Bears and Monsters Series Shifts to Cleveland
June 3, 2024 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Hershey Bears News Release
(Hershey, PA) - The Hershey Bears continue the best-of-seven Eastern Conference Finals this week against the Cleveland Monsters as the series shifts to the Buckeye State. Hershey has marched out to a two-games-to-none series lead against Cleveland after taking the opening pair of games in back-to-back overtime victories.
2024 CALDER CUP PLAYOFFS TEAM LEADERS:
Goals: Ethen Frank (7)
Assists: Hendrix Lapierre, Chase Priskie, Joe Snively (7)
Points: Hendrix Lapierre (11)
Power-Play Goals: Ethen Frank, Alex Limoges (2)
Shorthanded Goals: Jimmy Huntington (1)
Plus/Minus: Chase Priskie (+8)
Wins: Hunter Shepard (8)
GAA: Hunter Shepard (1.83)
SV%: Hunter Shepard (.927)
Only includes qualified players
EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS RESULTS:
- Thursday, May 30 - Hershey 5 vs. Cleveland 4 (OT)
- Saturday, June 1 - Hershey 3 vs. Cleveland 2 (OT)
EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS SCHEDULE:
Game 3 - Tuesday, June 4 - Hershey at Cleveland Monsters, 7 p.m.
Bear Nation can get together at Arooga's (637 E Main St, Hummelstown, PA 17036) for our Game 3 Watch Party (reservations are preferred)! Seating is available on a first come, first served basis.
Game 4 - Thursday, June 6 - Hershey at Cleveland Monsters, 7 p.m.
*Game 5 - Saturday, June 8 - Hershey at Cleveland Monsters, 7 p.m.
*Game 6 - Monday, June 10 - Hershey vs. Cleveland Monsters, 7 p.m. - BUY TICKETS
*Game 7 - Wednesday, June 12 - Hershey vs. Cleveland Monsters, 7 p.m. - BUY TICKETS
*if necessary
Television Coverage: FOX43.2 Antenna TV (locally), Monumental Sports Network (Washington, D.C. market), NHL Network (Games 3 and 4); Video Coverage: AHLTV ; Radio Coverage: Bears Radio Network, Capitals Radio Network
All times Eastern
TEAM NEWS AND NOTES:
CLIMBING THE LADDER:
A pair of Bears players are quietly ascending the ranks for the franchise's leaderboard in several statistical categories. Defenseman Aaron Ness' 61 games are tied for ninth in team playoff history with Les Duff, and his next game played will move Ness into a tie for with Roger De Jordy for eighth. Goaltender Hunter Shepard's eight wins for the current playoff run are tied with Bob Johnson (1974), John Henderson (1969), Ed Chadwick (1963), Bob Perreault (1958 and 1959), and Gordon "Red" Henry (1947) for the ninth-most victories in an individual playoff year; his next win will also give him his 23rd career playoff victory with the Bears to move him into a tie with Perreault for fifth in franchise playoff history.
HOME ICE IS NICE:
The GIANT Center ice has been very kind to the Bears over the current playoff run, as Hershey is 6-0 on home ice in the 2024 postseason, and 9-0 in postseason play at home dating back to Game 3 of the 2023 Calder Cup Finals. Should the current series return to Hershey for Game 6, or should the Bears advance to the next round and host Game 1 of the 2024 Calder Cup Finals, the club would have the opportunity to match the franchise playoff mark for longest year-over-year home win streak, (10 wins; April 6, 1988 vs. Binghamton - April 22, 1989 vs. Adirondack). Individually, Hunter Shepard has been the goaltender of record in each of Hershey's nine straight playoff wins at home, already a franchise record.
GOALS GALORE:
The Bears enter the week leading the field in the Calder Cup Playoffs with 34 goals scored through nine games, good for a league-leading rate of 3.78 goals scored per game. Hershey is also leading the league with the lowest team goals-against average, at 1.89.
OVERTIME OVERLOAD:
The last four consecutive playoff games between the Bears and Monsters have been decided in overtime, dating back to Game 3 of the 2016 Calder Cup Finals. The Monsters took both games in Ohio, before Hershey opened the current series with back-to-back overtime wins at home, which marked the first time Hershey had played back-to-back playoff overtime games and emerged victorious in both contests since the Bears defeated the Providence Bruins in Games 2 and 3 of the 2017 Atlantic Division Finals. Including regular season play and excluding games that were decided in the shootout, the Bears have won their last 14 games that went to overtime, dating back to May 11 of last year.
HEAD-TO-HEAD BREAKDOWN:
So far in the series, the Bears have out-scored Cleveland 8-6 and out-shot the Monsters 65-61. Hershey's power play is operating at a 3-for-12 (25.0%) clip against Cleveland, and the Hershey penalty kill has gone 7-for-9 (77.8%) with the Monsters on the man advantage. Cleveland's David Jiricek leads the series in scoring with four points (2g, 2a), with both goals serving as the game-tying markers for the Monsters, while Hendrix Lapierre (1g, 2a) and Jimmy Huntington (0g, 3a) are not far behind for Hershey.
GONE STREAKING:
Ethen Frank and Chase Priskie enter the week riding a pair of individual streaks, as Frank has lit the lamp in each of his last five games (5g), while Priskie is enjoying a six-game point streak (2g, 5a). Hershey is 6-0 in the postseason when Frank finds the net and the club has gone 8-0 in every game in which Priskie records at least a point.
BEARS BITES:
Hendrix Lapierre is second in playoff scoring with 11 points (4g, 7a), and is in a tie with Cleveland's David Jiricek for the league lead in power-play points with five...Ethen Frank is tied for first with four game-winning goals...Garrett Roe's shooting percentage of 44.4% (4-for-9) leads all active playoff skaters... Chase Priskie is tied with Jiricek for the league lead in scoring among defensemen with nine points (2g, 7a) and leads all playoff performers in plus/minus at +8.
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