The Hershey Bears played host to the Springfield Thunderbirds for the third game of four in the regular season series. The Chocolate and White cashed in a big performance from Hunter Shepard with 33 saves and took a 4-1 final score. Hershey extends its point streak to six games and their win streak to three. It’s a frustrating loss for Springfield as their winless skid extends to five despite a good effort.
Steady Shepard
The Thunderbirds peppered Shepard in this game, putting double digit shots on the reigning Calder Cup MVP in each period. Shepard was tested often as the Bears had to kill off six penalties over the course of the game. His efforts made him an easy first star selection, and he even took it a step further by finding the scoresheet. Shepard earned his first assist and nearly had a multi-point game until a scoring change took one point away.
“I think he got his first assist taken away, but the second was a great play on the wall. We had support, we were able to score on the empty net. He gave us a chance to win tonight, just looking at the shots alone, they had 30-plus shots. Shep was the difference tonight.”
Hershey got on the board in the second period when Pierrick Dubé set up Mike Vecchione for his 11th of the year. Dubé put the puck in a perfect spot for Vecchione while falling down, and Mr. Game 7 buried the shot off the post and past Malcolm Subban. Dubé was one of two players to have multiple points in Wednesday’s game. Vecchione celebrated with his signature roar before fist bumping his teammates.
Johansen’s Sacrifice, Huntington’s Reward
Hershey would pull ahead by two goals heading into the third period, but it came at a hefty cost. With the Bears defending, Lucas Johansen took a rising shot off his left arm and shuffled to the bench. The block helped the Bears recover the puck and send Jimmy Huntington the other way, and he’d beat Subban for his eighth of the year. The goal would eventually stand as the game-winner and an emphatic reaction from Huntington.
It didn’t take long for the Bears to deliver the bad news on Johansen. He was ruled out of the remainder of the game pretty quickly, and although the true severity is unknown, it doesn’t look great. Nelson commended Johansen’s effort and had a small update.
“For a guy like Lucas to sacrifice his body like that, it takes tremendous courage,” Nelson said. “We’re going to see from the doctors how he is. There’s definitely something wrong, but we’ll find out more after the doctors assess.”
Stealing The Thunder
Springfield made the game interesting in the second half of the third when Mathias Laferriere broke Shepard’s shutout bid. The goal was Laferriere’s third of the season and cut the Hershey lead to just one goal at 2-1. The teams traded chances on the power play, but the Bears sealed the deal on two empty net goals for their leading scorers in Ethen Frank and Dubé. Frank moves to 18 with this one while Dubé has 21 on the year.
The frustration was palpable for the Thunderbirds, with Dylan Coghlan smashing his stick after the second empty net goal. Subban threw a body check in the final moments of action on Hershey’s Garrett Roe. It’s been tough sledding for Springfield as they’re just one point ahead of the Lehigh Valley Phantoms for the sixth and final playoff spot. Nelson mentioned needing a recharge at the All-Star break in a tough part of the schedule.
“I’m happy for the two points,” Nelson said. “Springfield came in and played a real solid game. We got the timely goals that we needed in the second. Once we get to the All-Star break, the guys will be able to charge their batteries. When we get back, we play a lot of road games and I want to make sure we’re playing the right way before we get there.”
Dog Days
“We’re in the dog days of the season right now,” Nelson said. “We’re playing the games just to play the games. We’re not playing with a whole lot of passion right now, and the challenge for us as a coaching staff is to keep them motivated for the remainder of the season.”
“I just want us to play a complete hockey game and play the right way for sixty minutes. It’s not as though the guys aren’t trying, they are, but this time of year is tough. From now on until about the middle of March, we call it the dog days. It’s a long year, and at the second week of March it starts to get close to playoff time and guys ramp up their game.”
Nelson earned a nice bit of history with the win. The Atlantic Division coach at the All-Star Game moved into ninth all-time in the AHL in terms of wins at 385. The honor further adds to what’s been an extremely successful season for the Bears.
“It’s a feather in my hat, I guess,” Nelson said of the nod. “I’m pretty proud of it, we’ll keep chipping away and see how far we can climb the ladder in the rest of the regular season.”
On the Road Again
The Bears will be back in action when they take on the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins on Saturday at Mohegan Sun Arena. It’ll be the ninth edition of the regular season series between the two teams. Hershey will return home on Sunday to take on the Toronto Marlies as well as induct a quartet of players and team personnel into the Bears Hall of Fame.
Springfield will return home and look to get back into the win column against the Charlotte Checkers on Friday night.
