Photo: Binghamton Devils

The Hershey Bears beat the Binghamton Devils 1-0 (OT) Wednesday night at the Floyd L. Mains Veterans Memorial Arena in Binghamton, New York. The win improves the Bears record to 18-20-0-2. The Bears have now won three-straight games.The Bears continue their four-game road trip on Saturday night when they visit the Penguins in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. Puck drop has been moved to 3:05 PM ET due to pending inclement weather. 

After a scoreless three periods in regulation, the Bears would win it with a goal from Ryan Sproul in overtime.

STARTERS
Ilya Samsonov (6-11-0-1, 3.60 GAA, .866 sv%) started in goal for the visiting Bears. Cam Johnson (6-8-1, 3.91 GAA, .866 sv%) got the start between the pipes for the Devils. The starting forward lines and defensive pairs for the Bears:

O’Brien – Sgarbossa – Barber
Gersich– Megna – Pinho
Malenstyn – Pilon – Walker
Kammerer– Gustafsson – Ikonen

Ness – Lewington
Leach – Sproul
Geisser – Hobbs

Scratches: Scratches: Colby Williams (upper body), Lucas Johansen (upper body), Kris Bindulis (upper body) were the injury scratches. Mason Mitchell and Steve Whitney were the healthy scratches.

FIRST PERIOD
The Bears started with a good offensive push, leading 7-0 in shots on goal after 11 minutes of play. The Bears also had four power play opportunities in the opening frame, including a lengthy 5-on-3, but were unable to capitalize.

The period would conclude without a score. The Bears outshot the Devils 10-5 for the first period. Riley Barber had 5 of the Bears 10 shots. The Bears were 0 for 4 and the Devils 0 for 1 on the power play in the first 20 minutes.

SECOND PERIOD
The game would continue to be scoreless through the midway point of the middle frame. Tyler Lewington would drop the mitts with Brandon Baddock at 10:13.

Shots were a rare commodity for both side in the second period, as Binghamton had just one shot on goal through the first 18 minutes of the second period. The Bears had just four shots on goal.

The second period would also go scoreless. Shots on goal were tied 4-4. The Bears led in shots on goal 14-9 after 40 minutes of play. The Bears were 0 for 5 and the Devils 0 for 3 on the power play after two periods.

THIRD PERIOD
The goal drought continued in the middle frame, with shots on goal 2-1 Bears after 10 minutes of play in the final frame. Liam O’Brien had two point-blank chances but was stopped on both by Johnson.

The Bears would get a sixth power play five minutes remaining in the final frame, but were unable to convert. The final frame would also be scoreless.

In the closing seconds of the final frame, the Devils took a shot on Samsonov well after the whistle ended play, which Joey Leach did not approve of. In the scrum, Liam O’Brien was closelined to the ice. No penalty called.

OVERTIME
The Bears would win it with a goal from Ryan Sproul at 3:20 of overtime.

SHAVINGS

• The Bears outshot the Devils 16-15.
• The Bears were 0 for 6 and the Devils 0 for 3 on the power play.
• Ilya Samsonov stopped 16 of 16 shots.
• The 16 shots allowed by the Bears is a new season low, beating the previous mark of 18.
• Samsonov has now recorded back-to-back shutouts.
• Samsonov is the first Hershey goaltender to record back-to-back shutouts since Pheonix Copley on October 19 and 26, 2014.
• Riley Barber led the Bears with 8 shots.
• The Bears have won three-straight games.
• Mike Sgarbossa played in his 400th pro game.
• Bears recap is here.
• The AHL box score is here.

HIGHLIGHTS

SCENES FROM BINGHAMTON

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