Alex Limoges broke a 2-2 tie to ignite a three-goal flurry in the second period and Ivan Miroshnichenko posted a three-point night as the Hershey Bears (9-1) took a 3-0 series lead over the Cleveland Monsters (6-4) with a 6-2 win in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals on Tuesday night at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. The victory extended the Bears' playoff win streak to seven games.
The Bears struck first while on the man advantage at 12:43 of the first period when Chase Priskie's shot from the point squeaked through the equipment of Jet Greaves for Priskie's third of the playoffs, with Garrett Roe and Miroshnichenko assisting. The goal extended Priskie's playoff point streak to seven games (3g, 5a) up to that point.
Ethen Frank converted on the power play at 5:45 of the second period from Hendrix Lapierre and Joe Snively with a shot from the left circle that beat Greaves to make it 2-0. The goal was Frank's eighth of the postseason and extended his current goal scoring streak to six games (6g).
The Monsters responded with two goals on Hunter Shepard from Alex Whelan at 6:55 and a power-play strike from Trey Fix-Wolansky at 12:17 to draw the hosts level.
In the final three minutes of the frame the Bears surged ahead. Hershey ignited its counterattack as the team transitioned from defense to offense as Dylan McIlrath broke up a play and found Miroshnichenko, who dished the puck along to Limoges, who beat Greaves off the rush for his third of the playoffs at 17:14 to make it 3-2.
A minute and nine seconds later, Miroshnichenko stickhandled the puck through Greaves at the front of the net for his sixth of the playoffs at 18:23, with Mike Vecchione and Priskie assisting.
Finally, with the Bears once again on the power play, Joe Snively blistered his first of the postseason past Greaves at 19:32, with helpers from Frank and Lapierre, to complete the three-goal outburst in a span of 2:18, Hershey's fastest three goals scored in the current postseason, to make it 5-2.
The Monsters replaced Greaves with Malcolm Subban at the start of the third period who stopped all four shots he faced in relief, but Cleveland yielded an empty-net goal to Henrik Rybinski at 15:54, with Bogdan Trineyev and Riley Sutter assisting.
Shots finished 30-29 in favor of the Bears. Shepard went 27-for-29 for his ninth win of the postseason; Greaves went 20-for-25 in the loss for Cleveland. The Bears went 3-for-6 on the power play, marking the first time Hershey had scored at least three goals on the man advantage in a playoff game since the team went 4-for-9 against the Worcester Sharks in Game 4 of the 2015 Eastern Conference Quarterfinals (10-4 W); the Monsters went 1-for-4 with the man advantage.
The Bears continue the 2024 Calder Cup Playoffs when they face the Monsters in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals on Thursday, June 6, at 7 p.m. at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Game 4 will also air on television locally on WPMT FOX 43.2 Antenna TV, in the Washington, D.C. area on Monumental Sports Network, and nationally on NHL Network; Fans can also watch online via AHLTV. Bear Nation can get together at The Bears Den at the Hershey Lodge for our Game 4 Watch Party presented by Labatt Blue, featuring a $5 Labatt Blue draft special! Should a Game 6 be necessary for completion of the series, the Bears will host it on Monday, June 10, at 7 p.m. at GIANT Center. CLICK HERE to purchase tickets for this game.
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