Bears Weekly #28: Three Games Left for the Bears; Remain on the Doorstep of Clinching
April 21, 2022 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Hershey Bears News Release
(Hershey, PA) - The Hershey Bears continue the 2021-22 season, presented by Penn State Health, with their final three games of the campaign on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Hershey's magic number to clinch a postseason berth in the 2022 Calder Cup Playoffs is down to three. The Bears will visit the Lehigh Valley Phantoms on Friday, Apr. 22 at 7:05 p.m., followed by back-to-back home games to close out the season. Hershey will rematch the Phantoms on Saturday at GIANT Center and battle the Syracuse Crunch on Sunday at 5 p.m.
TEAM INFO:
Record: 33-30-6-4
Standings Position: 5th in Atlantic
TEAM LEADERS:
Goals: Mike Vecchione, Garrett Pilon (16)
Assists: Mike Vecchione (28)
Points: Mike Vecchione (44)
Power Play Goals: Garrett Pilon, Mike Vecchione (6)
Shorthanded Goals: Shane Gersich, Brian Pinho (2)
Plus/Minus: Lucas Johansen (+21)
Wins: Pheonix Copley (17)
GAA: Pheonix Copley (2.32)
SV%: Pheonix Copley (.917)
Only includes players on the active roster
RECENT RESULTS:
Wednesday, Apr. 13: Hershey 1 at Lehigh Valley 2
The Hershey Bears dropped a 2-1 decision on Wednesday night to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms at the PPL Center. Mike Vecchione scored Hershey's lone goal in the defeat. Vecchione's goal came only 11:17 into the game after burying a rebound try past Phantoms goaltender Pat Nagle. Brett Leason threw the puck on goal for the initial shot and earned his sixth assist of the season. In the third period, Lehigh Valley played come-from-behind hockey to claim the 2-1 win. Alex Kile evened the score with an unassisted goal following a defensive zone turnover at 7:09. At 11:29, Maksim Sushko scored the game-winning goal upon video review after the net was knocked off behind Pheonix Copley.
Friday, Apr. 15: Hershey 2 at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton 3 (OT)
The Hershey Bears were edged in overtime by a 3-2 count on Friday night against the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins at Mohegan Sun Arena. Ethen Frank and Mason Morelli both scored for the Chocolate and White. Both teams traded blows in the first period beginning with the Penguins drawing first blood. Kasper Bjorkqvist squeaked a shot through Zach Fucale only 4:54 into the game for the opening tally. At 10:48, Hershey found the equalizer on newcomer Ethen Frank's first professional goal. On the power play, Frank blasted home a shot from the left circle past Pens netminder Tommy Nappier. Bobby Nardella and Aliaksei Protas recorded the helpers. After a scoreless second frame, both clubs again traded goals in the third period. Mason Morelli gave Hershey their first lead of the night at 8:49 with his team's second power play goal. Protas and Nardella again recorded helpers for multipoint nights. But late in regulation, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton pulled Nappier in favor of the extra attacker, and it paid dividends for the Pens. At 17:59, Radim Zohorna redirected a drive from Juuso Riikola into the Hershey cage. The late equalizer sent the game to overtime, where Wilkes-Barre/Scranton benefitted from a late power play chance. Brett Leason was called for tripping only 34 seconds into sudden-death, and Valtteri Puustinen walked-off the game for the Pens with a point drive at 1:45.
Sunday, Apr. 17: Hershey 0 vs. Providence 1
The Hershey Bears five-game GIANT Center winning streak came to an end on Easter Sunday after dropping a 1-0 decision to the Providence Bruins. Pheonix Copley turned aside 27 of 28 shots for the Chocolate and White. The game's only goal came 13:41 into the third period. Michael Callahan scored his first professional goal on the rebound of a Jakub Lauko shot. Steven Fogarty recorded the secondary helper for his 31st assist of the season. The Bears went 0-for-4 on the power play and 3-for-3 on the penalty kill in the one-goal loss. Providence goaltender Brandon Bussi stopped all 26 Hershey shots for his first professional shutout in only his second career start.
Tuesday, Apr. 19: Hershey 0 at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton 3
The Hershey Bears dropped a 3-0 decision on Tuesday night against the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins at Mohegan Sun Arena. Zach Fucale made 20 saves on 22 shots for the Chocolate and White. Hershey's shutout loss marked their seventh of the regular season to set a new franchise record. After a scoreless first period, the Penguins solved Fucale late in the second frame while down a man. Jordy Bellerive was whistled for elbowing Aliaksei Protas at 18:04, and Michael Chaput tallied shorthanded at 18:40. Kasper Bjorkqvist earned the lone assist. Alexander Nylander added insurance at 4:19 of the third period after finishing a feed from Cam Lee, and Pierre-Olivier Joseph scored into an empty net at 16:31. Pens netminder Tommy Nappier stopped all 24 Hershey shots for his first AHL shutout. The Bears finished the night 0-for-3 on the power play and 1-for-1 on the penalty kill. Forwards Ethen Frank and Shane Gersich were both injured in the first period and did not return for the Chocolate and White.
