation. #HBH #ALLCAPS pic.twitter.com/8goHc6yzhm
— Capitals Prospects (@jon_m_sorensen) May 5, 2023
The Bears quickly made it 4-2 on Aliaksei Protas‘ second goal of the night at 10:57 of the third period. Sam Anas (4) and Hendrix Lapierre (2) had the assists.
Two for the Zeus From Belarus! #ALLCAPS #HBH pic.twitter.com/nr1dAOycky
— Capitals Prospects (@jon_m_sorensen) May 5, 2023
The Checkers pulled Mack Guzda following the second Protas goal. He was replaced by J.F. Berube.
The Bears added two empty net goals late to seal the victory. The Checkers Riley Nash scored on his own empty net to make it 5-2.
Checkers score on their own empty net to make it 5-2. Dylan McIlrath just scored his first goal of the season to make it 6-2. The Bears will advance to the Atlantic Division Final #HBH #ALLCAPS pic.twitter.com/ovs4l2zObk
— Capitals Prospects (@jon_m_sorensen) May 5, 2023
Dylan McIlrath added an empty net goal for the 6-2 final.
The Bears now await the winner of the Hartford Wolf Pack and Providence Bruins Atlantic Division Semifinal.
SHAVINGS
- AHL box score
- Attendance: 4,515
- Bears led in shots 32-28.
- Hunter Shepard stopped 26 of 28 for a .928 game save percentage.
- Stars of the game: 1) Aliaksei Protas, 2) Beck Malenstyn and 3) Sam Anas
