It's overtime on a Saturday night. The sold out crowd with nerves but positive energy throughout the night. When Pierrick Dube scored at 13:54 of the first overtime to give the Hershey Bears a 2-0 cushion in the Eastern Conference Finals it sent 10,562 fans into a roar at the GIANT Center. The final score 3-2.
Per the Bears it extended their home ice and overall playoff win streaks to six games. It also marked the first time the Bears had played back to back playoff overtime games and came out on top. Last time that happened was the 2017 Atlantic Division Finals against the Providence Bruins in Games 2 and 3.
Saturday night shots
The Bears also noted that the opening period marked the largest combined volume of shots for Hershey and an opponent in the first frame. The Bears outshot the Cleveland Monsters 12-11 but both Hunter Shepard and Jet Graves were on their A games.
In the second the Bears struck first with a power play goal as Chase Priskie and Ivan Miroshnichenko got assists while the goal was scored by Garrett Roe. Josh Dunne tied it up at 18:49. Then Ethen Frank put the Bears ahead 2-1 at 11:21 of the third period. Hendrix Lapierre and Lucas Johansen had the helpers.
The Monsters tied it after pulling Graves late in the game as David Jiricek put the puck past Hunter Shepard at 18:27 to send the game into overtime. Cleveland put up six consecutive shots in overtime before Dube would win it.
Dube would win a puck batle behind his own net and would finish the give n go with Jimmy Huntington. While shots finished 36-30 in favor of the Monsters, Hunter Shepard stood tall making 34 saves for his eighth win of the playoffs. Per the Bears that moved him past Nick Damore into sole possession of third on the franchise list in wins in the postseason.
The Bears and Monsters go at it again on Tuesday June 4 at 7 p.m. from Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. You can catch the game on FOX 43.2, AHLTV or on Monumental Sports Network if you live in the DC market.