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AHL Hershey Bears

Calder Cup Finals Game 3 Preview: Bears vs. Firebirds, 7 p.m.

June 13, 2023 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Hershey Bears News Release


(Hershey, PA) - The Hershey Bears continue the 2023 playoffs, presented by Penn State Health, as they take the ice tonight for Game 3 of the 2023 Calder Cup Finals against the Coachella Valley Firebirds at GIANT Center. The Firebirds lead the best-of-seven series, 2-0.

#2 Hershey Bears (10-5) vs #2 Coachella Valley Firebirds (14-7)

June 13, 2023 | 7 p.m. | Calder Cup Finals - Game 3 | Coachella Valley leads series, 2-0 | GIANT Center

Referees: Justin Kea (#44), Carter Sandlak (#47)

Linespersons: Mitchell Hunt (#62), Joseph Mahon (#89)

Broadcast Information

Voice of the Bears, Zack Fisch and FOX43's Todd Sadowski on the call

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

RADIO: WFVY-100.1 FM, Fox Sports 1460-AM, Capitals Radio Network, SportsRadio 98.9-FM & WOYK 1350-AM (joined in progress), In-arena on 88.9 FM

WATCH LIVE: AHLTV

LISTEN LIVE: Fox Sports AM-1460 Stream, Caps Radio

Radio pre-game coverage starts at 6:30 p.m.

Party on the Plaza!

It's time to party, Bear Nation! Join us ahead of tonight's Calder Cup Finals home game at GIANT Center for a pre-game Party on the Plaza, set to start at 3 p.m., featuring food, drinks, music, games and more fun.

Tonight's Promotions:

Calder Cup Finals Rally Towel Night (All Fans)

BUY TICKETS NOW

Season Ticket Holders who have purchased a Playoff Package: please use Round 5, Home Game 1 ticket(s) for tonight.

LAST TIME OUT:

The Bears fell for a second straight game to open the Calder Cup Finals, dropping Game 2 at Acrisure Arena last Saturday, 4-0. After suffering a 5-0 loss in Game 1 last Thursday, Hershey once again was unable to solve Firebirds' goaltender Joey Daccord. The netminder was aided as Hershey hit three goalposts in the first period, but he was unflappable all night to post his third shutout of the playoffs. Hershey had a hard time staying out of the penalty box, and in the second period, the Firebirds pounced, scoring four times on 13 shots, including adding a pair of power play goals. Jesper Froden opened the scoring for the Firebirds at 5:08, and just over a minute later, Austin Poganski scored his first goal of the playoffs, getting lost in coverage and snapping a shot past Hershey goaltender Hunter Shepard at 6:22 to make it 2-0. Ryker Evans then scored on a shot that was deflected and knuckled over Shepard's glove at 11:55, and Cameron Hughes scored a coast-to-coast, highlight-reel goal, assisted by Daccord, on the power play at 18:37 to make it 4-0 Firebirds. In the win, Coachella Valley went 2-for-9 on the power play while Hershey was 0-for-3. Shots favored the Bears, 33-23.

TIME FOR HOME COOKING:

While Hershey trails 2-0 in the best-of-seven series, the Chocolate and White return to GIANT Center, widely regarded as one of the AHL's toughest buildings to play in. The Bears were the Eastern Conference's best team on home ice in the regular season, recording a 23-9-2-2 record, good for a .694 points percentage. The Bears own just a 4-3 record at GIANT Center in the playoffs, but the Firebirds have only collected a 3-4 record on the road in the postseason. A win tonight would give Hershey its first Calder Cup Finals victory since the championship clinching Game 6 win versus Texas on June 14, 2010 at GIANT Center.

USING 2010 AS MOTIVATION:

While the 2009-10 Hershey Bears are in a class of their own, this year's rendition of the Chocolate and White can look back to the last Bears team to win a Calder Cup for guidance on how to dig out of a 0-2 hole. After winning 60 games in the regular season, Hershey trailed the 2010 Calder Cup Finals 0-2 after dropping the first two games of the series versus the Texas Stars at GIANT Center. The Bears went on to win three straight games in Texas before taking Game 6 at home to claim the franchise's 11th Calder Cup. Familiar faces from that team include current vice president of hockey operations Bryan Helmer, the 2009-10 team captain, and assistant coach Patrick Wellar, a defender on the title-winning team. The 2022-23 Bears look to become just the fourth team to pull off a Calder Cup win when going down 0-2 in the series. Only the Nova Scotia Voyageurs in 1972, the Springfield Indians in 1991, and the Bears in 2010 have accomplished this feat.

HOW YOU DOIN':

Coachella Valley goaltender Joey Daccord has turned in a performance in the Calder Cup Finals not seen since the inaugural season the Hershey Bears played in the AHL. With a 25-save clean sheet in Game 1, and a spotless 33-save performance in Game 2, Daccord became the first goaltender to begin a Calder Cup Finals series with consecutive shutouts since Moe Roberts of the Cleveland Barons in 1939. Daccord is the postseason leader in wins (14), minutes (1310:14), saves (627), and shutouts (3). Prior to the Calder Cup Finals, Daccord had faced Hershey four times, posting a 3-0 record. He beat Hershey in his AHL debut for Belleville on Nov. 30, 2019 at GIANT Center, making 26 saves to earn a 3-1 win, only allowing a goal to now teammate Eddie Wittchow. Hershey did get the best of Daccord once. On Apr. 1, 2022 while with Charlotte, Daccord surrendered three goals on 11 Hershey shots in 23:46 of play and was pulled at Bojangles' Coliseum.

BEARS BITES:

The club will hold a moment of silence prior to tonight's game to honor Hall of Famer Willie Marshall who passed away on June 2...The Bears have been held without a goal for their last 222:18 of Finals play, going back to Game 3 of the 2016 series against Lake Erie...Dylan McIlrath leads the playoffs in penalty minutes with 44...Three of Aliaksei Protas' five goals in the playoffs have come on home ice...The nine power plays against were the most Hershey has faced this playoffs by a large margin. Prior to Game 2, Hershey had only had to kill off four or less penalties in all previous playoff games.

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