Within the Atlantic Division Semifinals, the two-time defending Calder Cup champion Hershey Bears fell behind the Lehigh Valley Phantoms two video games to at least one earlier than rallying to take the ultimate two video games of the collection to win their American Hockey League (AHL) file ninth straight Calder Cup playoff collection. The Chocolate and White now advance to play the Charlotte Checkers within the Atlantic Division Finals. The Checkers defeated the Windfall Bruins within the different Atlantic Division Semifinal.
Sequence Schedule
Recreation 1: Friday, Could 16, Hershey at Charlotte – 7 p.m.
Recreation 2: Saturday, Could 17, Hershey at Charlotte – 7 p.m.
Recreation 3: Wednesday, Could 21, Charlotte at Hershey – 7 p.m.
Recreation 4: Thursday, Could 22. Charlotte at Hershey – 7 p.m. *
Recreation 5: Saturday, Could 24, Charlotte at Hershey – 7 p.m. *
* If Obligatory
Playoff Historical past
This would be the fourth all-time playoff assembly between Hershey and Charlotte. The Checkers gained the primary two battles with the Bears prevailing in 2023.
In 2011, Charlotte ended Hershey’s two-year reign by toppling the Bears in six video games within the first spherical. The Checkers then swept Hershey within the second spherical en path to their Calder Cup championship in 2019.
The lone collection triumph for the Chocolate and White got here within the 2023 Atlantic Division Semifinals. The Bears raced out to a 4-0 lead in sport one in Charlotte and skated to a 5-2 victory. A day later, Hershey received targets from Joe Snively, Mason Morelli, Connor McMichael, Sam Anas and Garrett Pilon and gained 5-1 to move again residence up two video games to none. The Checkers clogged the center in sport three and two breakaway targets within the second interval led Charlotte to a 2-1 victory. Recreation 4 started very similar to sport three for Hershey. The Checkers continued to clog the center of the ice and the Bears have been flat within the first interval. Charlotte deservedly jumped out to a 2-0 benefit and seemed poised to increase their benefit, because the Hershey offense was dormant, producing simply two pictures on objective within the opening body. An enormous examine from Beck Malenstyn on Santuu Kinnunen broke a ache of glass behind the objective and induced a delay in play. The break stalled the Checkers’ momentum. The Bears tallied twice within the second to tie the sport and added 4 extra within the third to take the sport 6-2 and seize the collection in 4 video games. The Chocolate and White would go on to win the Calder Cup.
How They Bought Right here
Charlotte
The Checkers earned a bye within the opening spherical by ending second within the Atlantic Division. They squared off with the Windfall Bruins of their Atlantic Division Semifinal. Charlotte rapidly quieted the house crowd in Windfall in sport one when John Leonard and Justin Sourdiff scored shorthanded targets 37 seconds aside earlier than the matchup was 5 minutes previous. The Bruins by no means recovered and the Checkers took sport one by a rating of 5-1.
Charlotte made it a clear sweep in Rhode Island by tallying twice within the second interval of sport two. Kaapo Kahkonen stopped all 32 pictures he confronted in a 2-0 win.
The collection shifted again to North Carolina and Windfall stayed alive behind a stellar efficiency from goalie Michael DiPietro. The Checkers outshot the Child Bruins 40 to 19, however DiPietro stopped 38 pictures and Tyler Pitlick scored with 4:44 remaining within the third interval to carry Windfall to a 3-2 victory.
Charlotte once more failed to shut out the Bruins on residence ice in sport 4. Patrick Brown struck seven minutes and eight seconds into additional time to present Windfall a 3-2 triumph and ship the collection to a winner-take-all sport 5.
Within the decider, the Checkers clamped down defensively. They held the Bruins to at least one shot via the primary half-hour of the sport and Windfall recorded simply eight pictures throughout the complete contest. Charlotte led 3-0 after Oliver Okuliar tallied on the 3:38 mark of the third interval. Vinni Lettieri scored twice for the Bruins to make issues fascinating, however the Checkers potted two empty internet targets to seal the collection with a 5-2 triumph.
Hershey
Because the Atlantic Division champions, the Bears sat out the primary spherical with a bye. The title protection kicked off with a collection towards the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. The 2 interstate rivals cut up the common season and this collection unsurprisingly went the space.
