Atlantic Division Semifinals Game 4 Preview: Bears at Phantoms, 7:05 p.m.

May 11, 2024

The Hershey Bears will look to advance to the next round of the 2024 Calder Cup Playoffs tonight as they face the Lehigh Valley Phantoms in Game 4 of the Atlantic Division Semifinals, leading the best-of-five series two games to one.

Hershey Bears (2-1) at Lehigh Valley Phantoms (3-2)
May 11, 2024 | 7:05 p.m. | PPL Center | Hershey leads series, 2-1
Referees: Justin Kea (44), Jordan Samuels-Thomas (42)
Linespersons: Jeremy Faucher (85), Ryan Jackson (84)

Broadcast Information 
Voice of the Bears, Zack Fisch, former Bears captain Garrett Mitchell, and FOX43 sports director Todd Sadowski 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) 
RADIO: WFVY-100.1 FM, Fox Sports 1460-AM, SportsRadio 98.9-FM & WOYK 1350-AM (joined in-progress), Capitals Radio
WATCH LIVE: AHLTV
LISTEN LIVE: Fox Sports AM-1460 Stream, Caps Radio 24/7 
Radio pre-game coverage starts at 6:35 p.m., Television coverage starts at 7 p.m.

Playoff Watch Party - Join us at Arooga's (637 E Main St, Hummelstown, PA 17036) for our Atlantic Division Semifinals Game 4 Watch Party (reservations are preferred)!

LAST TIME OUT:
The Bears suffered a 2-0 defeat in Game 3 on Wednesday, as the Phantoms scored power-play goals in a span of 1:44 in the first period from Emil Andrae and Olle Lycksell, while Cal Petersen made 22 saves for his first career shutout in the Calder Cup Playoffs.

SEEKING BOUNCE-BACK PERFORMANCE:
The Bears will look to respond to Wednesday's Game 3 loss with a victory tonight in Game 4. During the 2023-24 regular season, Hershey enjoyed its first-ever campaign in which it did not suffer back-to-back regulation losses; the team only suffered two winless streaks through the regular season, taking back-to-back shootout losses at Lehigh Valley and Bridgeport in mid-January; in early March, the club suffered a 1-0 defeat to Utica, a 1-0 shootout loss at Lehigh Valley, and a 5-3 loss at Charlotte.

CHANCE TO ADVANCE:
The Bears have a lifetime record of 77-67 in series-clinching playoff games; Hershey is 4-5 in Game 4 of a best-of-five series when leading the series 2-1. Hershey's two most recent best-of-five series victories came last spring, when the Bears closed out the Atlantic Division Semifinals against the Charlotte Checkers in four games, then swept the Hartford Wolf Pack 3-0 in the Atlantic Division Finals.

IF YOU'RE NOT FIRST:
So far in this series the team that has scored first has gone on to win each game. The Bears finished the 2023-24 regular season with a league-leading 40 wins when scoring first, going 40-2-0-1. In the 2023 postseason, Hershey went 9-2 when scoring first, and 5-4 when allowing the first goal.

BEARS BITES:
Hunter Shepard is second among playoff goaltenders in goals-against average (1.36) and save percentage (.952)...Ethen Frank is tied for the team lead in goals with two, and leads Hershey with eight shots on goal...The winner of this series will advance to the Atlantic Division Finals to face the Hartford Wolf Pack, which defeated the Providence Bruins three games to one, capped off by a 2-1 overtime victory on Friday night in Game 4.

ON THIS DATE:
May 11, 1997 - Blair Atcheynum scored the game-winning goal 42 seconds into triple overtime as the Bears downed the Philadelphia Phantoms in Game 6 of the Mid-Atlantic Division Finals 3-2, forcing the series back to the Spectrum for an eventual Game 7 victory. J.F. Labbe made 62 saves for Hershey to establish a new franchise playoff single-game record.