Weekly Release: Bears Carry Series Lead into Slate of Games

May 30, 2023

The Hershey Bears continue the 2023 playoffs, presented by Penn State Health, as Hershey leads the Rochester Americans 3-1 in the Eastern Conference Finals. The Bears will host the Amerks for Game 5 at GIANT Center on Wednesday, May 31, with a chance to advance to their first Calder Cup Finals since 2016 on the line.

PLAYOFFS TEAM LEADERS:
Goals: Mason Morelli (5)
Assists: Joe Snively (8)
Points: Aliaksei Protas (11)
Power-Play Goals: Sam Anas, Henrik Borgstrom, Logan Day, Mason Morelli, Aliaksei Protas, Mike Sgarbossa, Joe Snively (1)
Shorthanded Goals: N/A
Plus/Minus: Lucas Johansen (8)
Wins: Hunter Shepard (9)
GAA: Hunter Shepard (1.91)
SV%: Hunter Shepard (.927)
Only includes qualified players on active roster

Click here for full AHL playoff bracket

LOCAL PRACTICE SCHEDULE FOR WEEK OF MAY 29:

Tuesday, May 30
Day Off

Wednesday, May 31
Morning Skate, 10:15 a.m. at GIANT Center
Game 5 vs. Rochester, 7 p.m.

Thursday, June 1
TBD

All practices are open to the public. Practice dates and times are subject to change as the Eastern Conference Finals series progresses.

SERIES SCHEDULE:

• Game 1: Tuesday, May 23 – Hershey 1 vs. Rochester Americans 5
• Game 2: Thursday, May 25 – Hershey 2 vs. Rochester Americans 0
• Game 3: Saturday, May 27– Hershey 4 at Rochester Americans 2
• Game 4: Monday, May 29 – Hershey 4 at Rochester Americans 2
• Game 5: Wednesday, May 31 vs. Rochester Americans, 7 p.m. – BUY TICKETS
• *Game 6: Friday, June 2 at Rochester Americans, 7:05 p.m.
• *Game 7: Monday, June 5 vs. Rochester Americans, 7 p.m. – BUY TICKETS

* If necessary
TV Coverage: WPMT FOX43 (Games 2, 4), Antenna TV (Games 1, 3, 5, 6, 7), NBC Sports Washington; Video Coverage: AHLTV; Radio Coverage: Bears Radio Network, Capitals Radio Network; Tickets: HersheyBears.com

TEAM NEWS AND NOTES:

MAY-DAY:
During the regular season, Logan Day dressed for 36 of 72 games for the Bears, posting 12 points (0g, 12a) and helping his team to a 24-7-2-3 record when he was in the lineup. The fifth-year pro has enjoyed a breakout playoff run with Hershey, leading the club’s blue line with eight points (3g, 5a) and ranks fifth in league postseason scoring among defensemen. Day’s eight points are tied for the fourth-highest point total during a single playoff season by an American-born Bears defender. So far in the month of May, Day is operating at a point-per-game pace, with all eight points coming in eight contests.

JOJO ON THE GOGO:
Fellow Bears defenseman Lucas Johansen has also emerged offensively in the postseason. The sixth-year pro suited up in 40 games for the Bears in the regular season, posting seven points (1g, 6a). He has nearly equaled those point totals through 11 playoff matches, with five points (2g, 3a), including his first career professional playoff goals. His first of the postseason was the series-clinching goal in Game 3 of the Atlantic Division Finals against Hartford, and his goal on Monday against Rochester ignited a four-goal comeback in the third period.

THIRD PERIOD FIREWORKS:
While the Bears were known for being opportunistic starters in the first period during the regular season, during the playoffs, Hershey has been thriving in the third period. The Bears are tied with Coachella Valley with 19 goals in the third period, and Hershey’s goal differential of +14 in the final frame is tops in the AHL.

MCMICHAEL ENJOYING ROAD COOKING:
Connor McMichael has an active road point streak of five games. McMichael has a point in each of Hershey’s last five contests (3g, 2a) away from GIANT Center, and the Bears are 5-0 on the road in the 2023 Calder Cup Playoffs.

ROAD WARRIORS:
Following Hershey’s win on Monday in Game 4, the Bears’ five-game road win streak is the longest by the club in the playoffs since 2006, when Hershey won its first six road contests from April 21-May 18 before dropping a 3-2 decision at Portland in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals.

CANNING TROPHY IS IN THE BUILDING:
The Richard F. Canning Trophy will be inside GIANT Center on Wednesday, with Hershey in position to capture the Eastern Conference crown on home ice. The last time the Bears won the Eastern Conference title in front of a home crowd was on May 22, 2010, when Boyd Kane scored at 7:06 of overtime in Game 6 to send the Bears to the Calder Cup Finals.

BEARS BITES:
Aliaksei Protas and Connor McMichael are tied for second in the AHL with two insurance goals…Hendrix Lapierre is tied for 11th in rookie playoff scoring with five points (2g, 3a)…Hershey has scored four goals in the third period twice in the current postseason (May 29 at Rochester and May 4 vs. Charlotte)…The Bears are 3-1 on home ice in the playoffs when outshooting their opponents…Hershey is 7-0 when scoring a power-play goal…Hunter Shepard has allowed two or fewer goals in 10 of his 11 starts...The Bears rank fifth with a penalty kill that has gone 23-for-27 (85.2%).