The Chocolate and White potted the lone objective of the primary interval of sport one on the Big Heart, a snap shot from above the left circle from Chase Priskie. Within the third stanza, the penalty kill and Hunter Shepard got here up large in killing off a prolonged five-on-three. Hershey rode that momentum to a second objective, this one from Spencer Smallman, and Bogdan Trineyev sealed the 3-0 shutout victory with an empty netter.
In sport two, the Phantoms moved in entrance with an Anthony Richard objective within the second interval. Then, Zayne Knowledge scored shorthanded within the third to up the Lehigh Valley benefit to 2-0. Alex Limoges tallied on the identical energy play to deliver the Bears inside one. Knowledge once more made Hershey pay for a mistake on the ability play and netted his second shorthanded objective of the night time. Knowledge was the distinction because the Phantoms evened the collection with a 3-1 win.
The collection shifted to Allentown for sport three. A pricey turnover by Mike Sgarbossa on the ability play led on to Jacob Gaucher’s shorthanded objective within the first interval. The Bears responded with two targets in a span of a minute and 24 seconds to seize their first lead of the competition. Andrew Perrott tied the sport with a low shot from the middle level after which Ivan Miroshnichenko snapped a shot from the excessive slot that glided by the glove of Parker Gahagen. Lehigh Valley evened the competition up later within the body with an influence play objective from Garrett Wilson. Two minutes and 42 seconds later, the Phantoms went again in entrance on a Nikita Grebenkin tally. The Chocolate and White had 4 energy performs in third interval, however couldn’t convert and Olle Lycksell’s empty internet marker clinched the 4-2 triumph for Lehigh Valley.
Dealing with elimination in sport 4, Hershey head coach Todd Nelson went together with his intestine and began Clay Stevenson in objective. Nelson additionally changed the struggling Sgarbossa with Garrett Roe and inserted Brad Hunt into the lineup to run the ability play. After a gradual begin, Stevenson delivered a giant save on Lycksell’s shorthanded breakaway to swing the momentum. Then, Trineyev sniped a shot over Cal Petersen’s glove to place the Bears up 1-0. Priskie doubled the lead with 8:09 left within the first and Mike Vecchione added one other two minutes and 24 seconds later for a 3-0 edge after 20 minutes. Knowledge and Rodrigo Abols tallied 25 seconds aside early within the second interval to deliver the Phantoms inside one. Nelson known as his trip and the Bears settled down. An undisciplined interference penalty on Hunter McDonald gifted Hershey an influence play. With the man-advantage, Hunt rifled a shot that Petersen stopped, however Pierrick Dube put residence the rebound to make it 4-2 in favor of the Bears. Dube then scored once more and Hershey was up 5-2 after two intervals. A Miroshnichenko energy play objective midway via the third interval upped the result in 6-2. Lehigh Valley refused to go quietly and located the again of the web twice to maneuver inside two at 6-4, however the Bears held on to drive sport 5.
Nelson performed a hunch as soon as extra in sport 5 and went again to Shepard in internet. Hershey had a powerful early penalty kill, highlighted by two key blocks from defenseman Jon McDonald. The Bears leapt in entrance on the 5:19 mark of the primary interval when Spencer Smallman lifted a shot over the left pad. With three minutes and 47 seconds remaining within the preliminary stanza, the fourth line pushed the Hershey result in 2-0 when Riley Sutter completed off a two-on-one rush with Matt Strome. Sutter made it 3-0 within the second interval after he one-timed a feed from Garrett Roe. Down by three getting into the third, the Phantoms turned up their sport and Richard introduced Lehigh Valley inside two. The Bears then had a full two minute five-on-three energy play, adopted by one other two-minute man-advantage. The Chocolate and White didn’t rating on their energy performs and Shepard needed to provide you with a giant save on a Richard shorthanded breakaway. The Phantoms received momentum off of their penalty kill Hunter McDonald made it a one-goal sport with 5:57 nonetheless to be performed in regulation. Trineyev put Lehigh Valley’s hopes to mattress with an empty internet objective and the Bears superior with a 4-2 victory.
Staff Playoff Leaders
Hershey                                            Charlotte
Factors:                       Alex Limoges – 6                              Wilmer Skoog – 4
Targets:                        Bogdan Trineyev – 3            Wilmer Skoog/Ben Steeves – 3
Assists:                      Alex Limoges – 5                              Kyle Criscuolo – 3
Wins:                         Hunter Shepard – 2             Kaapo Kahkonen – 3
2024-25 Season Sequence
Hershey and Charlotte met eight occasions throughout the common season. Every workforce gained 4 video games, however the Checkers amassed extra factors resulting from recording factors in a shootout loss and an additional time loss. Charlotte prevailed in three of the 4 video games on the Big Heart and the Bears captured three of the 4 conferences within the Bojangles Coliseum.
