PRE-GAME REPORT: WOLF PACK LOOK TO EVEN DIVISION FINALS VS. BEARS
May 18, 2024HERSHEY, PA – The Hartford Wolf Pack and Hershey Bears meet tonight for Game 2 of their best-of-five, Atlantic Division Finals series at the Giant Center. The Bears lead the series 1-0.
The puck drop is set for 7:00 p.m., and coverage is available on AHLTV and Mixlr.
Tale of The Tape:
The Wolf Pack and Bears met four times during the regular season, with the Bears taking three of the four meetings. The Wolf Pack posted a record of 1-2-0-1, while the Bears went 3-1-0-0.
At the Giant Center, the Wolf Pack were 1-1-0-0 during the regular season. They claimed a 5-3 victory on January 6th, while the Bears responded with a 4-0 triumph on March 17th.
This is the third all-time Calder Cup Playoff series between the rivals and the second meeting in as many springs.
The Wolf Pack knocked off the Bears 4-2 in 2015 in the Eastern Conference Semifinals, while the Bears responded with a 3-0 sweep of the Wolf Pack last spring in the Atlantic Division Finals.
The Bears struck first in this series, taking a dominant 6-1 decision in Game 1 on Thursday night. Chase Priskie opened the scoring 7:40 into the first period, notching his first career Calder Cup Playoff goal. Priskie snuck into the slot and rifled a shot by the screened Olof Lindbom.
Ethen Frank made it 2-0 for the Bears at 3:58 of the second period. The second-year forward ripped a shot from the left-wing circle over the glove of Lindbom on the powerplay for his fourth goal of the postseason. The goal stood as the game-winner, the second in as many games for Frank.
Jake Leschyshyn got the Wolf Pack on the board at 5:42 of the second period, using his speed to create a partial breakaway. Leschyshyn got enough room to snap a shot over the blocker of Hunter Shepard to make it a 2-1 contest. The goal was Leschyshyn’s fourth of the Calder Cup Playoffs.
The Bears took over from there, however, scoring the game’s final four goals to pull away. Alex Limoges buried a rebound at 13:28 of the second period on the powerplay, making it 3-1. Just 67 seconds later, at 14:35, Garrett Roe tipped home a shot from Lucas Johansen for his first career Calder Cup Playoff goal.
Ivan Miroshnichenko converted on a breakaway at 11:01 of the third period, potting his third goal of the playoffs. Jimmy Huntington then converted on a shorthanded rush at 13:07, making it 6-1 in favor of the Bears. The goal was Huntington’s first of the Calder Cup Playoffs and was the second shorthanded goal allowed by the Wolf Pack this spring.
Wolf Pack Outlook:
Leschyshyn’s goal was his career-high fourth of the Calder Cup Playoffs. He has scored the last three goals for the Wolf Pack over the last two games. His three shots in Game 1 led all Wolf Pack skaters.
As a team, the Wolf Pack accumulated 14 shots in Game 1. That is the lowest single-game total for shots in the Calder Cup Playoffs in franchise history.
Goaltender Talyn Boyko made his AHL debut in the third period of Game 1 on Thursday night. Boyko made one save on two shots in 8:59 of work. Lindbom, who made the start, made 23 saves on 28 shots in 51:01 of work in his Calder Cup Playoff debut.
The Wolf Pack have lost each of their last three playoff games at the Giant Center and four straight playoff games to the Bears. Overall, Thursday night’s loss was the club’s fourth straight against the Bears dating back to January 6th.
Leschyshyn and Riley Nash lead the Wolf Pack in goals with four. Nash, meanwhile, leads the way in points with six (4 g, 2 a) during the Calder Cup Playoffs.
Brennan Othmann and Brett Berard lead the Wolf Pack in playoff assists with four through eight games.
Bears Outlook:
The Bears, who earned a bye through the First Round of the Calder Cup Playoffs, eliminated the Lehigh Valley Phantoms in four games in the Atlantic Division Semifinals.
The club, which went a league-best 29-7-0-0 at home during the regular season, is now 3-0 at the Giant Center during the 2024 Calder Cup Playoffs. The Bears were 7-3 at home during the 2023 Calder Cup Playoffs.
Miroshnichenko’s goal in Game 1 was his third of the Calder Cup Playoffs. The rookie forward buried two goals in Game 4 against the Phantoms last Saturday night. Priskie, who scored his first career Calder Cup Playoff goal in Game 1, led the Bears with four shots in the victory.
Shepard made 13 saves on 14 shots to earn the win in Game 1. Including the regular season, he is now 4-0-0-0 against the Wolf Pack this season.
Frank leads the Bears in goals with four. He (4 g, 2 a) and Hendrix Lapierre (2 g, 4 a) are tied for the team lead in points with six. Lapierre collected two assists in Game 1.
Game Information:
Play-by-play voice of the Wolf Pack Alex Thomas will have ‘Wolf Pack Pregame’ starting live at 6:45 p.m. on both AHLTV and Mixlr.
Single-game tickets for Game 3 and Game 4 of the Atlantic Division Finals are on sale now!
For playoff information, please visit www.hartfordwolfpack.com/tickets/playoff-information.
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ABOUT THE HARTFORD WOLF PACK: The Hartford Wolf Pack has been a premier franchise in the American Hockey League since the team’s inception in 1997. The Wolf Pack is the top player-development affiliate of the NHL's New York Rangers and plays at the XL Center. The Wolf Pack has been home to some of the Rangers newest faces including Igor Shesterkin, Filip Chytil, and Ryan Lindgren. Follow the Wolf Pack on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok.