Hershey Bears head coach Todd Nelson wanted to turn the page quickly from Saturday’s big win over Laval. Keeping the previous weekend’s “stinker” in mind, the Bears turned the page in a big way against the visiting Springfield Thunderbirds. Two of the American Hockey League’s stingiest teams duked it out into the third period at a scoreless game. Ultimately, Pierrick Dubé had the only goal and Hunter Shepard stopped all 18 shots he faced in a 1-0 Bears win.
All Around Me Are Familiar Faces
The storyline going into the game was the familiar faces on both sides. Headlining the matchup was Jakub Vrana’s return to Hershey for the first time since he last played there in 2017. Joining him on the Springfield side was Nathan Walker, who played just his second game against his old team he played 300 games for. Hershey has a couple players who had brief stints in Springfield including Mike Sgarbossa and Dylan McIlrath. Chase Priskie spent a few games with the Thunderbirds in his rookie season in 2019-20.
Another familiar element was the goaltending matchup, the very same goaltenders from last season’s Eastern Conference Final. Malcolm Subban was between the pipes for his new team after skating for the Rochester Americans last spring. Opposing him was Shepard, and the result was very similar to the last outing with the Hershey goaltender posting his first shutout of the year. Shepard’s last shutout was in the same matchup in Game Six of that Eastern Conference Final by the same score.
Playoff Atmosphere in Hershey
The comparison to last spring was an apt one in Hershey. Scoring chances were hard to come by, and goals even harder as neither team eclipsed 20 shots on goal. The only goal came off the stick of Dubé on the rush, where his shot hit Subban’s glove and dribbled in behind him. Dubé, who has had an excellent start in Hershey, tallied his team-leading 14th goal of the season. Shepard and the defense clamped down to earn the win, Hershey’s third straight. The Bears conclude their homestand with four wins in five games.
“It was a good hockey game,” Nelson said. “It was a playoff-style game. We needed a game like that. Springfield is a very good hockey team, they check very well. It’s good to go through a tight-checking game like that. It’s playoff style hockey, I told the guys in the room that I’m glad we went through it because now we understand how hard it’s going to be.”
Nelson earned the win in his 100th game behind the bench in Hershey, bringing his total to 66 wins in that span. It’s been a successful partnership that saw the Bears capture the Calder Cup in his first year. Reflecting on it brought up a team effort for Nelson, and a desire to roar for more.
“First off, I’m blessed with a great staff to work with,” Nelson said. “I’m blessed with quality players to work with, it doesn’t matter if they’re veteran or young guys. They have great attitudes and great character, it makes my job easier. Playing in this town, you’re proud to play or coach for the Hershey Bears. What we did last year was fantastic, and that’s our goal again this year.”
Do It Again
The two teams will rematch in Springfield on Friday as the back half of a home-and-home series. The two teams will only match up two more times in the regular season, with the loss ending a four-game winning streak for Springfield. It’s Springfield’s first regulation loss since Black Friday and keeps them in fifth place in the Atlantic Division courtesy of a tiebreaker.
On the other side, Hershey continues to rack up points. The Bears end the weekend with the most games played in the AHL, but a 22-6-0-0 record at 44 points is nothing to scoff at. Hershey is nine points above the second place Hartford Wolf Pack and ten over the nearest opponent outside their division. Nelson’s team will look to get to the Christmas break on a high note at a breakneck pace.