The primary matchup got here in Hershey on November 2. Brad Hunt opened the scoring on a snap shot two minutes and 30 seconds into the primary interval. John Leonard answered with a pair of targets and the Checkers held a 2-1 benefit after the preliminary stanza. Neither workforce discovered the again of the web within the second interval. Kyle Criscuolo’s energy play tally gave Charlotte a two-goal edge. Pierrick Dube received the Bears again inside one with a five-on-three energy play objective. Ethen Frank had the prospect to tie the sport with a penalty shot, however Ken Appleby made a glove save. The Checkers put the competition away when Rasmus Asplund scored into the empty internet for a 4-2 Charlotte win.
A day later, Riley Bezeau netted the lone objective of the primary interval. A one-timer from Frank tied the sport up within the second interval after which Henrik Rybinski redirected an Ethan Bear shot from the left level to vault Hershey in entrance. Frank struck once more two minutes and 35 seconds later to offer the Chocolate and White a 3-1 lead. Matt Benning then struck on a five-on-three energy play to make it a 3-2 sport after 40 minutes. Ryan McAllister leveled the rating within the third and the Checkers outshot the Bears 12 to three within the third, however Hunter Shepard allowed the matchup to move to additional time. Neither workforce scored within the additional session and Dube transformed the one objective within the shootout to carry Hershey to a 4-3 shootout victory.
On December 14, Brennan Saulnier put the house aspect in entrance within the first interval, however that proved to be the lone offensive spotlight of the night. Oliver Okuliar’s shot deflected off Garrett Roe to tie the sport within the first and Okuliar tallied the sport winner within the third as Charlotte prevailed 2-1.
Within the fourth and last assembly in Hershey on December 29, Justin Sourdiff’s second interval marker was the distinction. Ken Appleby made 16 saves and the Checkers triumphed 1-0.
The collection shifted to North Carolina after the brand new 12 months. The preliminary assembly in Charlotte got here on January 10. Sourdiff opened the scoring with a shorthanded objective within the first interval after which Trevor Carrick added one other to push the result in 2-0. Within the second, Will Lockwood tipped in a Michael Benning shot to make it 3-0. The Bears rallied within the third. Aaron Ness’s slap shot objective received Hershey on the scoreboard. Dube introduced the Bears inside one after which Saulnier evened the rating line to drive additional time. Within the additional session, Clay Stevenson banked a go off the left boards to Alex Limoges within the impartial zone. Limoges skated into the left circle and wristed a shot previous Chris Driedger. Hershey earned a come-from-behind 4-3 victory.
The following day, the Bears kicked off the scoring with a Mike Vecchione energy play objective. The Checkers responded two minutes and 40 seconds later when Patrick Giles redirected a Jaycob Megna shot. Sourdiff put Charlotte in entrance within the second, however a Limoges wrist shot with 4:30 left within the center body made it 2-2. A Vecchione redirection gave the Chocolate and White a 3-2 benefit after which the ahead accomplished his hat trick with an empty internet tally to guide Hershey to a 4-2 win.
The final two conferences of the common season got here in North Carolina on February 22 and 23. After a scoreless first interval on the twenty second, Leonard positioned a snap shot from the slot beneath the arm of Shepard to place the Checkers forward. Shepard made two excessive finish saves within the third stanza to maintain his workforce inside one and Hendrix Lapierre introduced the Bears even with a four-on-four, breakaway objective. A Hershey turnover preceded the go-ahead objective by Benning with 28 seconds left. Criscuolo secured the sport for the Charlotte with an empty internet tally and the Checkers gained 4-2.
The Bears captured the final sport of the season collection on the twenty third of February. Ivan Miroshnichenko scored within the second interval and Bear fired a shot into an empty internet within the third to offer all of the offense Clay Stevenson would want in a 2-0 whitewash of Charlotte.
