The Hershey Bears beat the Binghamton Devils, 3-2, Wednesday night at the RWJ Barnabas Health Hockey House in Newark, New Jersey. The victory improves the Bears record to 13-5-2-0 (28 points) on the season.

The Bears opened the scoring with a 5-on-3 power play goal from Matt Moulson midway through the opening stanza. The Devils would answer late in the period with a power play goal of their own for a 1-1 tie late in the period, but the Bears would respond with a goal from Shane Gersich in the waning moments of the period for a 2-1 lead at the first intermission.

Joe Snively would score his fifth goal of the season late in the middle frame to give the Bears a 3-1 lead at the second intermission. The Devils would cut the Bears lead to 3-2 midway through the final frame, but the Bears would hold on for the 3-2 win.

STARTERS

Zach Fucale (5-2-0-1,  1.71 GAA, .934 SV%) got the start between the pipes for the visiting Bears. Jeremy Brodeur (0-0-0-0, 0.00 GAA, .000 sv%) made his AHL debut for the  Devils. The starting forward lines and defensive pairs for the Bears:

Scratches: Lucas Johansen (upper body injury), Macoy Erkamps (lower body injury), Kody Clark (upper body injury), Reece Wilcox, Blake Pietila, Tyler Nanne (injury), Mason Morelli, Andrew Nielsen.

The Bears recalled goaltender Hunter Shepard from ECHL South Carolina on Monday.

Jeremy Brodeur, son of NJ Devils great Martin Brodeur, made his AHL debut for the Binghamton Devils.

FIRST PERIOD

The Devils and Bears traded penalties in the first seven minutes of the game, but neither team could convert.

The Bears received a 5-on-3 power play for 55 seconds later in the period, and they would capitalize. Matt Moulson (7) would be the benefactor of a re-directed puck off of a Devils skate for the score at 11:42 of the first period. Connor McMichael (5) and Cameron Schilling (8) had the helpers.

The Devils would answer at 16:02 with a power play goal from Travis St. Denis (2) to tie the game 1-1.

Shane Gersich (4) would make it 2-1 late in the first period to give the Bears a 2-1 lead. Riley Sutter (4) and Martin Fehervary (9) had the helpers.

Shane Gersich with a nice snipe, beats Brodeur glove side for his 4th goal of the season. Bears lead 2-1 at first intermission. #CapsProspect #ALLCAPS #HBH pic.twitter.com/ZmREG5uLlI

— NoVa Caps (@NoVa_Caps) April 7, 2021

And that would be it for the first period. Bears led in shots 16-8 in the first period. Hershey was 1 for 4 and Binghamton 1 for 3 on the power play in the first frame.

SECOND PERIOD

The Bears would make it 3-1 with a goal from Joe Snively (5) late in the middle frame. Brett Leason (5) and Aliaksei Protas (1) had the assists. It was Protas’ first AHL point.

Joe Snively with his 5th goal of the season. Aliaksei Protas had an assist, his first AHL point. Bears lead 3-1 at second intermission. #CapsProspect #ALLCAPS #HBH pic.twitter.com/SO2yHe6FX6

— NoVa Caps (@NoVa_Caps) April 8, 2021

The period would end with the Bears leading 3-1. Hershey led in shots 17-7 in the middle frame, and 33-15 after two periods. Hershey was 1 for 7 and Binghamton 1 for 4 on the power play after two periods.

THIRD PERIOD

The Devils would cut it to one goal with a tally from Brett Seney (3) at 11:40 of the final frame, making it 3-2.

But that was it for the scoring, as the Bears held on for the 3-2 win.

The Bears are back on the ice on Saturday when they visit the Lehigh Valley Phantoms in Allentown. Puck drop is set for just after 7:00 PM.

SHAVINGS

• AHL box score
• Attendance: 24
• Spencer Carbery won his 300th game.
• Bears led in shots 50-23.
• Zach Fucal stopped 21 of 23 shots faced for a .913 game save percentage.
• Jeremy Brodeur stopped 47 of 50 shots for a .940 game save percentage.
• Connor McMichael and Phil Maillet led the Bears in shots with 8 each.
• Hershey was 1 for 9 and Binghamton 1 for 4 on the power play.

By Jon Sorensen
Follow @nova_Caps

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