The Hershey Bears take the ice this evening for Game 2 of the 2024 Calder Cup Finals against the Coachella Valley Firebirds. Hershey seeks to level the series at 1-1 following Coachella Valley taking a 4-3 decision in the opening game on Friday night.
Hershey Bears (10-5) vs. Coachella Valley Firebirds (11-2)
June 16, 2024 | 5 p.m. | GIANT Center | Coachella Valley leads series, 1-0
Referees: Cody Beach (45), Jordan Samuels-Thomas (42)
Linespersons: Ryan Jackson (84), Justin Johnson (57)
Broadcast Information
Voice of the Bears, Zack Fisch, former Bears captain Garrett Mitchell, and FOX43's Todd Sadowski and Ryan Ye on the call
TELEVISION: Antenna TV (WPMT FOX 43.2, Xfinity Ch. 247 and 1178, Verizon FiOS Ch. 463, Blue Ridge Ephrata Ch. 91, and Blue Ridge Newberry/Duncannon Ch. 88); Monumental Sports Network (Washington, D.C. market), NHL Network
RADIO: WFVY-100.1 FM, Fox Sports 1460-AM, Capitals Radio, In-Arena on 88.9 FM
WATCH LIVE: AHLTV
LISTEN LIVE: Fox Sports AM-1460 Stream, Caps Radio 24/7
Radio pre-game coverage starts at 4:30 p.m., Television coverage starts at 5 p.m.
LAST TIME OUT:
In Friday's series-opener, Joe Snively scored the first goal of the game just 1:15 into the contest when his pass banked in off a Coachella Valley player's skate and past Chris Driedger. The Firebirds responded with a shorthanded goal from John Hayden at 6:34 and Ryan Winterton put the visitors ahead 2-1 at 13:52. Winterton struck again at 9:49 of the second period before Hardy Haman Aktell cut the deficit back to a goal at 12:51. The Firebirds ended the middle frame with Hayden's second of the evening at 15:11. With Hunter Shepard pulled and the Bears on the power play late in the third, Hendrix Lapierre closed out the scoring with a strike at 18:04.
LAPPY-ING IT UP:
Thanks to his two-point (1g, 1a) performance in Game 1, Hendrix Lapierre has taken sole possession of the scoring lead for the Calder Cup Playoffs with 17 points (5g, 12a) in 15 games. Lapierre also leads all playoff performers in assists, and is tied with teammate Joe Snively for the league lead in power-play assists (7), and leads the league outright in power-play points (9). Lapierre's six multi-point games lead Hershey in the 2024 postseason; the Bears have gone 5-1 when he records at least two points.
PRISKIE POWER:
Defender Chase Priskie leads all blueliners in scoring with 12 points (2g, 10a), and his 10 helpers also lead all defensemen. Hershey has posted a record of 9-1 when Priskie gets on the scoresheet.
BOUNCE-BACK FOR SHEPARD:
So far in the 2024 playoffs, Hunter Shepard has surrendered four goals twice. In those instances, the reigning Aldege "Baz" Bastien Memorial Award-winning netminder has responded by posting an aggregated .926 save percentage (63-for-68) in the following game.
BEARS BITES:
Hershey is 6-7 lifetime in Game 2 of the Calder Cup Finals when opening the championship series with a loss...Jimmy Huntington has recorded an assist in each of his last three games...Ivan Miroshnichenko is tied with Milwaukee's Egor Afanasyev for the league lead with 41 shots on goal...Hunter Shepard's next appearance will be his 16th of the 2024 Calder Cup Playoffs, giving him sole possession for the eighth-most appearances in franchise history for a single playoff year. Shepard's 20 games played in the 2023 playoffs is also tied with Justin Peters (2016) for the fourth-most; presently at 10 victories for the current run, Shepard's next win will also tie him with Peters for the eighth-most wins in franchise history in a single playoff year...Hershey is 7-1 when scoring first, while Coachella Valley is 7-2...At 24 playoff victories at the helm of the Bears, head coach Todd Nelson's next playoff win for Hershey will give him sole possession of fourth in team history, passing Chuck Hamilton.
ON THIS DATE:
June 16, 1961 - The Bears announced the trade of defenseman Howie Young to the Detroit Red Wings in exchange for Pete Conacher, Jack McIntyre, and Marc Reaume.
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