Season Sequence Leaders
Hershey                                         Charlotte
Factors:           Alex Limoges – 5                John Leonard – 6
Targets:            Mike Vecchione – 3                         John Leonard/Justin Sourdiff – 3
Assists:          Dube/Bear/Iorio/Lapierre – 3    Leonard/Asplund/Kierstad/Benning – 3
Wins:              Clay Stevenson – 3                          Ken Appleby – 3
Shutouts:       Clay Stevenson – 1              Ken Appleby – 1
Roster Information
Charlotte
The Checkers have a goalie now that didn’t function in any of the eight matchups with the Bears throughout the common season. Veteran Kaapo Kahkonen performed in all 5 video games towards the Windfall Bruins. He was acquired on the commerce deadline in a commerce that despatched Chris Driedger to the Winnipeg Jets group. Kahkonen posted a 1.78 targets towards common the Bruins and recorded one shutout.
Defenseman Mitchell Vande Sompel missed the complete first spherical collection with Windfall. Fellow blue liner Matt Kierstad was injured in sport three and was held out of the ultimate two video games of the collection. Rookie Eamon Powell changed him in sport 4 and Dennis Cesana received the decision in sport 5. Kierstad is at the moment listed as day-to-day. Additionally, Jaycob Megna is at the moment with the Florida Panthers, serving as an additional defenseman within the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Hershey
Defenseman Nicky Leivermann was injured in sport two after being checked into the boards by Lehigh Valley’s Garrett Wilson. Leivermann was out the remainder of the collection. Heart Henrik Rybinski additionally suffered an harm in sport two and didn’t return within the collection.
The Bears ought to get some assist from the Washington Capitals. The father or mother membership was eradicated from the Stanley Cup playoffs by Carolina on Thursday. Defenseman Ethan Bear is eligible to return to the Chocolate and White. Bear can be an enormous addition to the lineup. He led Hershey in scoring this season and was the workforce’s most precious participant. Bear would enhance the Bears in each facet of the sport.
Sequence Outlook/Keys
Hershey gave up three shorthanded targets to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms throughout the 5 video games of the Atlantic Division Semifinals. The targets have been pricey in losses in video games two and three. The Bears didn’t give up a shorthanded objective within the final two sport of the collection after shifting away from the 5 ahead energy play unit. Nonetheless, they nonetheless gave up shorthanded possibilities in every sport that have been saved by Clay Stevenson and Hunter Shepard respectively. Charlotte led the AHL in shorthanded targets throughout the common season and tallied two shorties in sport one among their collection with Windfall. Hershey needs to be sharp with their passes whereas on the ability play and play good. Don’t make aimless passes to area or drop the puck to no person specifically.
Each groups struggled on the ability play of their Atlantic Division Semifinal collection. The Checkers have been 1 for 18 on the man-advantage. The Bears went 4 for 29 on the ability play, however three of these targets got here in sport 4. They have been 1 for 21 within the different 4 video games. Throughout the common season collection, Charlotte scored 4 occasions in 29 alternatives and Hershey transformed 5 of 35 possibilities. If one workforce can get their energy play going, it should give them a bonus in what ought to be a decent collection.
Kaapo Kahkonen is a goalie that the Bears haven’t seen this season. The Chocolate and White should determine his weaknesses rapidly. Affiliate goalie coach Juha Lehtola does a superb job choosing aside video of the goalies from the opposition and his enter will likely be vital in aiding Hershey skaters to find the most effective spots to attempt to beat Kahkonen.
The highest six for the Bears wants to point out up each sport. They have been passengers in video games two and three towards Lehigh Valley. The trouble was significantly better within the last two video games of the collection after Nelson challenged them.
Containing the highest gamers for the Checkers will likely be vital for Hershey. John Leonard and Justin Sourdiff have been thorns within the Bears’ aspect throughout the common season collection. The pair mixed for six targets. Hershey must lock down these gamers and never go away them uncovered.
The Bears obtained sturdy manufacturing from their backside two strains. Bogdan Trineyev potted a workforce greatest three targets and is second on the workforce in playoff scoring with 4 factors. He teamed with Luke Philp and Ivan Miroshnichenko on the third line and every of these gamers contributed three factors. Matt Strome and Riley Sutter from the fourth line additionally every recorded three factors. Sutter tallied two vital targets in sport 5, together with the sport winner, and Strome had two helpers in the identical contest. If Hershey can get continued offense from their backside two strains, it makes them a harder workforce to defend. Charlotte will be unable to focus fully on the massive weapons.
By Eric Lord
