*Sorry for the lack of photos! Hoping to get permission eventually.*
The Hershey Bears defeated the Coachella Valley Firebirds in Game 6, taking the Calder Cup for the second time straight on Monday, June 24th at the GIANT Center. This is Hershey's 13th Calder Cup Champion title in franchise history. It was a close game that would've gone either way, however, Hershey took it in overtime with a 5-4 final to wrap up the playoffs. Three of the five goals scored by the Bears had been scored by Pierrick Dube, securing an amazing playoff hat-trick. Matt Strome struck the game-winning goal only 66 seconds into overtime.
Bears Lineup:
Snively - Lapierre - Frank
Limoges - Huntington - Dube
Miroshnichenko - Rybinski - Vecchione
Strome - Sutter - Trineyev
Leivermann - McIlrath
Haman-Aktell - Day
Massie - Priskie
Shepard
Stevenson
Bears Starters:
Strome - Sutter - Trineyev
Massie - Priskie
Shepard
Firebirds Starters:
Hayden - Studenic - Shore
Fleury - Olofsson
Driedger
Ryan Winterton opened the scoring early into the first period at 18:23 to give the Firebirds a 1-0 lead when he was fed by Cameron Hughes from behind the net... then Winterton sent it over Hunter Shepard's glove. The Bears made a quick response to even the score when Pierrick Dube scored the first goal of his three-goal night at 14:09 on the power play. Dube one-timed Hendrix Lapierre's pass over Chris Driedger's blocker side for his fifth goal of the playoffs. Later on in the first frame, Lapierre gave Hershey their first lead of the night with little time remaining when he deflected it past Driedger after Chase Priskie snapped the puck into the slot.
Early into the second, Coachella Valley leveled the score at 2-2 at 18:09 when Marian Studenic found the back of the net. During a 4-on-4, Studenic beat Hunter Shepard from the left. Ryan Winterton struck again with 12:02 on the clock to break the tie and give the Firebirds a one-goal lead. With 6:08 left in the middle frame, Pierrick Dube scored his second of the night to tie it back up at 3-3 when Alex Limoges, who received the puck from Jimmy Huntington, dished it to Dube in the slot, and Dube went on to put it past Chris Driedger.
Pierrick Dube recorded his hat trick with 11:04 remaining in the third to give the Bears a 4-3 lead. Alex Limoges slid the puck to Dube at the net-front after Jimmy Huntington forced a turnover in the attacking zone. He deked to his backhand, then lifted it past Chris Driedger to complete the first playoff hat trick in nine years (May 1, 2015, vs. Worcester Railers - Casey Wellman), and the fifth hat trick in the Calder Cup Finals in franchise history. With little time left in regulation, Cale Fleury tied it at 4-4 to force overtime.
Only 66 seconds into overtime, Matt Strome put it home. He went into the slot, then beat Chris Driedger to the glove side to win the series and give the Bears the Calder Cup.
Notes:
- With his assist on Pierrick Dube's first goal of the night, Hendrix Lapierre recorded his 15th assist of the playoffs... he tied both Tony Cassolato (1980) and Mike Green (2006) for the ninth-most assists by a Hershey Bear in a single playoff year.
Lapierre's point from his goal marked his league-leading 22nd of the postseason, which has moved him into a tie with Josef Marha (1997) for the eighth-most points by a Bear in a single playoff year.
- Earning the secondary assist on Dube's first goal of the night, Joe Snively recorded his 27th career helper, which puts him past both Gordon Bruce and Larry Zeidel for sole possession of 10th in playoff history in assists.
- Shots finished 22-21 in favor of Hershey... Hunter Shepard, with a 17-for-21 performance, earned the victory for his 28th career playoff win for the Bears to take the third in franchise history. The Bears went 1-for-2 on the power play.
- Chris Driedger went 17-for-22, taking the loss for the Coachella Valley Firebirds... the Firebirds went 0-for-1 on the power play.
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