*Sorry for the lack of photos! Hoping to get permission eventually.*
The Bears hosted the Lehigh Valley Phantoms on Friday, April 12th to defeat them 4-1 for their fifth straight win following a 4-1 loss against the Providence Bruins on March 24th at the Giant Center. Hershey's victory on Friday marked their 51st of this season, and they tied the Calgary Wranglers (2022-23) for the AHL record of the most wins in a 72-game season. It had been a game full of back-and-forth penalties and a few fights that were cut short. This had been Hunter Shepard's 26th win of the season for the Bears, he went 24-for-25 for the 26th. Hershey will play the Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins for two days straight, April 13th-14th, to hopefully continue their win streak.
Bears Lineup:
Dube - Vecchione - Frank
Snively - Huntington - Limoges
Roe - Rybinski - Phillips
Strome - Sutter - Trineyev
Ness - McIlrath
Haman Aktell - Day
Massie - Priskie
Shepard
Stevenson
Matthew Phillips opened the scoring late with 5:12 remaining in the first period with his second goal of the season off a face-off win in the attacking zone. He redirected a one-timer past Cal Petersen from Chase Priskie at the left point after Garrett Roe had found Priskie. A huge save by Hunter Shepard came up when he managed to keep the puck from crossing the goal line after Cooper Marody tried to sneak it past him. The play had been reviewed before determining the goal had not passed the goal line, and Hershey kept their 1-0 lead heading into the middle frame.
Early in the second on the power play at 13:22, Ethen Frank struck his team-leading 29th of the season from the left circle through Cal Petersen. Both Joe Snively and Alex Limoges recorded the assists on the goal. Garrett Wilson pulled the Phantoms within 2-1 at 9:20 when he fired a shot to beat Hunter Shepard near the right post after bringing the puck around the net.
Logan Day made it 3-1 for his fifth of the season at 13:26 of the final frame off a pass by Hardy Haman Aktell. He went on to snap a shot at the right circle to beat Cal Petersen upstairs, and Henrik Rybinski had gotten the secondary assist. With 8:04 left in regulation, Joe Snively redirected a pass from Chase Priskie for his 12th goal of the season for the 4-1 final. Jimmy Huntington recorded the secondary assist on Snively's goal.
Notes:
- With Hershey's victory, they reduced their Magic Number for the AHL Macgregor Kilpatrick Trophy for first place in the league. This is the first time since the shortened 2020-21 season that they won the trophy and the fourth time the Bears have won it.
- Henrik Rybinski is one game away from his 100th pro game, all with the Hershey Bears.
- Ethen Frank is two points away from 100 pro points, all with the Bears.
Stats before this victory/overall:
- The Bears lead the AHL with 38 victories in regulation and 46 in either regulation or overtime.
- When Pierrick Dube scores, the Bears are 23-0-0-0... Alex Limoges leads Hershey with 15 multi-point games, and the team is 14-0-0-1 when he achieved this.
- On Saturday against the Iowa Wild, Mike Vecchione played in his 400th AHL career game. Todd Nelson was behind the bench in his 700th AHL career game as head coach.
- The Bears are first in the AHL with a penalty kill that has gone 222-for-252 (88.1%)
- Hunter Shepard is fourth in the league with 25 victories, while Clay Stevenson is tied for eighth and second among rookie goaltenders, with 23 wins.
- Hershey has a league-leading 37 wins when scoring first.
- The Bears have won their past five road games and a seven-game point streak, 6-0-0-1, and one game off the season-high mark of eight... (December 17th, in Springfield - January 31st, in Lehigh Valley, 6-0-0-2)
- Against Atlantic Division opponents this season, the Bears are 35-9-0-3.
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