Photo: Lehigh Valley Phantoms
The Hershey Bears thumped the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, 6-1, on Wednesday night at the PPL Center in Allentown, PA. The victory improves the Bears record to 16-5-2-0 (34 points) on the season.
Shane Gersich opened the scoring with his 6th goal of the season, early in the first frame, and Connor McMichael added a power play goal midway through the period to give the Bears a 2-0 lead at the first intermission.
Connor McMichael would score his second power play goal of the game, early in the second period, and Axel Jonsson-Fjallby would add a coast-to-coast score to stretch the Bears lead to 4-0 at the second intermission.
The Bears would increase their lead to 5-0 with a power play goal from Phil Maillet early in the third period before the Phantoms would finally get on the scoreboard with a power play goal to make it 5-1. Brett Leason would add a shorthanded goal for the Bears to make it 6-1, the final.
STARTERS
Pheonix Copley (7-2-1-1, 2.49 GAA, .901 SV%) got the start between the pipes for the visiting Bears. Felix Sandstrom (2-1-1-0, 4.40 GAA, .844 sv%) got the start in goal for the Phantoms. The starting forward lines and defensive pairs for the Bears:
Scratches: Joe Snively (injured), Lucas Johansen (upper body injury), Macoy Erkamps (lower body injury), Kody Clark (upper body injury), Will Graber (injured), Kale Kessy, Andrew Nielsen, Bobby Nardella.
This was the Phantoms first game in 16 days due to COVID-19 issues.
FIRST PERIOD
The Bears struck first with a goal from Shane Gersich (6) at 5:14 of the first period. Riley Sutter (7) had the lone assist. This was the second goal by Gersich in as many games.
Shane Gersich with his 6th goal of the season, gives Bears an early 1-0 lead in the first period. #CapsProspect #ALLCAPS #HBH pic.twitter.com/7D1Cvc5Oqq
— NoVa Caps (@NoVa_Caps) April 21, 2021
The Bears would stretch their lead to 2-0 with a power play goal from Connor McMichael (9) at 11:47 of the first period. Cameron Schilling (9) and Phil Maillet (10) had the helpers.
Connor McMichael with his 9th goal of the season, a power play snipe, his third PPG of the season. Bears lead 2-0. #CapsProspect #ALLCAPS #HBH pic.twitter.com/O1Mf4oyQLG
— NoVa Caps (@NoVa_Caps) April 21, 2021
The opening frame would conclude with the Bears leading 2-0. Hershey led in shots 15-6 in the first frame. Hershey was 1 for 3 and Lehigh Valley 0 for 3 on the power play in the first 20 minutes.
SECOND PERIOD
The Bears would make it 3-0 with another power play goal from Connor McMichael (10) at 6:56 of the middle frame. Matt Moulson (8) and Cameron Schilling (10) had the assists. It was McMichael’s second power play tally of the game.
Big Mac with his second goal of the night, another PPG. Nice far side shot by McMichael for his 10th of the season. Bears lead 3-0. #CapsProspect #ALLCAPS #HBH pic.twitter.com/C600r7GNXk
— NoVa Caps (@NoVa_Caps) April 22, 2021
Axel Jonsson-Fjallby would make it 4-0 with his fifth tally of the season at 8:31 of the second period. The goal was unassisted.
The Axe man commeth! Axel Jonsson-Fjallby goes coast-to-coast for his 5th tally of the season. This is AJF’s 100th AHL game. #CapsProspect #ALLCAPS #HBH pic.twitter.com/yop9lpouUn
— NoVa Caps (@NoVa_Caps) April 22, 2021
Bears forward Blake Pietila would leave the game in the second period and not return.
Eddie Whittchow and Brennan Saulnier would drop the gloves in the waning moments of the period.
The second period would end with the Bears leading 4-0. Shots on goal were tied 10-10 in the middle frame, with the Bears leading 25-16 after two periods. Hershey was 2 for 5 and Lehigh Valley was 0 for 4 on the power play after two periods.
THIRD PERIOD
The Bears would add a power play goal from Phil Maillet (2) at 3:18 of the final frame. Connor McMciahel (6) and Cameron Schilling (11) had the helpers.
The Phantoms would get on the scoreboard with a power play goal from Ryan Fitzgerald (10) at 6:04 of the final frame, to make it 5-1.
Brett Leason (6) would notch a shorthanded goal to make it 6-1 midway through the final frame. Shane Gersich (4) and Martin Fehervary (11) had the assists.
The Bears would hold on for the 6-1 win.
The Bears are back in action on Saturday when they host the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. Puck drop is set for 1:00 PM at Giant Center.
SHAVINGS
- AHL box score
- Stars of the game: 1) Connor McMichael, 2) Pheonix Copley and 3) Ryan Fitzgerald
- Bears led in shots 34-26.
- Pheonix Copley stopped 25 of 26 shots for a .961 game save percentage.
- Connor McMichael led the Bears in shots with 6.
- Connor McMichael had two goals and an assist.
- Cameron Schilling had three assists.
- Hershey was 3 for 7 and Lehigh Valley 1 for 6 on the power play.
- This was Axel Jonsson-Fjallby’s 100th AHL game.
By Jon Sorensen
Follow @nova_caps
“The victory improves the Bears record to 16-5-2-0 (34 points) on the season”
Amazing how hockey don’t think readers can do (16×2) + 2.
It’s like when a writer said “10 goals, 15 assists, 25 points.” Duuuuuuuh.
Some of the more casual fans may not understand the points system. We are open to all fans of the game.