Screen cap: AHL TV

The Hershey Bears downed the Springfield Thunderbirds, 4-3 (SO) Friday night at the MassMutual Center, in Springfield. Pierrick Dube scored his team-leading 15th goal of the season and Ethen Frank added his 13th tally of the campaign in the win. The victory improves the Bears record to 23-6-0 on the season.

LINEUP

Hunter Shepard (12-2-0-1, 2.33 GAA, .905 sv%) got the start between the pipes for the visiting Bears. Vadim Zherenko (9-3-0-1 2.58 GAA, .926 sv%) got the start in goal for the T-Birds. The forward lines and defensive pairs for the Bears:

Joe Snively – Mike Vecchione – Ethen Frank
Alex Limoges – Jimmy Huntington – Pierrick Dube
Bogdan Trineyev – Garrett Roe – Henrik Rybinski
Ryan Hofer – Riley Sutter – Matthew Strome

Hardy Haman-Aktell – Dylan McIlrath
Lucas Johansen – Vincent Iorio
Jake Massie – Chase Priskie

Hunter Shepard
Clay Stevenson

Scratches: Mike Sgarbossa, Aaron Ness (personal), Logan Day, Dmitri Osipov and Colin Swoyer.

Recalls and Re-assignments:  Lucas Johansen was waived by the Capitals on Monday and cleared and reported to the Bears on Tuesday. Mike Sgarbossa was recalled by the Capitals on Thursday and returned to the Bears on Friday, but did not make the trip to Springfield.

Hendrix Lapierre and Ivan Miroshnichenko were recalled by the Capitals on Tuesday. Nicky Lieverman was recalled from South Carolina on Sunday.

1ST PERIOD

The Bears opened the scoring on Pierrick Dube‘s team-leading 15th goal of the season at 14:28 of the first frame. Alex Limoges (14) and Jimmy Huntington (7) had the helpers.

Wheel ✅
Snipe ✅
Celly ✅

Dubes has his 15th of the season!

🍎Huntington
🍏Limoges https://t.co/B5rRvogS3v pic.twitter.com/2hMVyhCWmC

— Hershey Bears (@TheHersheyBears) December 23, 2023

The Bears made it 2-0 less than three minutes later on a power play goal from Jimmy Huntington (6) at 16:55. Lucas Johansen (1) and Garrett Roe (5) were credited with the assists.

Go to the net, and good things will happen – @huntington_jim bags his sixth of the season!

🍎Johansen
🍏Roe https://t.co/vRvr8r7zQS pic.twitter.com/PSjtNJ4hVP

— Hershey Bears (@TheHersheyBears) December 23, 2023

The Bears held the 2-0 lead into the first intermission. The Bears dominated in shots on goal 15-8.

2ND PERIOD

The Bears stretched their lead to 3-0 just 11 seconds into the middle frame on Ethen Frank‘s 13th goal of the season. Joe Snively (15) had the lone assist.

“Don’t mind if I do!” 😁@efrank_98 nets his 13th of the season, with a little assist from the Springfield ‘tendy!

🍎Snively https://t.co/Ukw0IJ0VPN pic.twitter.com/0vy0nwwJ9q

— Hershey Bears (@TheHersheyBears) December 23, 2023

The T-Birds finally got on the board late in the period with a score from Joseph Duszak (3) at 13:54 of the second period. Will Bitten (3) and Hugh McGing (12) had the helpers.

JOEY D!!!!!!! pic.twitter.com/FCedcsdNx4

— Springfield Thunderbirds (@ThunderbirdsAHL) December 23, 2023

Springfield cut the Bears lead to 3-2 less than a minute later on Jakub Vrana‘s first goal with the Thunderbirds at 14:24. Ryan Suzuki (1) had the lone assist.

Jakub Vrana with his first tally with the Springfield Thunderbirds, cuts the Hershey Bears lead to 3-2. #ALLCAPS pic.twitter.com/CTcS9JNd2R

— Capitals Prospects (@jon_m_sorensen) December 23, 2023

The second period concluded with the Bears holding the 3-2 lead. Hershey led in shots, 12-11 in the middle frame and 27-19 after two periods. The Bears were 1 for 3 and Springfield 0 for 2 on the power play after 40 minutes of play.

3RD PERIOD

The Thunderbirds tied the game with 11:08 remaining in regulation. Zach Dean added his second tally of the season to knot it up. Jamieson Rees (1) and Mathias Laferriere (8) had the assists.

ZACH DEAN TIES THIS GAME UP pic.twitter.com/y00Gyp6JbN

— Springfield Thunderbirds (@ThunderbirdsAHL) December 23, 2023

Regulation concluded, tied 3-3.

OVERTIME

The five-minute overtime period went scoreless, sending the game to the shootout.

The Bears won it in the shootout.

SHAVINGS

• AHL box score
• Attendance: 6,699