Atlantic Division Semifinals Game 1 Preview: Bears at Penguins, 7:05 p.m.
AHL Hershey Bears

Atlantic Division Semifinals Game 1 Preview: Bears at Penguins, 7:05 p.m.

Published on April 30, 2026 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Hershey Bears News Release


(Wilkes-Barre Township, PA) - The Hershey Bears take the ice against the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins for Game 1 of the best-of-five Atlantic Division Semifinals tonight at Mohegan Arena at Casey Plaza in their first postseason meeting since 2022.

#5 Hershey Bears (2-0) at #2 Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (0-0)

April 30, 2026 | 7:05 p.m. | Mohegan Arena at Casey Plaza | Series tied, 0-0

Referees: Morgan MacPhee (43), Nick Isaacson (81)

Linespersons: Dylan Blujus (57), John Rey (16)

Broadcast Information

Voice of the Bears, Zack Fisch, former Bears captain Garrett Mitchell, and FOX43 sports director Todd Sadowski on the call

TELEVISION: Antenna TV (WPMT FOX 43.2, Xfinity Ch. 247 and 1178, Verizon FiOS Ch. 463, Blue Ridge Ephrata Ch. 91, and Blue Ridge Newberry/Duncannon Ch. 88)

RADIO: WFVY-100.1-FM, Fox Sports 1460-AM, SportsRadio 98.9-FM & WOYK 1350-AM

WATCH LIVE: AHLTV on FloHockey

LISTEN LIVE: Froggy Valley 100.1-FM Stream, Fox Sports 1460-AM Stream

Radio pre-game coverage starts at 6:35 p.m.; Television coverage starts at 7 p.m.

LAST TIME OUT:

The Bears completed a sweep of their series with Bridgeport last Thursday with a 5-2 Game 2 victory at home, as Andrew Cristall scored a goal in both the first and second periods, Sam Bitten broke a 1-1 tie midway through the second frame, and Sonny Milano and Bogdan Trineyev scored late in the third period to secure the win for Hershey. The Penguins have been idle since concluding the regular season on April 18 at home against Rochester with an 8-0 blanking of the Americans, as Rutger McGroarty and Rafaël Harvey-Pinard each collected a pair of goals and Sergei Murashov earned a 27-save shutout. By virtue of finishing in second place in the Atlantic Division standings, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton earned a first-round bye.

OPENING THINGS UP:

Hershey has opened 71 of its lifetime playoff series on the road, going 33-38 in that scenario, and is 78-63 overall in Game 1s. The Bears own a 13-5 series record when winning the opening game of a best-of-five series. During the five games of the regular season played at Mohegan Arena at Casey Plaza between the Bears and Penguins, the club that scored first went on to win each contest.

I-81 RIVALS MEET AGAIN:

The Bears and Penguins battled through a 10-game series in the regular season, with Hershey posting a 3-5-1-1 record against their in-state rivals. Hershey notably won its final two road games of the season series by a combined 9-3 score. This series marks the ninth postseason matchup between the two clubs; for Hershey, this represents the most frequently occurring playoff rivalry of any active AHL opponent. Hershey's postseason series record versus Wilkes-Barre/Scranton is 4-4, with 20 wins against 20 losses, and each team holding an identical 14-6 record at home.

TIME FOR SOME MIRO MAGIC?:

Forward Ivan Miroshnichenko went scoreless in Hershey's series with Bridgeport, but the 2022 first-round pick of the Washington Capitals has historically produced offensively against the Penguins. Miroshnichenko has 14 points (9g, 5a) in 25 career regular-season games against Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, representing the largest offensive total of his career against an individual AHL opponent in the regular season; he had seven points (4g, 3a) in eight contests against the Penguins during the 2025-26 campaign, including the game-winner in Hershey's 5-1 win at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on April 15.

THE LAST TIME:

The two clubs last met in the Calder Cup Playoffs during the best-of-three 2022 Atlantic Division First Round, which Wilkes-Barre/Scranton won in Game 3 on an Alex Nylander overtime goal. Three players who suited up in that series for the Bears could see ice time in the current series: Brett Leason notably scored the tying goal for Hershey in the third period of that decisive third game, while defender Alex Alexeyev now patrols the blue line for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton after assisting on Hershey's opening goal in that same contest. Bogdan Trineyev also made his North American professional debut by appearing in two games for the Bears before later playing in the regular season the following year.

WALL OF CLAY:

Clay Stevenson enters the current round with a 2-0 record in the 2026 Calder Cup Playoffs, along with a 1.00 goals-against average and a .952 save percentage. Stevenson was in net for two of Hershey's three victories against the Penguins during the regular season, sporting a 2-1-1 record with a 1.86 GAA and a .934 save percentage; in 16 career outings versus Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, Stevenson has earned a record of 9-4-2 with a 2.52 goals-against average, a .909 save percentage, and one shutout.

BEARS BITES:

Bears forward Brett Leason is celebrating his 27th birthday today... The Bears recalled defenseman Reilly Webb from the ECHL's South Carolina Stingrays on Wednesday. Webb had played in both games of Hersey's Atlantic Division First Round series against Bridgeport, and also chipped in an assist in two Kelly Cup Playoff games with South Carolina...Aaron Ness (72 GP) needs two more playoff games with Hershey to tie Ralph Keller (74 GP) for the most postseason appearances by a defenseman - and third overall - in team history...Wilkes-Barre/Scranton outscored opponents 89-59 in the third period this season, the best goal differential in the Eastern Conference and second overall in the league behind only Grand Rapids.

ON THIS DATE IN BEARS HISTORY:

April 30, 2017 - Hershey defeated the Lehigh Valley Phantoms 3-2 in a decisive Game 5 of the Atlantic Division Finals at PPL Center. Defender Colby Williams scored the game-winning goal at 6:16 of the third period, and netminder Pheonix Copley made 28 saves. The series was just the second in AHL history that saw the road team win all games in a best-of-five series.

Check out the Hershey Bears Statistics

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American Hockey League Stories from April 30, 2026


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