The Hershey Bears are one win away from becoming back-to-back Calder Cup champions. Hershey powered through a light shooting night and will be able to lift the Cup on home ice if they can secure a win in Game 6 or 7 inside Giant Center.
Jimmy Huntington potted two goals and Hardy Häman Aktell sniped a goal of his own in the last game of the series at Coachella Valley’s Acrisure Arena. Hunter Shepard was superb in net, stopping 24 Firebirds shots in his 13th victory this postseason.
Kole Lind got the Firebirds on the board first with 9:55 left in the first period. After former Bear Connor Carrick threw a puck to the front of the net, it took two jams from Logan Morrison and Lind to push the puck past Shepard.
The assist was Carrick’s first point in the championship series against his former club.
Huntington beat the buzzer, knocking his own rebound by Chris Driedger with just 1.3 seconds remaining in the first frame. Hershey’s entire second line combined on the goal with Pierrick Dubé and Alex Limoges picking up the assists.
Ryan Winterton put the Firebirds back in front 4:43 into the third period.
The rookie Winterton had just one goal in the playoffs until the Calder Cup Finals and now has four goals in five games against the Bears.
The Bears weren’t dead yet though as Häman Aktell sniped over Driedger’s blocker with 11:34 left in the final frame. The big Swede leads all AHL defensemen in playoff goals with five.
Huntington struck again at the 16:45 mark of the final frame to give the Bears their first lead of the game. Limoges and Ethen Frank provided the assists on the game-winning marker.
The Quebec-born Huntington has five points (3g, 2a) in the series against Coachella Valley.
Hershey managed just 12 shots through 40 minutes of regulation. Coachella Valley tested Shepard 15 times alone in the second period.
Last year, the Bears won Game 5 to go up 3-2 in the series but then fell in Game 6 which necessitated Mike Vecchione’s overtime heroics in Game 7. No AHL team has gone back-to-back as champions since the Bears did it themselves in 2009 and 2010.
Hershey was yet again without Aaron Ness, Vincent Iorio, Lucas Johansen, and Garrett Roe.
Here are the Bears’ lines from the win:
Projected lineup for Game 5! 📝
Catch the broadcast:
📺 @fox43.2 (Antenna TV), @MonSportsNet (DC region), @NHLNetwork (Firebirds feed)
🖥️ https://t.co/HaxQBmLCRZ
📻 @FroggyValley, @foxsports1460am, @WOYK1350, @CapitalsRadio pic.twitter.com/AlshOkhWxC— Hershey Bears (@TheHersheyBears) June 23, 2024
Daniel Miller is a sports fanatic who lives and breathes athletics. His coverage spans from major league championships to local sports events, delivering up-to-the-minute updates and in-depth analysis for sports enthusiasts.
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/The-1-Herb-to-Support-Brain-Health-According-to-a-Neurologist-f1bb6f47773f429a951efc0bd39f9547.jpg)
