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Connor McMichael And Joe Snively Score, As Bears Thump Checkers 5-1 To Take Commanding 2-0 Series Lead

Jon Sorensen
Photo: Jacob Kupferman/Charlotte Checkers

The Hershey Bears thumped the Charlotte Checkers, 5-1 Saturday night at the Bojangles Coliseum in Charlotte, North Carolina. The victory gives the Bears a commanding 2-0 lead in their best-of-five Atlantic Division Semifinal series with the Checkers.

After a scoreless first frame, Joe Snively opened the scoring in the second period with a power play goal and Mason Morelli added a late tally for a 2-0 Bears lead at the second intermission.

The Checkers cut the Bears lead to 2-1 midway through the third period but the Bears would quickly answer with goals from Connor McMichael and Sam Anas to make it 4-1. Garrett Pilon added an empty net goal to make it 5-1, the final.

LINEUP

Hunter Shepard (1-0-0, 2.00 GAA, .917 sv%) got the start between the pipes for the visiting Bears. J.F. Berube (1-0-0, 0.47 GAA, .982 sv%) got the start in goal for the Checkers. The forward lines and defensive pairs for the Bears:

Mike Vecchione – Mike Sgarbossa – Ethen Frank
Joe Snively – Connor McMichael – Garrett Pilon
Aliaksei Protas – Hendrix Lapierre – Sam Anas
Beck Malenstyn – Riley Sutter – Mason Morelli

Gabriel Carlsson – Dylan McIlrath
Aaron Ness – Logan Day
Lucas Johansen – Vincent Iorio

Hunter Shepard
Zach Fucale

Scratches: Shane Gersich, Henrik Borgstrom, Henrik Rybinski, Matt Strome, Bobby Nardella, Bogdan Trineyev, Julian Napravnik, Jake Massie, Ludwig Persson, Dru Krebs, Alexander Suzdalev and Garin Bjorklund.

FIRST PERIOD

Cautious play highlighted the first 20 minutes of Game 2 as both teams did a good job thwarting zone entries, clogging the middle of the ice and minimizing sustainable zone time by the opposition.

The Bears were awarded the game’s first power play with a little over six minutes remaining in the period, but were unable to generate much in the way of decent scoring chances.

The Checkers went to the power play right after the expiration of the Bears initial power play on a very questionable tripping call on Aaron Ness.

Regardless, the Bears penalty kill was up to the task and did a good job of boxing out the Checkers on the man advantage, keeping the score 0-0.

The first period concluded with no score in the first 20 minutes. Charlotte led in shots 6-3. Both sides were 0 for 1 on the power play.

SECOND PERIOD

The second period began very much in similar fashion as the first period, as both teams continued to jam the middle and hinder zone entries. The Bears didn’t crack the 10-shot mark until the very end of the period.

However, it was the Bears that finally broke the silence with a power play goal from Joe Snively at 6:46 of the second period. Garrett Pilon (2) and Aliaksei Protas (1) had the helpers.

The Bears made it 2-0 on a tally from Mason Morelli at 14:55 of the second period. Center Riley Sutter made a nice centering pass to setup the score. It was Sutter’s first postseason point.

The second period concluded with the Bears leading 2-0. Charlotte led in shots 11-7 in the second period and 17-10 after two periods.

THIRD PERIOD

The Checkers cut the Bears lead in half midway through the final frame. Ryan McAllister (1) notched the Checkers first tally at 9:15 of the final frame. Riley Nash (2) and Lucas Carlsson (3) had the assists.

But the Bears would quickly answer. Connor McMichael scored his second goal in as many games to make it 3-1 at 9:50 of the final frame. Garrett Pilon (3) made a beautiful feed and McMichael finished with a nifty backhander in the crease. Joe Snively (1) had the second assist.

The Bears made it 4-1 with a goal from Sam Anas just 23 seconds later. Aliaksei Protas (2) had the lone assist.

The Checkers pulled their goaltender with more than five minutes remaining, but Garrett Pilon added an empty net goal to make it 5-1, the final.

Game 3 of the series is set for Wednesday in Hershey. The Bears can clinch the best-of-five series with a win.

SHAVINGS

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