Photo: Caroline O’Connor/Great Save Productions/Hershey Bears
The Hershey Bears beat the Cleveland Monsters 4-2 on Saturday night at the Giant Center in Hershey. The win improves the Bears record to 23-11-2-3 (51 points) on the season.The Bears are now two points behind the Hartford Wolf Pack for first place in the Atlantic Division.
STARTERS
Pheonix Copley (9-5-4-1, 2.44 GAA, .906 sv%) started between the pipes for the Bears. Veini Vehvilainen (6-3-1-1, 1.65 GAA, .938 sv%) got the start in goal for the visiting Monsters. The starting forward lines and defensive pairs for the Bears:
Lineup for 1/11/2020 vs. Cleveland ⬇️ #HBH pic.twitter.com/Tp0eiZqZVn
— Hershey Bears (@TheHersheyBears) January 11, 2020
Scratches: Mike Sgarbossa (lower-body, day-to-day), Joe Snively (upper-body, week-to-week), Steve Whitney (upper body injury), Lucas Johansen, Riley Sutter and Connor Hobbs were the injury scratches. Riley Sutter and Christian Djoos were the healthy scratch. Djoos was re-assigned from Washington earlier in the day.
FIRST PERIOD
The Bears had the game’s first power play at 15:45 of the first when the Monster’s Justin Scott was called for tripping, and the Bears would capitalize.
The Bears would strike first with a power play goal from Axel Jonsson-Fjallby (9) at 6:11 of the first frame. Chris McCarthy (3) and Colby Williams (3) had the assists.
#CapsProspect Axel Jonsson-Fjallby with his second goal in as many games, this time a power play tally. Nice feed from Chris McCarthy. pic.twitter.com/kanZ1WeFZk
— NoVa Caps (@NoVa_Caps) January 12, 2020
The first period would expire with the Bears holding on to a 1-0 lead. Shots on goal were tied 9-9 for the first frame. Hershey was 1 for 2 on the power play. Cleveland dis not have a power play in the first period.
SECOND PERIOD
The Bears’ Kale Kessy and the Monsters’ Brett Gallant would drop the gloves early in the middle frame.
Bears Kale Kessy and Monsters Brett Gallant drop the gloves. pic.twitter.com/J3Rq83308g
— NoVa Caps (@NoVa_Caps) January 12, 2020
The Monsters would tie the game with a goal from Adam Clendenning at 16:21 of the second period.
But the Bears would answer with a power play goal from Bobby Nardella at 17:58 of the second periods, giving the Bears a 2-1 lead. Martin Fehervary (9) and Chris McCarthy (4) had the helpers.
The period would end with the Bears leading 2-1. Hershey led in shots 9-8 for the second period and 18-17 after two periods. Cleveland was 0 for 2 and Hershey 2 for 4 on the power play after two periods.
THIRD PERIOD
The Monsters would tie the game with a gritty goal from Sam Vigneault at 5:559 of the final frame. The Bears protested that the goal was off its moorings prior to the score, but the official deemed it a good goal.
The Bears would take a late lead with a deflected goal from Beck Malenstyn at
#CapsProspect Beck Malenstyn with the deflection, gives the Bears a late 3-2 lead. pic.twitter.com/Ev37CB4hlz
— NoVa Caps (@NoVa_Caps) January 12, 2020
Axel Jonsson-Fjallby would add an empty net goal for the 4-2 win.
The Bears are back in action on Tuesday when they place the first of two games against the Checkers in Charlotte.
SHAVINGS
- Attendance: 9,269
- AHL box score
- Axel Jonsson-Fjallby has three goals in the two games played this weekend. He has 10 on the year.
- Pheonix Copley stopped 24 of 26 shots faced for a .923 game save percentage.
By Jon Sorensen
SCENES FROM HERSHEY
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