The Hershey Bears look to level the 2024 Calder Cup Finals as they take the ice tonight against the Coachella Valley Firebirds for Game 4 of the championship round. Hershey trails the best-of-seven series by a 2-1 count after falling 6-2 in Game 3 on Tuesday at Acrisure Arena.
Hershey Bears (11-6) at Coachella Valley Firebirds (12-3)
June 20, 2024 | 10 p.m. ET | Acrisure Arena | Coachella Valley leads series, 2-1
Referees: Cody Beach (45), Beau Halkidis (48)
Linespersons: Mitchell Hunt (62), Ryan Jackson (84)
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: FOX43, Monumental Sports Network (Washington, D.C. market), NHL Network (Coachella Valley feed)
RADIO: WFVY-100.1 FM, Fox Sports 1460-AM, Capitals Radio, SportsRadio 98.9-FM & WOYK 1350-AM, NHL Network Radio (Sirius XM Channel 91 [Coachella Valley feed])
WATCH LIVE: AHLTV
LISTEN LIVE: Fox Sports AM-1460 Stream, Caps Radio 24/7
Radio pre-game coverage starts at 9:30 p.m. ET, Television coverage starts at 10 p.m.
LAST TIME OUT:
The Firebirds raced out to a 2-0 lead in the first period of Game 2 after Max McCormick scored on the power play at 2:20 and added an even-strength goal at 6:03 before Henrik Rybinski netted his fifth of the playoffs at 8:50. Alex Limoges then leveled the score at 1:29 of the second period with a deflection goal on the power play, but Lleyton Roed sent Coachella Valley ahead at 4:06 and Ryan Winterton restored the two-goal lead at 16:00. Following Shane Wright's goal at 7:01 of the third, the Bears replaced Hunter Shepard in net with Clay Stevenson, but Coachella Valley added an empty-net goal at 18:24 for a 6-2 final.
ROAR WARRIOR MENTALITY:
The Bears will get their second attempt to be the first team to finally steal a win on Acrisure Arena ice in the 2024 playoffs, as Coachella Valley has posted an unblemished 7-0 mark on home ice during its current postseason run. During the regular season, Hershey set the best road mark in club history, owning a road .736 points percentage off a record of 24-7-0-5.
SHEPARD CLIMBING THE RANKS:
Hunter Shepard's next appearance will mark his 18th of the 2024 playoffs, which will tie him with Michal Neuvirth's 2010 run for the seventh-most games played by a goaltender in a playoff year in franchise history. Along with Neuvirth (2009 and 2010) and Frederic Cassivi (2006 and 2007), Shepard is one of only three goaltenders in franchise history with two playoff runs each consisting of 17+ games played, after making 20 appearances in the 2023 playoffs. Currently at 11 wins, Shepard's next victory will move him into a tie with Wendell Young (1988) and J-F Labbe (1997) for the sixth-most wins by a Bears goaltender in a playoff year in franchise history.
POWER PLAY PERFORMERS:
Joe Snively's assist on Alex Limoges' power-play goal in Game 3 gave Snively his league-leading eighth power-play assist. With nine points on the man advantage in the postseason (1g, 8a), Snively is now tied with teammate Hendrix Lapierre (2g, 7a) for the overall league lead in power-play points. Hershey has gone 16-for-69 (23.2%) in the 2024 playoffs, and 2-for-10 (20%) against Coachella Valley.
BEARS BITES:
The Bears are 11-11 lifetime in Game 4s of best-of-seven Calder Cup Finals...Coachella Valley's 42 shots on goal in Game 3 were the most by a Hershey opponent in a playoff game decided in regulation since facing Worcester in Game 1 of the 2015 Eastern Conference Quarterfinals, when Worcester put up an identical 42 shots on goal in a 4-1 Hershey win...With 25 career playoff assists for the Chocolate and White, Joe Snively's next helper will move him into the a tie for 10th in franchise history, joining Gordon Bruce and Larry Zeidel. With 13 assists in the current playoff run, Snively requires two more to tie Mike Green (2006) and Tony Cassolato (1980) for the ninth-most assists by a Bears in a single playoff year...Hershey is 9-1 in the playoffs when Chase Priskie records a point.
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