Photo: The Hershey Bears
The Hershey Bears downed the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, 5-1 Wednesday night at Giant Center in Hershey. The victory improves the Bears record to 30-23-5-3 (68 points) on the season.
The Phantoms opened the scoring just 20 seconds into the game, but the Bears answered with goals from Shane Gersich and Aliaksei Protas for a 2-1 lead at the first intermission. The Bears added goals from Lucas Johansen and Beck Malenstyn in the middle frame to stretch their lead to 4-1 at the second intermission. Beck Malenstyn added a shorthanded goal late in the final frame for the 5-1 win.
STARTERS
The Bears started goaltender Pheonix Copley (14-8-4-2, 2.40 GAA, .912 sv%) in net while the Phantoms countered with Felix Sandstrom (12-14-3-1, 2.98 GAA, .899 sv%). The starting forward lines and defensive pairs for the Bears:
Injuries: Brian Pinho (shoulder surgery), Matt Moulson (back surgery), Riley Sutter (upper-body injury), Macoy Erkamps (lower body injury)
Scratches: Jake Massie, Drake Rymsha, Christopher Brown.
Note: Whittchow was substituted in for Brown as a late change.
The news would go from bad to worse, all in the first minute of play, as Mike Sgarbossa would crash into the boards and have to leave the game.
Injury to Mike Sgarbossa. He left the ice under his own power but with some assistance. #HBH #ALLCAPS pic.twitter.com/CGnq1NUtVX
— Capitals Prospects (@jon_m_sorensen) March 23, 2022
The Bears tied the game late in the period on a nice end-to-end play, finished by Shane Gersich (12).
Shane Gersich (12) ties the game. Nice breakout by Brett Leason and feed from Mike Vecchione to Gersich for the score. #HBH #ALLCAPS pic.twitter.com/kdRfDurJ58
— Capitals Prospects (@jon_m_sorensen) March 23, 2022
Moments later Aliaksei Protas would deflect a shot by Cody Franson to give the Bears a 2-1 lead late in the first period. Cody Franson (21) and Mason Morelli (19) had the helpers.
Aliaksei Protas (6) with the deflection, gives the Bears a 2-1 lead late in the first frame. #HBH #ALLCAPS pic.twitter.com/8WJvl3N3EA
— Capitals Prospects (@jon_m_sorensen) March 23, 2022
The first period would end with the Bears leading 2-1. Lehigh Valley led in shots 12-9. The Bears were 0 for 1 on the power play while the Phantoms did not have a man advantage.
SECOND PERIOD
The Bears stretched their lead to 3-1 on Lucas Johansen’s 7th goal of the season at 14:25. Cody Franson (22) and Kody Clark (10) had the assists.
Lucas Johansen jumps into the play and finishes for his 7th goal of the season, a career high. Bears lead 3-1. #HBH #ALLCAPS pic.twitter.com/cMXWk7O9JE
— Capitals Prospects (@jon_m_sorensen) March 24, 2022
Beck Malenstyn (9) stretched the Bears lead to 4-1 at 15:48 of the second period. Bobby Nardella (11) and Mason Morelli (20) had the assists.
Beck Malenstyn rips one from the top of the slot for his 9th of the season. Bears lead 4-1. #HBH #ALLCAPS pic.twitter.com/OxZro8f30v
— Capitals Prospects (@jon_m_sorensen) March 24, 2022
The period would end with the Bears leading 4-1. Hershey led in shots 15-14 with the Phantoms leading 26-24 after two periods. The Phantoms were 0 for 1 and the Bears 0 for 3 on the power play after two periods.
THIRD PERIOD
The Bears would add a short-handed goal from Beck Malenstyn late in the final fram for the 5-1 win.
A shorty for Beck Malenstyn, his second goal of the game. Bears lead 5-1. #HBH #ALLCAPS pic.twitter.com/4BN7iPfbPV
— Capitals Prospects (@jon_m_sorensen) March 24, 2022
The Bears are back in action on Friday when they visit the Bruins in Providence. Puck drop is set for 7:00 PM.
SHAVINGS
- AHL box score
- Attendance: 7,269
- The win was franchise victory 2,999.
If it wasn’t for the lowly Phantoms, Bears would be sub-500.