The Hershey Bears (47-12-0-5) continued their strong play on the road with a 2-1 shootout victory over the Hartford Wolf Pack (30-24-7-3) on Saturday night at XL Center.
The Bears earned two points to improve to 22-6-0-5 (.742) on the road this season, guaranteeing Hershey finishes its 72-game regular season with the best road points percentage in franchise history, surpassing the 2006-07 team (25-11-2-2, .675) with three road games remaining. Hershey's win, combined with Providence's 4-0 loss to Syracuse, has also reduced Hershey's Magic Number for clinching the Atlantic Division title to one point.
Hershey head coach Todd Nelson earned his 400th career AHL head coaching win with the victory, while alternate captain Mike Vecchione skated in his 400th professional game.
The Bears took an early 1-0 lead in the first period thanks to Pierrick Dube stealing the puck in the defensive zone and racing up the left side before finding Ethen Frank in the slot, who buried his 25th of the season past Olof Lindblom at 4:29.
At the opposite end of the ice, Hunter Shepard stopped everything Hartford threw at the Hershey net, making 15 saves.
The Wolf Pack leveled the score at 6:06 of the second period when Brennan Othmann converted with the man advantage. The goal ended Shepard's personal shutout streak at 167:35 dating back to March 15 at Utica.
The game remained tied at 1-1 through the end of regulation and the five-minute overtime, sending Hershey to its eighth shootout of the season.
Hartford elected to shoot first, and after Brett Berard failed to score for the Wolf Pack, Dube scored to put Hershey in front. Although Nic Petan drew Hartford level in the top of Round 2, Joe Snively put the Bears up 2-1 in the bottom of the round. Alex Belzile scored in the top of Round 3, but Alex Limoges struck to seal the victory for Hershey.
Shots finished 33-26 in favor of the Wolf Pack. Shepard earned his 24th win of the season with a 32-for-33 performance; Lindblom took the shootout loss for Hartford with a 24-for-25 effort. The Bears went 0-for-5 on the power play; the Wolf Pack went 1-for-4 with the man advantage.
The Bears continue the 2023-24 season, presented by Penn State Health, when they return home to GIANT Center against the Lehigh Valley Phantoms on Tuesday, April 2 at 7 p.m. for Hersheypark Pass Night and TRULY Takeover Tuesday. All fans in attendance will receive a 2024 Hersheypark Ticket, good for one-day admission through June 30, 2024. Purchase tickets for the game by CLICKING HERE.
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