Screen cap: AHL TV

The Charlotte Checkers staved off elimination with a 2-1 victory over the Hershey Bears  Wednesday night at Giant Center in Hershey. The Bears now lead 2-1 in their best-of-five Atlantic Division Semifinal series with the Checkers. Game 4 is set for Thursday night in Hershey.

Following a scoreless first period, Sam Anas opened the scoring with his second tally of the series less than three minutes into the middle frame to give the Bears an early 1-0 lead. However, the Checkers would answer with two goals, both on the end of Bears turnovers, late in the second period to take a 2-1 lead at the second intermission. The third period would go scoreless as the Checkers held on for the 2-1 win.

LINEUP

Hunter Shepard (2-0-0, 1.50 GAA, .932 sv%) got the start between the pipes for the Bears. Mack Guzda (1-2-0, 4.55 GAA, .833 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
Bobby Nardella – Aaron Ness
Lucas Johansen – Vincent Iorio

Hunter Shepard
Zach Fucale

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

FIRST PERIOD

Injuries to Bears defensemen was the story in the first period. First, Aaron Ness took a hit along the boards early in the period, dropped his stick, left the ice and headed to the room.

Aaron Ness injured shoulder on this hit against boards. Off the ice and to the room. pic.twitter.com/VsBOAdOwHz

— Capitals Prospects (@jon_m_sorensen) May 3, 2023

Moments later Bobby Nardella took a stick to the face and also left the game, leaving the Bears with just four defensemen.

Now Bobby Nardella takes hit to the face. Looked like maybe a stick. He’s off the ice as well. Bears down to 4 d at the moment. pic.twitter.com/LWq3YtD6mC

— Capitals Prospects (@jon_m_sorensen) May 3, 2023

Nardella would return late in the period. Ness did not return. Charlotte led in shots 10-4 in the first period. There were no penalties called in the first frame.

SECOND PERIOD

The Bears announced during the first intermission that Aaron Ness would not return to the game.

The Bears opened the scoring on a snipe by Sam Anas at 2:07 of the second period. Dylan McIlrath (1) had the lone assist.

Sammy lights the lamp with his second of the postseason!

🍎 McIlrath pic.twitter.com/6Nlfzki7xo

— Hershey Bears (@TheHersheyBears) May 3, 2023

Vinny iorio took an awkward fall into the boards midway through the middle frame, but reamined in the game.

Now Vinny Iorio takes an awkward fall into boards. He remains in the game for now. pic.twitter.com/3BAMeURmSi

— Capitals Prospects (@jon_m_sorensen) May 4, 2023

But the Checkers would answer late in the second period. Charlotte tied the game on a Vinny Iorio turnover in the Bears offensive zone that was collected by Cory Conacher (2) and taken in for a one-on-none breakaway score.

The vet comes up huge! pic.twitter.com/QUpBKNTfXY

— Charlotte Checkers (@CheckersHockey) May 4, 2023

The Bears had a total of 10 shots with 2:32 remaining in the second period, something that has been a trend for the Bears as of late.

The Checkers took their first lead of the game with a little over two minutes remaining in the second period on another Bears turnover. Aleksi Heponiemi (1) notched the Checkers second tally at 17:53. John Ludvig (2) and Henry Bowlby (2) had the helpers.

He saw Conacher’s goal and thought “yeah, I can do that too” pic.twitter.com/cB08BFyGyY

— Charlotte Checkers (@CheckersHockey) May 4, 2023

Both of the Checkers goals beat Shepard high blocker side.

The second period concluded with the Checkers holding a 2-1 lead. Shots were tied 9-9 in the middle frame with the Checkers leading 19-13 after two periods.

THIRD PERIOD

The Bears opened the third period with 1:23 of power play time remaining but where unable to capitalize on the man advantage.

The Bears returned to the power play midway through the final frame but were unable to generate even one shot.

The Bears returned to the man advantage with 6:17 remaining in the game, but once again came up empty.

Hendrix Lapierre took an awkward fall into the boards late in the period but eventually made his way to the bench and remained in the game.

Hendrix Lapierre with an ugly fall into the boards. He eventually got up and made his way to the bench. Maybe just the wind knocked out of him. Still on bench. pic.twitter.com/4guc0flDyN

— Capitals Prospects (@jon_m_sorensen) May 4, 2023

The Bears pulled Hunter Shepard with about three minutes remaining in the game. Soon after Shepard departed for the bench the Checkers were called for another penalty, setting up a 6-on-4 man advantage for the Bears with 1:32 remaining in the game. The Bears once again came up empty as the Checkers held on for the 2-1 win.

Game 4 of the series will be Thursday night in Hershey. Puck drop is set for 7PM.

SHAVINGS

• AHL box score
• Attendance: 8,620
• Hershey led in shots 22-20.
• Hershey was 0 for 5 on the power play.
• Hunter Shepard stopped 18 of 20 for a .900 game save percentage