The Hershey Bears used a four-goal second period to defeat the Cleveland Monsters in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals on Tuesday night. Hershey is now just one win away from returning to the Calder Cup final.
The Bears got another goal from Ethen Frank, as well as goals from Chase Priskie, Alex Limoges, Ivan Miroshnichenko, Joe Snively and Henrik Rybinski to lead them to the victory. Hershey’s power play was a huge factor in securing the victory, going 3-for-6.
Priskie got the Bears on the board first via a power play just under 13 minutes into the first period. The defender’s right shot sent a visual eye through goalkeeper Jet Greaves’ team that crept over the goal line.
The goal marked Priskie’s third of the postseason and he has points in his last seven games.
Hershey closed the first period with a 1-0 lead and then added another power-play goal early in the second quarter. Frank was the one to pull the trigger as he is now on a run of six consecutive goals after finding space on Greaves’ shoulder for the top score.
Alex Whelan put Cleveland on the scoreboard just a minute after Frank extended the Bears’ lead. Whelan overcame Garrett Roe and fired a wrister past Hunter Shepard from the slot.
Trey Fix-Wolansky tied the game for the Monsters on their own power play. After running along the top of the offensive zone, Fix-Wolansky unleashed a soft shot that dove between Shepard’s legs and went in.
Hershey regrouped in a big way after losing its lead, first getting a goal from Alex Limoges after Dylan McIlrath forced a Cleveland turnover in the Bears’ defensive zone. McIlrath fed Miroshnichenko, who dropped the puck to Limoges.
Limoges edged out Greaves for their third of the playoffs.
Todd Nelson stuck to what was working and sent Miroshnichenko back to the boards, where he found his own goal just over a minute after setting up Limoges. Mike Vecchione got the main assist and Priskie also added another point to his impressive total.
Miroshnichenko’s six goals trail Milwaukee’s Frank (8) and Zach L’Heureux (9) for the postseason lead.
Snively was the last to get on the scoreboard in the second period, when he found his first score of the playoffs with a single shot.
Henrik Rybinski added an empty-net goal to seal the deal.
Miroshnichenko led Hershey with three points (1g, 2a) in the match. Snively, Priskie, Frank and Hendrix Lapierre also had multi-point nights.
Cleveland will host Game 4 and this time with elimination at stake. The Bears have yet to lose at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse this season. Hershey is struggling with some injury issues as Pierrick Dubé and Aaron Ness left the game early and did not return.
Here are the victory lines:
Projected Lineup for Game 3! 📝
– Hershey Bears (@TheHersheyBears) June 4, 2024
Keynote USA
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