Big Game 5 looming for Bears

The Hershey Bears and Coachella Valley Firebirds are even at two games apiece in the 2023 Calder Cup Finals with a big Game 5 tonight at Giant Center looming large.

We are moments away from that game which puts the winner in the driver’s seat for a championship. After the Bears dropped the first two games they won the next two to square the series and set things up for a big one tonight.

Puck drop is at 7 p.m. and you can catch the game on both NBC Sports Washington and NHL Network. Tonight’s game is SOLD OUT.

Mike Vecchione scored twice for the Bears the other night in Game 4 including the opening goal at 4:27 of the first period. His second came at 3:03 in the second period. Ethen Frank scored what turned out to be the eventual game winner as the Bears held on for a 3-2 win.

The Bears became just the ninth team in the history of the Calder Cup Finals to tie the series at two after trailing 2-0. Only three teams have rallied from a two games to none deficit in the best of seven championship series and wen on to hoist the Calder Cup. The Bears will look to achieve a rare feat.

The only other three teams that did so were the 1972 Nova Scotia Voyageurs, 1991 Springfield Indians, and the 2010 Hershey Bears which was the last time they hoisted the Calder Cup.

Hunter Shepard made 19 saves in Game 4 which tied his fewest needed for a victory in the playoffs, matching a 19 for 20 performance in Game 2 of the Atlantic Division Semifinals at Charlotte on April 29.

Shepard’s victory in Game 4 gave him his 12th career playoff win with the Bears, allowing him to pass Justin Peters for sole possession of third on the franchise list behind only Michal Neuvirth (30) and Frederic Cassivi (37).