UPCOMING SCHEDULE:
-Friday, Apr. 22 at Lehigh Valley, 7:05 p.m.
-Saturday, Apr. 23 vs Lehigh Valley, 7 p.m.
Yuengling Take Over
-Sunday, Apr. 24 vs Syracuse, 5 p.m.
Fan Appreciation Night, Jersey Off Our Backs Night, Player Awards Night
TV Coverage: Antenna TV (Saturday and Sunday)
Video Coverage: AHLTV, Radio Coverage: Bears Radio Network, Tickets: HersheyBears.com
TEAM NEWS AND NOTES:
STONEWALLED:
The Bears will look for a breakthrough in the goal-scoring department when they return to action on Friday night at Lehigh Valley. After shutouts in their last two games against Providence and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, the Chocolate and White have gone their last 131:11 without scoring a goal. Hershey last tickled the twine when Mason Morelli scored a power play marker against the Penguins at 8:49 of the third period on Friday, Apr. 15. The club scored two goals on the man-advantage that night and are currently without an even-strength goal in their last 238:43. Hershey's last five-on-five strike came courtesy of Mike Vecchione on Apr. 13 at Lehigh Valley at 11:17 of the first period.
ONE FINAL CHANCE IN LEHIGH:
Hershey will look to find success at the PPL Center in their seventh and final road visit. The Bears have a seven-game road losing streak against the Lehigh Valley Phantoms dating back to the 2020-21 campaign, and are currently 0-6-0-0 in Allentown this season. The Chocolate and White have been held to only 10 goals against the Phantoms in six games at the PPL Center in 2021-22. In the last five seasons, the Bears are 8-18-1-1 on the road in Lehigh Valley. Overall, Hershey will enter Friday night with a record that stands three games above .500, while Lehigh Valley is three games under .500.
FINISHING WITH A CRUNCH:
The regular season finale for the Chocolate and White will occur at GIANT Center against the North Division's Syracuse Crunch on Sunday night. In three previous meetings against Syracuse, the Bears hold a 1-1-1-0 record. The first two head-to-heads between both clubs required extra time, with Hershey falling in overtime, 3-2, on Oct. 27, 2021, followed by a 5-4 shootout victory on Nov. 13, 2021. The Crunch claimed a 5-3 win over Hershey in their last meeting with the Chocolate and White on Jan. 7, 2022. In the season series, Garrett Pilon leads the way for Hershey, posting three points (1g, 2a) against Syracuse. Alex Alexeyev has also chipped in three assists from the blue line in three games. Pheonix Copley has started all three games in the net for Hershey. The top minor league affiliate for the NHL's Tampa Bay Lightning have been led by Charles Hudon (1g, 5a) in games against the Bears.
SHEPARD RECALLED:
The Hershey Bears, and the club's NHL affiliate, the Washington Capitals, announced Thursday that goaltender Hunter Shepard has been re-assigned from South Carolina (ECHL) to the Bears. Shepard, 26, has appeared in nine games with the Bears this season, collecting a 5-3-0-0 record, a 2.06 goals-against average, and a .922 save percentage. He recorded a shutout on Jan. 8 versus Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, stopping all 20 shots he faced. In his AHL career, Shepard is 8-3-0-0 with a 1.78 goals-against average, a .936 save percentage, and two shutouts. With South Carolina this season, Shepard went 12-9-2-0 in 23 games, posting a 2.88 goals-against average, a .917 save percentage, and two shutouts. The two-time NCAA Champion at Minnesota Duluth led the Stingrays to the 2021 Kelly Cup Finals.
FRIDAY'S CLINCHING SCENARIOS:
Hershey clinches a playoff berth on Friday with:
(a) a win at Lehigh Valley AND one of:
- a Hartford loss (reg/OT/SO) vs. Charlotte
- a Bridgeport regulation loss vs. Springfield
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton clinches a playoff berth on Friday with:
(a) a win at Providence AND two of:
- a Hartford loss (reg/OT/SO) vs. Charlotte
- a Lehigh Valley loss (reg/OT/SO) vs. Hershey
- a Bridgeport regulation loss vs. Springfield, OR
(b) an OTL/SOL at Providence AND a Hartford regulation loss vs. Charlotte AND a Lehigh Valley regulation loss vs. Hershey
Bridgeport clinches a playoff berth on Friday with:
(a) a win vs. Springfield AND a Lehigh Valley loss (reg/OT/SO) vs. Hershey AND a Hartford loss (reg/OT/SO) vs. Charlotte
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