The Hershey Bears had Friday’s game right where they wanted it against the Belleville Senators on the road. Hershey built a 3-1 lead late in the first period and seemed close to taking it to the locker room. A late goal and a timely goaltender change for the Senators breathed new life into the team. They’d come back to tie the game and take it in overtime by a 4-3 final score. It’s the second blown multi-goal game of this trip to Canada for the Bears, who picked up another point.
Leivermann’s First as a Bear
Hershey started the game the correct way, striking three times in the opening stanza. Calder Cup hero Matt Strome opened the scoring off a slick pass by Grant Cruikshank. Hershey’s so-called checking line has been sparking them of late, with Strome tallying his fourth of the year. He’s heated up in recent time and is on pace to surpass a career year in 2023-24.
More good news just over halfway through the first frame. Nicky Leivermann knocked down an outlet attempt and led a counter rush. He’d give-and-go with Strome, burying the pass for his first AHL goal. It’s the second time in the last three games that a Hershey player scored goal number one, with Jon McDonald scoring on Sunday.
Leivermann played a couple games early in the 2023-24 season but largely skated with the South Carolina Stingrays. He’d join the Bears in the Calder Cup Playoffs as a black ace. Injuries forced him to make his playoff debut in Game Four of the Calder Cup Finals. His strong effort played a big part in Hershey lifting their 13th Calder Cup that summer.
Hershey answered a goal from Belleville with a tally from Mike Vecchione. He’d tally his tenth goal of the season on a shot that squeaked through netminder Mark Sinclair. The Bears seemed set to take a two-goal lead into intermission.
Senator Surge
However, Belleville planted the seeds of a comeback late in the first frame. Oskar Pettersson responded to the goal just 39 seconds after the Vecchione tally. It was a clutch goal with only 41 second remaining in the frame overall. When the Senators returned for the second, goaltender Michael Simpson took over between the pipes. He was perfect the rest of the way through by stopping all 16 shots he faced.
The Senators tied the game in the second period on the power play. Angus Crookshank scored his 15th goal of the season, set up down low to beat Stevenson over the shoulder. It’s a goal that eerily resembles one the Bears gave up in their loss a game prior. After missing out on a brief two-man advantage, special teams haunted the Bears in this game.
The teams dueled into overtime, extending Hershey’s point streak to six games, but Stephen Halliday found the winner. He’d battle his way to prime real estate and give Belleville the second point in this game.
And It’s Gone
Hershey saw a lead evaporate for the second straight game on the way to a loss in extra time. Injuries are suddenly mounting for the Chocolate and White after a brutal loss in Laval on Wednesday. The Bears were without Mike Sgarbossa, Hendrix Lapierre, and Jake Massie due to injuries in that game. Although players like Riley Sutter and Hardy Haman Aktell are close, it makes for a long list of health concerns. Hershey lost one of their top two-way players on Friday with Henrik Rybinski missing the third period.
The Bears had managed to buck the trend of blown leads and allowing goals, but it’s returned recently. One positive of this stretch is that the Bears continue to bank important standings points. Hershey takes a six-game point streak (4-0-2-0) into Saturday’s rematch with Belleville. Points left on the table could come back to haunt them down the road, particularly if this trend continues into the spring.
It’s up to the Bears to respond in Saturday’s game. Head coach Todd Nelson challenged his team before Friday’s game, and it’s likely he won’t be satisfied with this outcome.
“We had a meeting, went through some system work,” Nelson said before the game. “It doesn’t matter unless we put the work boots on tonight. Our guys understand how I feel based on the last game in Laval. I felt the message was sent, once we got back to the hotel no one wanted to ride in the elevator with me.”
Hershey will rematch with Belleville at 7:00 on Saturday.
