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AHL Hershey Bears

Hershey Opens 2022 Calder Cup Playoffs Versus Penguins

May 4, 2022 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Hershey Bears News Release


(Hershey, PA) - The Hershey Bears open the 2022 Calder Cup Playoffs this weekend in a best-of-three series versus the rival Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. The Penguins will host Game 1 on Friday night at the Mohegan Sun Arena, and the series shifts back to Hershey Sunday evening for Game 2 at GIANT Center. If necessary, a winner-take-all Game 3 would be Monday night at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.

TEAM INFO:

Final Regular Season Record: 34-32-6-4

Final Standings Position: 5th in Atlantic

FINAL REGULAR SEASON TEAM LEADERS:

Goals: Garrett Pilon (17)

Assists: Mike Vecchione (28)

Points: Mike Vecchione (44)

Power Play Goals: Garrett Pilon, Mike Vecchione (6)

Shorthanded Goals: Joe Snively (3)

Plus/Minus: Joe Snively (+22)

Wins: Pheonix Copley (18)

GAA: Hunter Shepard (2.06)

SV%: Hunter Shepard (.922)

UPCOMING SCHEDULE:

-Game 1: Friday, May 6 at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, 7:05 p.m.

-Game 2: Sunday, May 8 vs. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, 5 p.m., GIANT Center

*-Game 3: Monday, May 9 at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, 7:05 p.m.

* If necessary

TV Coverage: Antenna TV (Sunday only)

Video Coverage: AHLTV, Radio Coverage: Bears Radio Network, Tickets: HersheyBears.com

TEAM NEWS AND NOTES:

I-81 PLAYOFF SERIES:

The #5 Bears battle the #4 Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in a best-of-three series to open the 2022 Calder Cup Playoffs. This marks the 8th time in team history the I-81 rivals have squared off in the postseason since Wilkes-Barre/Scranton joined the league in 1999-00. Hershey is 4-3 all-time in series versus the Penguins, with the most recent meeting coming in the 2016 Atlantic Division Finals. That series went the distance, and in Game 7 at GIANT Center, Hershey's Travis Boyd scored a memorable goal at 10:57 of overtime to give Hershey the series win. Hershey's all-time playoff record versus the Penguins is 17-15, and this year's matchup is the first time the two clubs will tangle in a best-of-three series.

HEAD-TO-HEAD FACTS:

The Bears went 8-3-1-0 versus the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in the 12 head-to-head meetings this season. Hershey won the first seven meetings between the two clubs, but Wilkes-Barre/Scranton finished the season series with three straight wins, including a 3-0 shutout on home ice in the final regular season meeting on Apr. 19. Hershey went 5-1-0-0 versus the Baby Pens on home ice this season, but were just 3-2-1-0 at the Mohegan Sun Arena. The Bears outscored the Penguins 41-23 overall in the season series, and Hershey's power play was a strong 10-for-35 (28.6%) over the 12 meetings.

HEAD-TO-HEAD LEADERS:

Versus the Penguins this season, Hershey was paced in scoring by Mason Morelli and Mike Vecchione, who each had three goals and seven assists. Netminder Pheonix Copley was 5-1-0 versus the Penguins with a 1.99 goals-against average and a .928 save percentage, while Hunter Shepard was 3-1-0, sporting a .76 goals-against average, and a .966 save percentage. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton was led in the season series by Valtteri Puustinen, who collected six points (3g, 3a) in 12 games versus the Bears. He had the overtime winner in a 3-2 victory for the Baby Pens on Apr. 15 at Mohegan Sun Arena. In net for the Penguins, Tommy Nappier was the only goaltender to record a win versus the Bears, going 4-1-1. He had a 2.09 goals-against average versus Hershey, and a .925 save percentage. He made 24 saves versus the Bears on Apr. 19 to record his first AHL shutout in a 3-0 win.

JOE IS BACK:

Forward Joe Snively has returned to Hershey's roster as he was assigned to the Bears by the NHL's Washington Capitals on a long-term injury conditioning loan. Snively is eligible to play in Hershey's opening round playoff series versus the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. The skilled forward was one of the AHL's top scorers at the time of his recall, posting 38 points (15g, 23a). Despite only playing 35 games with the Chocolate and White this season, the native of Herndon, Virginia finished third on the Bears in points and fourth on the club in goals. At the time of Snively's recall to the NHL, he held a 14-game scoring streak on home ice, collecting 21 points in that stretch. That streak tied a mark previously set by Alexandre Giroux as the longest home point scoring streak in club history. Against Wilkes-Barre/Scranton in 2021-22, Snively collected eight points (3g, 5a) in eight games.

BEST-OF-THREE:

With the AHL's new playoff format, the Bears will skate in a best-of-three series for the first time in 58 years. The last time the Chocolate and White skated in a three-game postseason series came in 1964, when the Bears upended the Providence Reds, 2-1. That series went the distance, and AHL Hall of Famer Ralph Keller scored the game-winner for the Bears in a 3-2 victory in Game 3 in front of 7,249 fans at Hersheypark Arena. The only other time the Bears played a short series in recent years was the 1991 Southern Division Qualifying Series. That series was a best-of-two games, with a Super Overtime session following Game 2 if the series was tied, 1-1. Hershey won that series in Super Overtime, tying the series versus Adirondack in Game 2 with an 11-1 win, then striking for the Super Overtime winner on a goal by Len Barrie to advance to the next round.

CHAMPIONSHIP EXPERIENCE:

Hershey's roster features 2017 Calder Cup Champion Dylan McIlrath. The veteran blue liner claimed a title with Grand Rapids, adding five assists in 19 playoff games. He leads all Hershey players with 48 career Calder Cup Playoff games. In total, Hershey's roster features 203 games of Calder Cup Playoff experience. Hershey also features championship winning experience on its roster at the NCAA level (Shane Gersich, Brian Pinho, Hunter Shepard, Mike Vecchione), WHL level (Macoy Erkamps, Cody Franson, Lucas Johansen, Brett Leason, Beck Malenstyn, Aliaksei Protas), Swiss National League (Tobias Geisser), and in the USHL (Brian Pinho). Additionally, Pheonix Copley and Shane Gersich were black aces for the Washington Capitals 2018 Stanley Cup title, with Gersich playing two playoff games.

CHAMPIONSHIP EXPERIENCE ON THE BENCH:

Hershey's coaching staff also boasts vast championship experience. Head coach Scott Allen won two ECHL championships as a player, while assistant coach Patrick Wellar claimed three Kelly Cup titles in the ECHL as a player, and also won the Calder Cup with Hershey in 2010. Assistant coach Steve Bergin was a three-time SPHL Champion during his playing career, while associate goaltending coach Alex Westlund claimed an EBEL title in Austria during his playing days. Hershey's vice president of hockey operations, Bryan Helmer, won three Calder Cups in his AHL Hall of Fame playing career, including captaining the Bears to back-to-back titles in 2009 and 2010.

FAST FACTS:

This is Hershey's 69th time qualifying for the Calder Cup Playoffs, the most of any AHL franchise. The Bears have claimed 11 Calder Cups, also the most in AHL history...Sunday's Game 2 will mark Hershey's first home playoff game in exactly three years. The last time the Bears took the ice in the postseason at GIANT Center was May 8, 2019 versus Charlotte.

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