It wasn’t always the prettiest on Wednesday night between the Hershey Bears and the Providence Bruins. Both teams were missing key personnel but battled it out in a key measuring stick game in the Atlantic Division. Ultimately, Hershey used a strong third period to turn the tables on Providence, with Vincent Iorio scoring in overtime for a 3-2 decision. The win is Hershey’s 20th of the season and moves them to 20-6-0-0, tying the record for the fastest start in team history.
Shot in the Arm
Hershey needed one shot and just under a minute of action to get out front. With key forwards Mike Vecchione and Joe Snively out of the lineup, the spotlight fell to rookie Ivan Miroshnichenko. The first-round selection of the Washington Capitals in 2022 ripped a shot past a screened Brandon Bussi to open the scoring. Miroshnichenko’s goal is his seventh of the season in a strong showing for him on the top line.
The second period would belong to Providence, as they’d tally twice in under two minutes to take the lead. Joey Abate got loose in the slot to bury a rebound past Hunter Shepard to even the score at one. Then, on a power play, Georgii Merkulov tallied his ninth goal of the season on a slick play from John Farinacci. Farinacci beat two Hershey defenders going around the net, feeding the sophomore sensation for the goal.
Third Period Thrills
The Bears put their best foot forward in the third period. After registering ten shots over 40 minutes, Hershey fired 12 shots on goal and tied the game on the power play. Pierrick Dubé tallied his team-leading 13th goal of the season to even the game at two. Despite some furious pressure, the game eventually went to overtime. The chess match in overtime ended when Vincent Iorio wired a shot over Bussi’s shoulder to give the Bears the win.
“We finally got to a point where we played a period without taking penalties,” Nelson said. “We couldn’t get into a rhythm tonight. In the third period, we forechecked better tonight than we did all year. That’s nice to see. Through 26 games, we see a group that works well together and is tight knit like last year. That’s helping us pull through games.”
History Made in Hershey
Hershey’s fast pace to 20 wins is matched by only the 2008-09 edition of the Bears. That team similarly jumped out to the same number of wins in the same number of games, and it’s good company to be in. The Bears went on to capture the Calder Cup in 2009 as part of the last set of back-to-back titles in AHL history. Had the Bears won their game on Sunday, they would have eclipsed the record, but the value of a hot start is not lost on Nelson.
“I found out that we tied a franchise record for the fastest team to twenty wins. That being said, we still got booed by our fans tonight. Tough crowd! Those are good expectations to have here in Hershey.”
The Bears have 11 wins in their last 13 games and have won two of three games in their current homestand at Giant Center. Despite being below full strength, the game represented a measuring stick for both teams. The Bruins had a seven-game win streak end with the loss but earn a valuable point as a hot team. Hershey flexed its muscle to defeat a tough team after a rough patch last weekend, proving they are just as formidable. Hershey returns to action on Saturday night when they host the Laval Rocket.
